 So we're gonna look today and I'm not gonna give you any things like you're not gonna walk out saying man I've never heard that before if you did it would probably be heresy. So I'll be careful not to give you that but It's a basic study. This is the kind of thing that when my children were growing up and they were small this is what I would do at our house because we used to Have a tradition in our house when our kids were small growing up That we would have a Christmas Eve service and I always read this passage to my babies when they were little and I would just read it and each one of them would be able to open one present and We always had it so that Nobody was able to they weren't always the first person to open we rotated and this and that and I wanted to teach the Children that Christmas was not about them that Christmas is about Jesus and the greatest gift that you could receive was Eternal life and so I poured that into my kids all of their lives from the time They were small and and able to listen to this day We still emphasize the same things and so what we're doing today is basically very similar to what I did with my children Though I'm gonna give you more detail because you're not Three and four years old, you know, I'm giving you more detail obviously But this is basically what we used to do and so beginning at verse 1 Luke chapter 2. We're looking at the Christmas story Luke writes it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered This census took place while Quirinius was governing Syria So all went to be registered everyone to his own city Joseph also went up from Galilee Out of the city of Nazareth Into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem Because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed wife Who was with child? So it was that while they were there the days were completed for her to be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and Wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night and Behold an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them And they were greatly afraid Then the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people for there is born to you this day in the City of David a savior who is Christ the Lord This will be the sign to you you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherd said to one another Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass Which the Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger Now when they had seen him they made widely known the same which was told them concerning this child and All those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen as It was told to them And so we're looking at the promise of Christmas The promise of Christmas actually begins in the Old Testament. It begins in the book of Genesis in chapter 3 verse 15 It begins in the Garden of Eden Because when you read the book of Genesis, you notice that that Adam and Eve had broken God's command They had taken of the fruit that had been forbidden to them and as a result sin had entered into the world And you begin to see that the Lord God begins to bring curses and as he began to bring curses He brought a curse upon the earth He bought a curse upon Adam and and Eve and all of that but he also brought a curse against the serpent Because the serpent was the one who introduced sin to mankind through the temptation and he spoke to that serpent And he made what is called the proto evangelium the the first mention of of the gospel in Genesis 3 15 and when he said to that serpent he said to him that one of Eve's descendants would appear one day and He would crush his head and that's where the origin of The promised Messiah comes from Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 So when you're reading through your Bible through the Old Testament You begin to see that God though He has already made the statement that that a Messiah would come to destroy the works of the enemy He begins to be more specific and you see how the Lord speaks to a man by the name of Abram and he says to Abram later Known as Abraham that through him all the earth would one day be blessed He went on to say that this is going to take place through your descendants his great-grandson Judah one of the tribes and Then through his descendant a man by the name of Jesse and then more specifically through his descendant a man by the name of King David and so God had specifically stated that there would be a Messiah who would come and would crush the head of a serpent But he begins over time to give more specifics until ultimately he says this this Messiah is going to come from the lineage of David through Jesse through the tribe of Judah You see the other prophets who are given inspiration by the Spirit and they begin to give more specific details Isaiah tells us that Messiah will be born to a virgin in the book of Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 Micah tells us this Messiah shall be born in a town called Bethlehem in chapter 5 verse 2 You see other things that are stated. You see that this Messiah will be preceded by a forerunner You see that this Messiah is going to speak with the voice of a prophet. He's going to be a prophet like unto Moses And when you begin to look in the Old Testament you start seeing that there are over 300 specific Prophecies that are related to this one who will come this one who is known as our Messiah So all of this is going on in the history of Israel and by the time of Mary There's a longing that the Jews have for their deliverer there's a desire in their heart that Messiah would come and So they're longing for deliverance and it's at that time that an angel spoke to a young virgin by the name of Mary And as he was speaking to her he said to her that she is going to be the mother of the Savior Now interestingly enough when he said to her you will be the mother of the Savior She didn't say what Savior because she was aware that there's a Savior to come So she didn't say what do you mean Savior? Give me some information on this She didn't say what she said how if you were to turn your Bible just one page over to chapter 1 of Luke I'll show you this in verse 34 through 38 The angel spoke and was giving prophecy concerning his reign in all and in verse 34 of chapter 1 Mary said to the angel how can this be since I do not know a man another word. She's saying how can this be I'm she's saying I'm a virgin and The angel answered and said to her the Holy Spirit will come upon you the power of the highest will overshadow you Therefore also that holy one who is to be born will be called the Son of God Now indeed Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age And this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren for with God Nothing will be impossible now notice verse 38 Mary said behold the maid servant of the Lord Let it be to me according to your word and the angel departed from her. I Receive that I Will be that is what she's saying you see how is this to be not what Savior? But how is this to be he says by the power of God's Holy Spirit why for nothing is impossible with him And so when that was made clear We see in chapter 2 how that Mary and Joseph had traveled from this small village up in the northern region a place called Nazareth, which was a very small village during that day the Bible commentators say that the village could have been as small as just 50 or 60 people it may have been a little larger it could have been up to 200 But that gives you some insight into what was taking place in the life of this young woman Who had become pregnant before she was married which was regarded by God and through the people as being a terrible sin And now she's been up there in a very small village and people undoubtedly are speaking Concerning this this young girl who was betrothed to be married married to to a young man named Joseph and Now she's with child ready to give birth and the census comes and they have to go to the hometown of Joseph And and albeit they have to go because that's where the census is take place And they have to go to a place called Bethlehem, and so they traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem Notice how it says in chapter 2 how it says at verse 7 She brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling class and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in The end so when they got there There were so many people in that village that they didn't have any place that they could stay They they couldn't secure a room in a home. They they didn't have anything like a hotel Nothing was available and it says here. There was no room for them even in the end now This is interesting because there are two Greek words that are ordinarily translated by the single English word in One word will speak of a hotel or it'll speak of what we call a hostel But the other one speaks of an enclosure the enclosure where travelers would drive their cattle for the night In other words, it wasn't a hotel with a stable outside. It was a stable So Luke is making it clear there wasn't even a room for her in the stable So she gave birth in the open and Notice again in verse 7 how it says she wrapped him in swaddling class laid him in a manger in midst of any pain that she had any Embarrassment she might have experienced in the any loneliness. She might have been having at that moment There's joy Because she gave birth to Messiah and heaven was about to explode Now people at that time when they were born the babies when they were born were wrapped in strips of cloth and They actually in their lifetime were wrapped in strips of cloth two times The first time that they would be wrapped in cloth they were called Swaddling class was when they were born and one writer said the child would be gently washed with salted water Wrapped from head to foot leave in a portion of the face uncovered so he could breathe His body would be held very straight with the hope that he would grow up to be free from crookedness of the heart and would walk tall before people and So when they wrapped the baby and had washed the baby that parents would pray They would make a commitment to the Lord and then they would unwrap him But the second time was for burial and that's what happens when Jesus dies because you know that he was wrapped When he died so in Jesus's birth we have a picture of his death Because we're being told he was born to die Because prophetically he's the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world I'm going to come back to this point about swaddling class in just a moment But it says in verse 7 she brought forth her firstborn son the word firstborn speaks of prominence order or importance and Now it says in verse 8 there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields Keeping watch over their flock by night behold an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them And they were greatly afraid So they were performing the tasks of watching over sheep. They were shepherds. They were keeping eye on them They had three-hour ships They would protect them against any kinds of predators and they would protect them against thieves and the sheep were Intended for sacrifice in the temple they would be pastured in the fields there of Bethlehem And so these shepherds are watching over sacrificial sheep But now they're going to be hearing of the Lamb of God It's interesting that to these shepherds the good news is first given There had been 400 years of silence from the closing of the book of Malachi the last Old Testament book But now at the right time God reveals himself in the most personal way that he can in Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5 Paul said when the fullness of the time had come God sent his sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive The adoption as sons when the fullness of the time had come at the precise right moment Jesus was born it says in verse 9 behold an angel of the Lord stood before them the glory the Lord shone around them in The angel of the Lord when it says stood before them it stood in place above them and they saw the glory and as they did so their hearts trembled in fear and that's why he has to say in verse 10 don't be afraid For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people Don't be afraid You live in a world that lacks joy You live in a world that has been under oppression for hundreds of years I'm bringing you good news and this good news isn't just to you This good news is for everybody The joy of salvation is not for Israel alone The joy of salvation is for the world Isaiah 52 tense as the Lord has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God And he says in verse 11 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord The Savior has been born because you need salvation and even as I would share with my babies I would say just because you're cute and sweet doesn't mean that you don't have sin You have sinned because you got it from your mom. I can't help you with that. I'm sorry No, we're all sinners all of us are aren't we we're all sinners We sin in in word in thought and in action. That's what we are We're sinners in need of salvation It isn't simply my lack of education or my lack of finances or the neighborhood or my zip code or whatever it is today It's my nature and that's where it seems to me that people are forgetting a Baby that is born and that baby had the ability to kill you. He would He's just not strong enough yet. He would gum you to death if he had the opportunity Because his nature within him is bound rebellion. It's a nature of sin. We know that that's what Christians understand Why we understand that because we see ourselves for what we have been That's why we came to faith in Christ Because we said oh miserable retch that I am who will save me from this body of death that which I desire to do So I cannot that which I do not desire to do I find myself doing habitually. I can't stop myself I need help. That's what salvation is all about guys. I Can't do it. I want to do good I want to be perfect, but I can't be because no matter how hard I try I fail I Fail even as a believer, of course, I still fall short of the glory of God But I understand I need a savior and that's what the promise is Unto you this day is In the city of David. There's been born a savior Christ the Lord We need salvation Ecclesiastes 720. There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin Galatians 322 the scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ Might be given to those who believe Now notice he says he is Christ the Lord the word Christ is a Greek word that means the anointed one This points out the savior of the world in his prophetic royal and priestly office Prophets and kings and priests were all anointed with oil when installed into their offices And he is the Messiah the anointed one and this he says in verse 12 will be the sign Notice the word the words the sign this will be the sign to you You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men. I love the Christmas hymn that we sing silent night But theologically it wasn't It was loud There were angels out there saying what they're saying glory to God in the highest. They weren't whispering that They were shouting it So this silent night that we like to speak about we sing about was silent until they burst in glory Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men. Why well listen You know, I watch football every once in a while in the lambs when they score a touchdown The whole stadium goes nuts Over a touchdown the whole stadium goes crazy, right? If you're watching a baseball game and somebody hits a home run and wins the game the whole stadium Erops why because we won the game. I understand that I like sports like anybody else does and I understand getting into and going Yeah, all right. I get it. But what do you think about when the Savior was born? You think it was quiet. It wasn't so we sing silent night holy night But it was loud and those angels were proclaiming the Messiah glory to God in the highest peace on earth to all men of goodwill and So he is here and it's interesting how it makes it very clear that this choir bursts out and prays glory to God and then peace to men To the glory of God Christ who is our peace has has been given to man Jesus is not simply bringing peace. Jesus Christ is our peace Ephesians 2 14 makes it clear he himself is our peace So the only way that we have peace is to have him in the manger of our hearts and that again It's what I would share with my babies to this day if you want to have peace with God or peace in your life It begins by having a relationship with Jesus Christ who gives us peace He is our peace you see when that happens and he speaks concerning a peace with God Well when we have peace with God we're reconciled to God through his son Then we can have peace with one another we can actually do what we want to do We can learn to love and that's how it takes place and so verse 15 It was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherd said to one another Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has has come to pass Which the Lord has made known to us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lion in a manger Now when they had seen him they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child and All those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds with Mary Kept all these things and pondered them in her heart You can almost see this little girl because she was only 14 or 15 years old You could almost see this young lady as she's seeing all this. Can you imagine as she's seeing all of this taking place? She's hearing all of these things She's not saying anything. She's just Letting it sink deeply within her and the shepherds returned Glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them They came and saw Jesus in swaddling cloths And then they shared about him. I'm going to develop that with you for just a moment. I Had mentioned a little bit ago about swaddling cloths A friend of mine were having a conversation the other day and he made so he started sharing some things with me So I began to look these things up to see whether or not there's any historic accuracy to what he was sharing with me And so there are different sources that I began to look into to see whether this could or could not be true And it appears that what he was sharing with me is accurate. So I'll share it with you We know that the shepherds that were in the fields were shepherds who took care of the sacrificial sheep We know that and the regulations that were related to to the shepherds and all of that or that they were to they were there for the birthing of the lambs and The lambs that would be born as sacrificial sheep, especially the Passover lamb The Passover lamb were specifically taking care of in a very accurate way You see according to the Old Testament book of Exodus chapter 12 verse 5 When they were going to offer or have the Passover lamb for the Passover meal It says according to Exodus 12 5 your lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish and without blemish Now a moment ago I pointed this out and I wanted to make it clear Remember how they said this is the sign? They said this will be the sign to you and I pointed out the term the sign One writer mentioned that these shepherds would care for Passover offerings and because the lamb was to be without blemish They took special care the shepherds would set aside every firstborn male lamb for the feast of the Passover It was of great concern to the shepherds that these particular lambs remain without blemish in order to comply perfectly with God's Instructions one of the problems they face was that it was common for newborn lambs to try to walk too soon Before their legs were strong enough to fully support them in those cases The lamb would often inadvertently break one of their legs and therefore would no longer be without blemish So it was common practice for the shepherds to wrap the baby lamb in swaddling cloths and Place it in the manger until it was strong enough to go to its mother This practice ensured that the lambs remained without blemish Another writer said the shepherds were in the unique position of understanding exactly what this meant They would immediately click with them because this is precisely what they did No further words had to be spoken to them by Mary or Joseph When they saw they knew exactly what this meant. That's why they said this will be the sign These were the shepherds who would wrap the lambs to keep them without spot and without blemish So that they would have nothing broken not a bone in them would be broken So when they see Jesus in that manger wrapped That's where they go out and that's where they return Glorifying and praising God for all things that they had heard and seen as it was told them The lamb of God that was take that was to take away the sin of the world They saw it and it was to these shepherds that it was revealed these who had the job of Taking care of the Passover lambs had the opportunity to give witness to the lamb of God They recognized that Jesus was the perfect lamb and they went out and they told everybody All the traditions and all of the ritual We have seen fulfilled in our eyes this day for the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has been born What a beautiful beautiful picture of our Savior Jesus Christ So Christmas So Christmas Christmas The first Christmas gift First wrapped present if you will is Jesus Christ