Good News for the world Luke 2v1-40

Luke chapter 2, page 1027.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire

Roman world.

This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and

everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town

of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting

a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her

first son, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them

in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks

at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and

they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you.

He is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you.

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God

and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.

When the angels had left them and had gone into heaven, the shepherds said to them, one

another, Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told

us about.

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about

this child.

And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard,

which were just as they had been told.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel

had given him before he had been conceived.

When the time of their purification, according to the law of Moses, had been completed, Joseph

and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

As it is written in the law of the Lord, every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the

Lord and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the law of the Lord.

A pair of doves or two young pigeons.

Now, there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout.

He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the

Lord's Christ.

Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.

When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the law required,

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, This child is destined to cause the

falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that

the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own souls too.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher.

She was very old. She had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and then was a

widow until she was 84. She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.

Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke of a child to all who

were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required

by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, their own town of Nazareth, and the child grew and

became strong. He was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.

Thanks very much, Trevor. Long reading, big passage, but we're going to work through it together

with God's help. So keep your Bibles open. We'll pray and ask for God's help.

Father, just as your Holy Spirit taught and revealed to old man Simeon, all that you are going to do,

we pray that your same Holy Spirit would reveal your truth to us so that we grasp afresh who Jesus is

and what his coming means for us today. So we ask for your help as we look at your word together. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, it's considered to be one of the best underground cave systems in Europe.

The entrance, about 25 metres below the surface, takes you on this long, winding path.

And at the end of it, you come to one of the world's largest underground lakes.

The brochure said it all. Immerse yourself in the subterranean world.

Enjoy the rock formations formed over hundreds and thousands of years.

See the turquoise baths of Diana and take a trip over the underground lake.

So while on holidays, we went to visit Caves del Drac.

And what a surprise.

Apart from getting lost on the way, never trust the sat-nav,

we decided to stay at the back of the tour and take our time.

But as soon as the group who were at the front of the tour went through that section of the cave,

they turned off the lights.

So us at the back spent our time just looking at shadows.

And to make matters worse, we had to queue up for about 45 minutes

to get on this little rowing boat that would take you across the world's largest underwater lake,

which took no more than two minutes.

It was a surprise, all right.

It was not as we expected.

Well, as we enter into Luke chapter 2,

Luke 2 · chapter mention

it is full of surprises.

But it's not as we expect.

In fact, it could leave us really disappointed.

First, there is a surprising king.

Look at verse 1.

In those days, Caesar Augustus,

you may have heard of him from history,

he was a very powerful man,

ruler over the entire empire of Europe,

of the Roman Empire, for 44 years.

An empire that stretched across North Africa,

right into most of Europe,

and covering modern Turkey and beyond.

He was a ruthless leader.

If you like, the power of Trump,

the might of Putin,

and the craziness of Kim Jong-un

all rolled into one.

And of course, as his empire expanded,

he needed more finances.

So, again, verse 1,

he issued a decree

that a census should be taken

of the entire Roman world.

A census was much more than just counting

the population of the empire.

It was a means of collecting taxes

and making money.

The lands and people that he had conquered

had now become the means

for funding his wars.

He was a powerful tyrant

who took no pity.

And everyone who lived in the empire

was forced to travel

to their place of birth

and register

so he could squeeze

as much money as possible.

So, verse 4,

Joseph also went up

from the town of Nazareth

in Galilee to Judea

to Bethlehem,

the town of David,

because he belonged

to the house and line of David.

He went there to register

with Mary,

who was pledged

to be married to him

and was expecting a child.

Even young pregnant women

like Mary,

who were on the verge

of giving birth,

were not exempt.

Everyone had to travel.

So there was no doubt

if you lived within

the Roman Empire,

who was ruler?

Who was boss?

But let's remember

what the angel had said

about the coming of Jesus.

Look back to chapter 1,

verse 32.

Here's what it says

about Jesus,

God's promised king.

He will be great

and will be called

the Son of the Most High,

a title reserved

for God alone,

but now applied to Jesus.

The Lord God

will give him

the throne

of his father David

and he will reign

over the house

of Jacob forever.

His kingdom

will never end.

So as we read

through Luke,

we see at least

at last a challenger

to the ruthless might

and power of Caesar.

God is raising up a king.

But what a surprise.

it's not what we expect.

Look back at chapter 2,

verse 6.

While they were there

registering,

the time came

for the baby to be born

and she gave birth

to her firstborn,

a son.

She wrapped him in cloths

and placed him in a manger

because there was no room

for them in the inn.

Now it makes us stop

and ask,

what is going on?

God's promise,

this great,

the Son of the Most High,

the King of an eternal kingdom,

God who has come

in human form,

ends up,

verse 6

or verse 7,

in a manger,

a feeding trough

for animals

in a backward town

called Bethlehem.

This so-called

promised king

can't even find

anywhere to stay.

Hardly a threat

to the power

and might

of Caesar.

Mike McKinley,

who's wrote

a little helpful book

covering big themes

of Luke,

shows us

how these opening

verses

take us

on a downward

spiral

of power

and influence.

So again,

look at verse 1,

we've got

Caesar Augustus,

ruler

of the Roman Empire.

Verse 2,

Quinerius,

a local governor

with some power.

Verse 4,

we're introduced

to Joseph,

a poor

commoner.

Verse 5,

Mary,

a young,

unknown,

teenage,

pregnant girl.

And then

verse 7,

a baby,

seconds old

and gasping

for air.

From the great

and the mighty

to the weak

and the powerless.

From the most

powerful man

in the world

to the most

fragile and

insignificant.

The conquering king

to a crying

newborn.

This struggling

scrap

still bloodied

from the womb

is God's king.

Hardly inspiring

or hopeful.

What's going on?

Well,

God's king

does come,

but he comes

in weakness,

not power.

In fact,

the whole of

Jesus' life

would be marked

by weakness.

a servant

who would come

to give

his life.

Who would end

up,

as we get

to the end

of Luke,

slaughtered

on a cross.

Who on

this earth

would want

to follow

and trust

a king

like that?

But that's

the point.

God is

calling

for

faith.

Will you

trust in

the power

of men

or will

you trust

in the

weakness

of my

son?

Will you

follow the

kings and

rulers of

this world,

the might

of all

the powerful

corporations

who flex

their muscles

or will you

follow my

king

who died

for you

on the

cross?

Maybe

you're

disappointed

that Jesus

is not

something

more.

Well,

listen to

the

apostle

Paul.

He

explains it

for us

like this.

He says

the message

of the

cross

is

foolishness.

It's

weak.

It's

nothing

to those

who are

perishing.

But to

us who

are being

saved,

it is

the power

of God.

For the

foolishness

of God

is wiser

than man's

wisdom.

And the

weakness of

God is

stronger

than man's

strength.

Who do

you trust?

Who would

you put your

life into

the hands

of?

Well, we've

got a second

surprise,

a surprising

invitation.

for some

reason,

when

celebrities

get pregnant

or give

birth,

they see

it their

duty to

inform the

whole world.

I'm not

quite sure

why, but

that's a

celebrity for

you, I

guess.

Whether you're

Serena Williams

or William

and Kate,

well, people

must know

that we're

having a

baby.

Well, Luke

has another

surprise for

us.

Look at

verse 8.

And there

were shepherds

living out in

the fields

nearby, keeping

watch over

their flocks at

night.

Now, we've

all heard that,

we've sung the

carols, but I

want us to

forget the

image in your

minds of

those nice,

fluffy,

cuddly

shepherds that

might be

pictured on

your Christmas

cards.

Shepherds are

the lowest of

the low.

It was a

thankless,

dirty,

filthy job,

as verse 1

tells us.

They lived

out in

the fields.

And for

good reason

too.

They were

considered to

be thieves

and robbers

attacking

unsuspecting

travellers at

night.

If there was

a robbery

in town,

well, it

was the

shepherds.

They were

so despised

that their

testimony was

not even

trusted in

a court of

law.

You couldn't

believe them.

But yet,

it's to

these low

life that

God first

announces the

coming of

his king.

Look at

verse 9.

An angel

of the

Lord appeared

to them,

and the

glory of

the Lord

shone around

them, and

they were

terrified.

Well, who

wouldn't be

if an

angel appeared

in the

sky?

But the

angel said

to them,

do not

be afraid.

I bring

you good

news of

great joy

that will

be for

all the

people.

Today,

in the

town of

David,

a saviour

has been

born to

you.

He is

Christ

the

Lord.

This

announcement

is deeply

personal.

Did you

get that

in verse

11?

Today,

in the

town of

David,

a saviour

has been

born to

you,

to you

shepherds.

Yes,

the world

will hear

about it

in time,

but it

starts

personally

with you.

God

doesn't

send out

a tweet

with the

hashtag

kingisborn,

or there's

no announcement

in Jerusalem

news on

the papers,

there's no

press briefing

inviting all

the political

and religious

elite.

Instead,

it's a

personal

visit on

a secluded

hillside to

a bunch of

dirty low-life

shepherds who

no one would

ever believe.

In

modern terms,

dare I

say it,

it's like

God going

to the

traveller

site,

inviting the

so-called

despised of

our society.

Well,

surely God

can do

better than

that,

couldn't he?

What's

going on?

Well,

it's telling

us that

God is a

God of

grace.

God

is a

God's

favour.

Verse 13,

suddenly a

great company

of the

heavenly

hosts

appeared

with the

angel,

praising God

and saying,

glory to

God in the

highest,

on an

earth,

peace to

men,

on whom

his favour,

literally

upon whom

his grace

has fallen.

God

invites

these

low-life

shepherds

to come

and see

this

newborn

king

because,

well,

it's because

it's God's

good pleasure

to do so,

because God

delights in

showing his

grace to

unsuspecting

people.

This is the

way God

works.

It was the

same for

Elizabeth,

remember,

back in

chapter 1

verse 25,

old

barren

Elizabeth,

verse 25,

the Lord

has done

this for

me,

she said,

in these

days he

has shown

his favour

or he

has shown

his grace

upon me

and taken

away my

disgrace.

Or look

at verse

30,

as the

angel announced

the good

news to

Mary,

but the

angel said

to her,

do not

be afraid

Mary,

you have

found favour

with God.

Literally,

God's

grace has

come upon

you.

These two

unsuspecting

women,

these

unsuspecting

shepherds,

God's grace

is not

earned or

deserved,

it's dispensed

at God's

good pleasure

and will

because,

well,

God just

delights

in giving

his grace.

look again

at what

the angels

say to

the

shepherds,

verse 10,

chapter 2,

the angel

said,

don't be

afraid,

I bring

you good

news of

great joy.

That will

be for all

the people

today in

the town

of David,

a saviour

has been

born to

you,

he is

Christ

the

Lord.

Christ

is a

title.

Sometimes

we read

the word

Messiah.

It means

God's

chosen

anointed

king,

ruler,

supreme

power.

And God

is saying

to these

shepherds,

come,

here is an

invitation for

you to

go and

see my

saving

king,

my ruler,

and it's

a personal

invitation to

you.

Who would

choose

shepherds

to be

the first

hearers of

such

momentous,

life

transforming,

world

changing

news?

Well,

God

would,

because

God is

a God

of grace.

Why would

he do

it?

What's

going on?

Well,

as we

read through

Luke's

gospel,

we will

discover that

there are

two kinds

of people.

Of all

the people

we meet,

they will

be in

two

categories.

There are

those who

are the

outsiders,

those who

are morally

broken,

spiritually

unclean,

people who

are on

the edges,

people like

the

shepherds.

And then

we'll meet

the others,

the insiders,

those who

see themselves

as morally

good and

spiritually

pure,

people who

have

influence

and

power,

people like

the

political

and

religious

elite,

like the

Pharisees

that we'll

come across.

But Luke's

big surprise

as we read

through it

is that,

well,

from God's

perspective,

the outsiders

are invited

in,

while the

insiders

are left

out.

You see,

God has

sent his

chosen

saving

king,

Jesus

to

invite

sinners,

the morally

broken.

He came

to seek

and save

the lost,

the spiritually

unclean,

those who

know that

they can't

save themselves,

the despised

and the

rejected.

God goes

to

shepherds

and he

shows them

grace.

Disappointed

that God

doesn't treat

you differently?

that you

look at

your good

life and

think,

well,

what a

good

person

I am

and,

well,

God is

in some

ways bound

to treat

me differently.

Not the

case.

You see,

until we

too,

each one

of us,

become like

the shepherds,

until we

stoop to

such humility

and see

ourselves as

being morally

broken,

with nothing

to offer.

We will

never,

ever come

to know

and experience

God's grace.

If I see

myself as an

insider,

one of the

good people,

I ain't

going to

know God's

grace.

I must

become like

a shepherd

to experience

his grace

in my life

each and

every day.

surprised by

the saviour

that we

meet?

Well,

here's a

third surprise.

A

surprising

salvation.

Remember

how Luke

started out

in chapter

two?

In the

days of

Caesar

Augustus,

the great

ruler over

the entire

empire,

Israel,

this small

little land,

this small

little nation,

are under

the might

and power

of a

foreign

oppressor.

But let's

also remember

what the

prophets

had promised

all these

hundreds of

years ago.

Keep your

finger in Luke

and go back

to Isaiah

52.

Isaiah

52.

52.

So we've

got to

keep

context

in mind

here.

Luke

wants us

to know

Caesar

Augustus,

the empire,

the ruler,

he's the

suppressor,

he's in

charge.

But with

that in

mind,

we've got

to remember

the promise

of the

prophets.

And the

context in

Isaiah 52,

if you

look at

verse 4,

God's

people have

been oppressed

by other

nations.

So verse 4,

for this is

what the

sovereign Lord

says,

at first my

people went

down to

Egypt to

live.

Do you

remember how

they were

oppressed

by the

Egyptians

in slavery?

And then he

says,

lately,

Assyria,

this other

great nation,

has come

in and

has oppressed

them.

And we

know too

that the

Babylonian

nation,

they oppressed

also.

But there

is a

promise of

comfort and

redemption to

come.

So look at

verse 9.

Burst into

songs of

joy together,

you ruins of

Jerusalem,

for the Lord

has comforted

his people,

he has

redeemed

Jerusalem.

The Lord

will lay

bare his

holy arm

in the

sight of

all the

nations,

and all

the ends

of the

earth will

see the

salvation

of our

God.

There's a

promise that

well,

a redeemer

is going

to come

who's going

to bring

comfort to

God's

people.

When is

it going

to happen?

Well,

let's go

back to

Luke chapter

Luke 2 · chapter mention

2.

and verse

25.

Because at

this stage,

while yes,

they're living

in their

own land,

they're still

under the

oppression of

now another

nation,

the Roman

Empire.

And here

we're introduced

to an old

man called

Simeon,

verse 25.

Now there

was a man

in Jerusalem

called Simeon

who was

righteous

and devout.

He was

waiting,

literally his

whole life,

longing for

the consolation

or the

comfort of

Israel.

And the

Holy Spirit

was upon

him.

And when

he sees

this promised

Saviour,

because,

verse 26,

it had been

revealed to

him by the

Holy Spirit

that he

would not

die before

he had seen

the Lord's

Christ,

Christ.

Look what

happens,

verse 28.

Simeon took

this child

in his arms

and praised

God,

saying,

Sovereign

Lord,

as you

have promised,

promised all

the way back

as we'd

read in

Isaiah,

you now

dismiss your

servant in

peace,

for my

eyes have

seen your

salvation.

At last,

after all

of these

years,

God's

salvation

has come

in the

person of

Jesus.

Jesus,

but Simeon

was not

the only

one waiting.

Look down

at verse 36.

There was

also the

prophetess,

Anna,

the daughter

of Phanuel

of the

tribe of

Asher.

And she

meets this

baby Jesus

in the

temple,

verse 38,

coming up

to them,

coming up

to the

parents at

that very

moment,

she gave

thanks to

God and

spoke about

the child

Jesus to

all who

are looking

forward,

or literally

all who

are waiting

and longing

for the

redemption

of Jerusalem.

At last,

it seems

that God's

promises of

the past

have now

been fulfilled.

God has

come in

the person

of Jesus

Christ to

redeem his

people from

the might

and the

oppression

of the

Roman Empire.

A mighty

king who

would rule

forever and

make everything

right.

But

surprise,

it's not

as we

expect.

Listen to

what Simeon

says about

this

Redeemer.

Verse 34,

Then

Simeon

blessed

them,

that's the

parents,

and said

to Mary

his mother,

This

child is

destined to

cause the

falling and

rising of

many and

Israel,

and to

be a sign

that will

be spoken

against.

In other

words,

people are

going to

oppose him

so that

the thoughts

of many

hearts

will be

revealed.

will

be

filled.

It's not

what we

expect.

Surely

messiahs,

these kings

are meant

to unite

people

together

and build

an army

and be

powerful

and mighty,

but God's

king, it

seems, is

going to

do the

exact

opposite.

When he

arrives,

well, he's

going to

cause

division

amongst

the

people.

Depending

on how

people relate

to Jesus,

some will

fall,

some will

rise.

it seems

more like

there's

going to

be civil

war.

And if

that's not

bad enough,

listen to

what he

says to

Mary.

Look at

the very

end of

verse 35.

And a

sword will

pierce

your own

soul too.

The end

of all of

this is

going to

be very,

very painful.

Whatever

the sword

is,

and I

think it's

referring to

the crucifixion

of Jesus,

there's

going to

be a

lot of

suffering

for Jesus

come the

end of

his life

on earth.

And for

Mary,

his mother,

as she

stands at

the cross

and sees

her own

son crucified,

a bloody

mess on

the cross,

well,

a sword

will pierce

your own

soul too.

Your heart,

you are

going to

be broken.

So

Jesus,

rather than

being

remembered

as the

great

liberator,

is going

to be

remembered

as the

great

divider.

What's

going on?

Where's

the salvation

in that?

You see,

so often

we think

of Jesus

in terms

of our

own

little

immediate

lives

and the

situations

around us.

We think

Jesus,

the saviour,

yeah,

I like

that,

he's

come to

fix my

life,

change my

circumstances,

make my

life more

prosperous and

successful.

It's all

about Jesus

dealing with

my particular

social needs.

I've got a

problem,

call on Jesus

and he'll

fix it.

He's the

saviour,

a saviour to

make my

life better.

But that's

not what's

happening here.

look at

these two

characters

again that

we have

in chapter

two,

Simeon

and Anna.

Simeon,

we know,

well,

he's an

old guy

at this

stage,

he's on

his way

out.

Verse 26,

it had been

revealed to

him by the

Holy Spirit

that he

would not

die before

he had

seen the

Lord's

Christ.

He was

old and

ready to

die and

he was

just

waiting.

Anna,

we know,

is very

old.

Verse 36,

it tells

us that

she was

very old

and she

had lived

with her

husband seven

years after

her marriage

and was a

widow until

she was

84.

But as

she was

waiting,

look at the

rest of

verse 37,

she never

left the

temple but

worshipped

night and

day,

fasting and

praying.

For Simeon

and Anna,

their whole

life has

been waiting,

has been

focused on

Jesus,

longing and

waiting.

You see,

for them,

salvation was

not material

and social,

it was

personal and

relational.

They longed

for Jesus.

They wanted

Jesus to

come.

Jesus was

sufficient.

Jesus was

enough.

Again,

look at how

these two

characters

respond to

Jesus.

Verse 29,

this is

Simeon,

sovereign

Lord,

as you

have

promised,

you now

dismiss your

servant in

peace,

for my

eyes have

seen your

salvation.

He doesn't

need anything

else.

He's quite

happy to

die now

because he

has Jesus.

And verse

38,

look at how

Anna responds.

Coming up at

that very

moment,

she gave

thanks to

God and

spoke about

the child.

It was

all about

Jesus

because he

was the

one who

had come

to bring

redemption.

So you

see,

salvation is

not primarily

a change in

my circumstances,

but a

change in

my

relationship.

Salvation

is all

about ordering

your life

around the

person of

Jesus and

longing for

him.

So let me

ask us all

the question,

are you at

the centre of

your own

life and

is Jesus

just simply

there to

kind of come

into your

life to

meet your

own desires

and your

wants?

Or is

Jesus the

centre of

your life

and you

are there to

serve his

desires?

Maybe

you're

disappointed

that Jesus

doesn't do

all that you

want him

to do.

Well,

let me

suggest this.

Jesus has

come to do

more than

you could

ever expect

or imagine.

He is

this promised

king,

God's

chosen

saviour

who's

come to

invite

outside

like you

and me,

welcoming

us in,

coming to

live in

weakness

and dying

on a cross

for my

sin and

for your

sin so

that we

might have

our lives

reorientated,

refocused

and living

for him.

remember,

salvation

starts

by relating

to Jesus

correctly.

How do

you

relate

to him?

Let's just

take a moment

to reflect

and think

about that

and we'll

pray

together.

there.

Whoa.

There we

are.

There we

how do you

how do I relate to Jesus

Father we are sorry for

treating Jesus as simply

one who comes to

meet our own needs

and fix up our life

as we demand

help us to reorientate

our life around him and

put him at the very center

to look to him

to long for more of him

in our lives

to trust him completely

even when we do not understand

we thank you Jesus that you came

and did die for us

foolish to the world

powerless to all who look

but for all who are trusting

it is the wisdom and power of God

to change our lives today

so Father help us

to keep following the Savior

in all the ways that he calls us to live

and that you would help us to

orientate our lives around him

we ask all these things in Jesus name

Amen

Mmh

um

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