Fourth Sunday of Advent (12/18/22)

 

The Savior is Born, and His Name is Jesus!

Luke looks at two kings in this passage. One, an emperor of the most powerful nation on earth. The other king…a child, born in a filthy stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in an animal’s feeding trough. One who lived in extravagance and ruled the known world. One who was born in the lowest of circumstances and was the ruler of the cosmos.

The Roman king issued a decree in order that he might tax everyone under the Roman Empire. The people must all go to their hometowns and register to be taxed appropriately. Interestingly, one of the reasons for this decree was to raise money for a temple to worship the deity of Caesar's late uncle, Julius Caesar. Little did this king know that a more powerful and everlasting deity was to arrive during this very time. One king was to take from his people. The other is to give everything to his people.

All these events came about by the hand of God the Father. His sovereignty is on display for all of us to see…and understand. Long ago the prophet Micah had written about the birth of Christ and its location in Bethlehem.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

Matthew was to later quote Micah in his gospel:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Bethlehem means "house of bread," and the King Jesus came from heaven to give life, eternal and free from the death of sin to his people.  Mary was in Bethlehem at the time of his birth not just because of the decree of this powerful worldly king, but because of an earlier decree by the most powerful King of all!

"The only deity within the confounds of the Roman Empire was to be found in Bethlehem, this impoverished child in a manger; decreed by God to come before the foundation of the world." R.C. Sproul

 

Scripture:

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,^[b] who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.^[c]

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”^[d]

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Carols:

Angels We Have Heard on High

1. Angels we have heard on high,

sweetly singing o'er the plains,

and the mountains in reply

echoing their joyous strains.

 Chorus

Gloria in excelsis Deo,

gloria in excelsis Deo.

 2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be

which inspire your heav'nly song?

 

3. Come to Bethlehem and see

him whose birth the angels sing;

come, adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord, the newborn King. 

 

Angels From the Realms of Glory

1 Angels from the realms of glory,

wing your flight o'er all the earth;

ye who sang creation's story

now proclaim Messiah's birth

 

Chorus

Come and worship, come and worship,

worship Christ, the newborn king.

 

2 Shepherds, in the field abiding,

watching o'er your flocks by night,

God with us is now residing;

yonder shines the infant light

 

3 Sages, leave your contemplations,

brighter visions beam afar;

seek the great Desire of nations;

ye have seen his natal star

 

The First Noel

1 The first Nowell the angel did say

was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,

in fields where they lay keeping their sheep,

on a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

 

Chorus

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,

born is the King of Israel.

 

2 They looked up and saw a star

shining in the east beyond them far;

and to the earth it gave great light,

and so it continued both day and night. 

 

3 And by the light of that same star

three wise men came from country far;

to seek for a king was their intent,

and to follow the star wherever it went. 

 

4 This star drew nigh to the northwest;

o’er Bethlehem it took its rest,

and there it did both stop and stay,

right over the place where Jesus lay.

 

5 Then entered in those wise men three,

full reverently upon their knee,

and offered there in his presence

their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.

 

6 Then let us all with one accord

sing praises to our heavenly Lord,

that hath made heaven and earth of nought,

and with his blood our life hath bought. 

Prayer:

Ask God to fill our hearts with joy and knowledge of the Savior.