DECEMBER 12TH,
2004
I.
Some information about
“those days” described in Luke 2:1.
A.
The Roman Empire stretched
from modern day Israel and Syria west to modern day France and Spain. It
covered Northern portions of Africa, and Southern portions of Russia.
-
This is the “world” in verse
1, not the entire planet.
B.
When Jesus was born, the
city of Rome was the capitol of the world, and the population of the city was 1
million people during the reign of Augustus.
C.
Caesar Augustus ruled the
world, along with the Roman Senate.
D.
It was into this world of
temporary peace, building, superstition, and suspicion that the Lord Jesus was
born.
II. It was a TAX that instigated the
Christmas Story. (1-5)
A.
The decree came from Caesar
Augustus that “all the world should be taxed.” (1)
B.
Everyone was to pay their
taxes in the hometowns of their ancestors.
1.
For Mary and Joseph, that
town was Bethlehem.
2.
They left Nazareth (where
they lived) and journeyed to Bethlehem (where their ancestors lived).
C.
This was the first tax that Joseph had paid with his new wife. (5)
1.
This was their first
official business as a couple.
2.
The awkwardness of this time
can only be imagined as they made their journey being newlyweds, and at the
same time with Mary approaching her due date.
D. All of us are faced with circumstances
beyond our control; expensive taxes,
unexpected journeys, awkward situations, and general mysteries of life.
III.
The details of the actual
birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. (6-7)
A.
When the Lord Jesus came
into the world in the form of a baby, the Biblical picture of the human race
suddenly shifted from an adult man in Eden, to the innocency of infancy.
B.
While in Bethlehem, Mary went
into labor. (6)
C.
The Gospel of Luke emphasizes that this was Mary’s “firstborn son.” (7)
D. Mary wrapped her newborn Son in
“swaddling clothes.”
-
Swaddling clothes are tight
clothes that wrap around the body.
E.
Mary laid Him in a “manger.”
1.
A manger was a trough, or a
box of wood, used to place oats or hay to feed the barn-yard animals.
2.
The most prestigious baby
ever BORN, was laid in a trough on Christmas MORN.
F.
Why was there no room in the
inn?
1.
Remember, the city was full
of people who had come to pay their taxes.
2.
The barn, or wherever the
manger sat, must have been full of animals because of the number of visitors in
the town.
Conclusion: The most common problem in our country is
a problem of “No Room.”
Please read Luke 2:8-20
for next Sunday.