We'll begin reading in just a moment from verse one. Let's go ahead and do that. Luke chapter two verse one, and it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, onto the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was the house and lineage of David. To be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Lord, thank you for this beautiful day that you've given us. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to be here today to worship you together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray, Lord, that you would truly be honored in all that we say and do. We pray that you would take your word and your spirit would use it in our hearts to draw us closer to you, to conform us more to the image of your son. We pray, Lord, that if there be one here today that has yet to receive your gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, your son, we pray that today would be their day of salvation even as we celebrate the gift today of Jesus Christ, our savior, and his birth.

In Jesus' precious name, we do pray. Amen. Amen. Let me set this over here. Here we go.

The Christmas story, the one we most often read or familiar with is the one here found in Luke chapter two that we read the first part of here just a minute ago. However, there is a Christmas story also recorded in the Gospel of Matthew and there's also a Gospels Christmas story of sorts recorded in the Gospel of John, though it isn't one specifically about the the particular time and place of his birth, but about him coming to Earth. In the book of Matthew, we see Jesus as the Messiah, the king of the Jews, come to save his people from their sins. And we trace and follow his lineage back to Abraham, through David. Matthew does that in chapter one as he demonstrates that Jesus is the prophesied promised Messiah of Israel.

In Matthew one twenty one it says, and she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. The name Jesus means the Lord saves or the Lord is salvation, that is why Jesus came, that's why God the son became a man that he might save his people from their sins. His here, a reference primarily to the nation of Israel, to those who would believe, but broader to all of us who have come to know Christ as savior. But Matthew's focus is on his people, on the Jews and convincing them, showing them that Jesus is the true Messiah. In John, the Gospel of John, see Jesus as the son of God.

Emphasis on his deity, but also on his sacrifice as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In John one it says, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. You see the Christmas story is there.

Okay? The birth of Christ is there. God became flesh and dwelt among us. And John reminds us at the end of his gospel where he says this in verse 31 of chapter 20, but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, that is the Messiah, the Son of God and that believing you might have life through his name. In the book of Luke, we read about the God man with emphasis on Jesus' humanity.

Jesus' humanity. For the son of man, not the son of God, but the son of man. Now that doesn't mean he isn't the son of God for he is, but he is also the son of man. For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost, which was me and you. Yes.

Jesus is God. He is the Messiah, but he is also a man called often in Luke by the title son of man. A messianic title often used by Jesus to refer to himself as the son of man. It emphasizes his work as a prophet, the prophet Ezekiel in the Old Testament. If you read through the book of Ezekiel, you'll see this title used to refer to Ezekiel, the prophet, many times throughout his book as he's called the son of man.

Jesus, the son of man, among other things, is a prophet. It refers to him as a savior for it is the son of man who died for the sins of humanity to take our place. He is the redeemer of mankind and he is our king also who will fulfill God's prophecies concerning his coming kingdom who is both God and man. In Daniel seven thirteen and fourteen, we read this. And I saw in the night visions and behold one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, nations and languages should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Who is Daniel referencing there? Jesus Christ. The Messiah, the king who will come and who will set up his kingdom. Who is the son of man and the son of God, and our savior and our redeemer.

In Luke chapter two, we begin our story as we read just a moment ago about the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Now, Nazareth is in the North Of Israel in an area we call Galilee in this very broad beautiful valley called the Valley Of Jezreel. Nazareth was one of several little towns that was nestled in that farming community up in Galilee, which again is a farming community up in Galilee today. They went up to it says, Bethlehem because Bethlehem is not only higher in elevation, but Bethlehem is near to the city of Jerusalem. And in Israel, whenever you go to Jerusalem, wherever you go to Jerusalem from, you are always going up.

Okay? Because the temple was there in the city of Jerusalem. Bethlehem is just a few miles from Jerusalem from a certain vantage point that I was at while I was there, I could see Jerusalem over here and Bethlehem over there. Okay? They're not very far from one another.

They're both at times referred to as the City Of David. Okay? Jerusalem because David conquered Jerusalem and made that his capital city, Bethlehem because that's where David was born. Mary and Joseph had to travel down or up to Bethlehem from Nazareth, a journey of several days on horse or donkey, a journey made more difficult by Mary's condition. She was about to give birth.

And out of the ordinary journey because normally they wouldn't have been making this journey with Mary in this condition, but the decree had gone out from who? From Caesar Augustus. And they had to make this trip. All part of whose plan? All part of God's plan.

To bring Mary and Joseph to the city of their ancestors because both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David. In Matthew one, you find the genealogy of Joseph. In Luke three, I do believe, you find the genealogy of Mary. Both descendants of David. Therefore, both required to come to Bethlehem in order to report for the census that was being taken as commanded.

In Micah five two, we read this, but thou Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting. Now when I think of prophecies like this and then I think of their fulfillment in the New Testament, sometimes I I think this way. Okay? God said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Therefore, God brought Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to fulfill this prophecy.

And in a matter of thinking, maybe that's partially true. But you realize God knew when Caesar Augustus was going to make this decree, God knew that they were going to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He didn't just bring them there to fulfill the prophecy, he gave the prophecy back in Micah knowing what would happen. Okay? Only God can do that.

Micah alone couldn't have done that hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Around, I think, May, Micah gave this prophecy about where the ruler of Israel would be born, in Bethlehem. And he was, just as God said. Just a brief stop here to remind us that there are reasons for the trials that we face. I'm sure Mary and Joseph were not real excited about making that trip.

And it may or may not have occurred to them, this prophecy in Micah chapter five and verse two. I suspect amidst everything else going on, it probably didn't occur to them, though I don't know for sure, but they had to make the trip and it had a purpose and it was part of God's plan. There are things that come into our lives and we think this is bad. This is bad. Why do I have to suffer this?

Why why do I have to deal with this? This is bad. Why do you mean all things work together for good to them that love the Lord? But God has a purpose and a plan for those things that he allows into the life of his of his children. And indeed, if we will allow, he will use all things together for our what?

For our good, for our benefit. And they do have a place in God's will that may be more important than we will realize till we get to heaven someday. Therefore, where James tells us, count it all joy when you fall in the diverse temptations or trials. Knowing this, the trying of your faith worketh patience. Trust the Lord.

There is a purpose in the struggles that we face. We think of Mary and Joseph struggle to get to Bethlehem as just part of the Christmas story, but to them, it was a real struggle, I am sure. Especially when they got there and there wasn't any place for them to what? There wasn't any place for them to stay. They ended up having to stay in a stable and give birth in a stable.

We think of it, again, as a nearly neat story that Jesus was born in a stable. But that's not really the place you want to have a baby, in the stable. Okay? But yet, that is the place where Jesus was born, which brings us to his birth. We saw the journey now, the birth of Jesus.

In verse six and seven again, so it was while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. Brought forth her firstborn son. What is Luke doing? Again, he is emphasizing the humanity of Christ. God became a man, a little baby.

Just incredible. So Jesus was born there in a stable in Jerusalem. He wasn't born in his parents' home. He wasn't born in the king's palace. He wasn't born to great fanfare as far as most people knew.

Ironically, he was born in a stable in a barn. His first bed was a manger. Now when I was a kid, I thought that was really cool. Jesus laid in a manger and I'd you know, a manger was a really neat thing, but a manger is a feeding trough for the cattle. They probably laid him in the manger.

Well, you know, it was kind of that shape and there was hay in the manger so it was somewhat soft. And so Jesus, the son of God, the son of man, the savior of the world, came into this world not in a king's palace, not in a nice warm home, but in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. A humble birth for so was his attitude and his purpose, it was a humble one. We're told in Philippians two, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, was made himself of no reputation, and hold on. My memory is failing me.

Alright. And made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, a lowly human being. Was made in likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. For Jesus did not come the first time to claim his throne. He will return one day to do so, but he came to die on the cross.

Mark Mark ten forty five says, for even the son of man, notice there again, title, son of man, came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many, a payment to buy their freedom. Freedom from sin and hell, to redeem us back to himself. For the son of man, Jesus came not to be minist he didn't come to be bowed before, he didn't come to be served, he came to serve who? He came to serve us by giving his life for you on the cross. The son of God came to give his life for you on the cross.

A humble birth, conceived and born to a human mother. It is very clear that Jesus was not the offspring of Joseph. Mary was a virgin. Again, fulfilling a prophecy was given by a contemporary of Micah, that being Isaiah. When he wrote unto you, a sign will be given.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel. God with us. God with us. God, a human being, one of who? One of us, dwelling with us, walking, talking with us.

A human being. The son of God, but also the son of Mary. That is what the birth of Jesus is about. He's not just a baby in a manger, He is the son of God come to earth. Become the son of man that he might redeem mankind.

The announcement of Jesus birth, verse eight. And there was in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo the angel of the Lord camp on them and the glory of the Lord showed round about them and they were sore afraid. I can only imagine. Okay.

And the angel said unto them, fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, that's Bethlehem, a savior which is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Again, we read that and don't even think twice about it. He is wrapped in strips of cloth, leftover strips of cloth and laying in a feeding trough.

That's not where you would expect to find the son of God. 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. His birth did not go unnoticed or unheralded that night. No, it was announced like no other birth in all of human history because it is unlike no other birth in human history. The Son of God became a man.

The Son of God was born in a stable to indicate the type of life that he would live, A humble one as a servant. His birth was announced to the humblest, the lowliest of people on the totem pole in Israel And that would be who? Shepherds. Shepherds. A group that often went unnoticed by others in their society.

They were not the cream of the crop in the eyes of many. They did not hold a job that was honored, but it should have been. And it was honored by who? And it was honored by God. A group that didn't go unnoticed by God.

A group that would contain others that whose names you might recognize like Moses who was a shepherd for forty years or David who was a shepherd before he became a soldier and a king. Lowliest of men but beloved of God. Even the term pastor, if you call me pastor, you're using a term that is similar to the word shepherd. God says, I've not come to call the mighty, but sinners. I'm not going to use many wealthy and powerful and mighty, but the humble and lowly to show the greatness of who?

To show the greatness of the God whom we serve. Why? Because it isn't me, it's who? It's God. And because God loves even me and can use even me and even you.

He came for the shepherds. He came to the shepherds. They were the group that heard the announcement as was the case throughout Jesus' ministry. It wasn't the wealthy, it wasn't the powerful who heard the message. And they may have heard it, but they didn't what?

Receive it. But it was Matthew's friends who did to the consternation of the religious crowd of Jesus' day. For as Paul said, Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief. The message that the shepherds received is that there is a savior, A savior. For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

You shall call his name Jesus for he shall what? Save his people from their sins. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be what? Saved. Saved from what?

Saved from the power and the penalty of sin. You cannot save yourself. Only Jesus can save you because he is the son of God who is able, who is risen from the dead, but he is the son of man who took your place and mine on Calvary's Cross. And he is able to save us from sin's penalty in hell, from sin's eternal slavery and bondage, and to change our lives and make us children of the king. He is the savior.

He is Christ, the Messiah, the promised one of Israel. Given to the world to bring glory to God and peace and hope to all of mankind. He is my hope. He is my peace. For by his death on the cross, he made peace between God and man.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So we see the journey, we see the birth, we see the announcement in Luke two, and we see the adoration of Jesus, the worship of Jesus Christ. Look if you would in verse 15, and it came to pass as the angels were gone from them into heaven. What was the response of the shepherds? The shepherds said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord has made known unto us.

And they came with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the same which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen and it was told them.

What did the shepherds do in response? They believed and they went and they found Jesus and they worshiped him as the son of God, the son of man, the Messiah of Israel and the savior of the world. And then God used them to spread the news, the shepherds among the people of Bethlehem. They worshiped him. That is the natural response or should be.

That is what we're here to do today. Right? We're here to worship our savior and our king. Worshiped by the shepherds, worshiped by Mary as she pondered these things in her heart. And as we read in verse 46 of chapter one as she praised the gift of her son, the savior of the world, after she was with child, after the announcement.

In verse 46 of chapter one, and Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God, my savior. Or because of the baby in her womb, her life would be saved. She needed a savior. She wasn't without sin. She was a sinner too.

And that baby that she would give birth to would save her from her sins. He was worshiped by Simeon and Anan. We don't often read in chapter two in verse 25, but it continues as Luke two speaks of all these different groups that worship the Lord Jesus. In Luke two verse 25. Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

And the same man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Ghost was upon him and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should see not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ, the Messiah. And he came by the by the spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people. A light to lighten the Gentiles, the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

They adored him, we adore him and for good reason because God became a man. Became one of us to take our place. In first Timothy two five it says, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. The second Adam who did not fail. In Adam, all die but in Christ shall all be made alive.

That's what this story is all about. The angels celebrated. The shepherds celebrated. Mary celebrated. Simeon celebrated.

Today, it is our turn to celebrate. It is our turn to testify, to worship, to be the mouthpiece of the son of God and the son of man to tell the world that Jesus lives, that Jesus is coming again and that Jesus will save all who come to him in faith. We have tracts on that back table back there. There's some Christmas tracts. They tend to work best if you hand them out around Christmas time.

So there's a few left. Take them. Hand them to somebody. There's some others on the other table if you run out. Okay?

But be God's mouthpiece. Be a shepherd of faith and tell others that Christmas isn't just about a manger scene or what are these things called? Poinsettias or lights or Christmas trees. But the son of God becoming the son of man to redeem us. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you, For all that you have given us in Jesus Christ our savior, for the opportunity we have been given to know you, to become children of the king, to serve you, to tell others about you. You are the light of the world and so we are too. As we reflect the glory of Jesus Christ to a world that's living in darkness. Let our light shine that others may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven as the shepherds glorified you and your father on the day of your birth. In Jesus' precious name we do pray.

Amen.