The Humble Arrival | Sunday, March 9, 2025

Amen. Praise the Lord! Thank you, Anthony and team. Good morning, Cross Connection Church.

Hey, you don't need to sit down; just take out your Bible this morning, if you will. Since you're already standing, if you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and an usher will bring you one. We are in the New Testament book of Luke, so turn to about the middle of your Bible and start turning to the right. Eventually, you'll pass Matthew and Mark, and we are in Luke Chapter 2 this morning.

I want to congratulate you; you have successfully sprung forward this morning. The clock stole an hour from you. I hate when that happens! Goodness gracious, they keep talking about getting rid of this whole spring forward thing, but it hasn't happened yet.

Luke Chapter 2, beginning at verse one, reads: "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So 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 the lineage of David. And so 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 she wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."

God, I pray that you would open our hearts this morning to receive your word. Open our minds, Lord, that you, by your word and by your Spirit, would continue the work that you are seeking to do in each of us—transforming us by the renewing of our minds so that our lives would be transformed and changed by you, by your power.

I pray that we would be able to show in our lives what is your good and perfect will. I pray that that would be, in some small but measurable way, seen in us. Lord, continue to produce from our lives the increase of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, and all other such virtues which are connected with your word, your work, and your Spirit.

God, work in us, we pray. We ask this today in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, "Amen." Amen. You could be seated.

Luke Chapter 2 is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. Even many people who are not acquainted with the Bible or do not go to church know something of this passage. It serves as the birth announcement of the King of Kings. We are doing a series here at Cross Connection Church this year through the Gospel of Luke called "Meet Jesus." At least, that's my focus, and this is really our first introduction to Jesus. This birth announcement of Christ is just a mere 135 words, yet it introduces us to Him in the most humble setting for a birth.

When you consider the setting, as we piece things together from Luke's Gospel and Matthew's Gospel, we read about the arrival of the King of Kings. He seems to be born in an animal stall and is laid in a manger, which is basically an animal trough. This is not what you would expect for a child, especially for the one we are introduced to in the Scriptures as the King of Kings and God incarnate. What a humble way to come into this world, especially when we think about how births take place in our culture here in 2025.

In my experience, three of my four kids were born at what was Palomar Hospital East. The old Palomar Hospital is no longer there, but when we had our first three kids, they were all born at Palomar Hospital. It was kind of in the latter years of Palomar, so you could tell it was getting a little bit old. In comparison to some other, much nicer, newer hospitals, it seemed rustic and old, but nothing like the setting described in Luke.

Thinking about this last week, I was reminded of a conversation I had years ago with some friends who were missionaries in Africa. The wife was telling me about how, while they were in Africa, she had a group of ladies they were ministering to in a village over at their house. They were watching an American romantic comedy, which is the very strong missionary work you do in other countries sometimes. In the course of the movie, there was a birth scene set in a hospital, filled with drama and a lot of screaming. She said that the African ladies with her started to chuckle and giggle. When she asked them what that was all about, they informed her that in their culture, the experience of childbirth was quite different.

Culture dictates that you are only considered a strong woman if you do not scream or cry during childbirth. They found it hilarious, questioning if this is how women in America give birth. While we certainly do not want to go to that extreme, it highlights a stark contrast to our experiences. In their culture, there is often no anesthesia or medical professionals present; it is just you and one or two other women, sometimes under a tree. If you scream, you are not seen as a strong woman. I am in no way suggesting that this is how things ought to be, but it does illustrate a significant difference.

This contrast is also evident in the passage we are examining this morning. It is a very familiar story, consisting of just 135 words in the opening section I just read. Despite its brevity, there are important details between the lines that are relevant to the story as we are introduced to Christ. When I mention these relevant details, it brings to the forefront something we need to keep in mind when reading the Scriptures: there is nothing in the text that is irrelevant.

Paul, in his last letter, Second Timothy, chapter 3, states that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is useful. One of my default assumptions when approaching the Scriptures is that everything has value. There is nothing in the text that is irrelevant. Sometimes, it is easy for us to read through quickly and skip over parts because we think we know them or they seem benign.

A few weeks ago, I received a question on the podcast regarding the genealogies of the Bible. We will eventually look at a genealogy in Luke chapter 3, but often, when we encounter these lists of names—many of which are difficult to pronounce—we wonder if there is any value in them. I want to encourage you that nothing in the Scriptures is irrelevant. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is useful. Paul specifies that it is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Here in the text, in this opening section that can be read through quickly because of familiarity, we may think that there is not really much there. However, there are some things that I think we should look at and consider in this text.

The first is right there in the opening words: "It came to pass in the days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the world should be registered." So all went to be registered in their own city. These words situate us in a very interesting period of human history. We are told here that the word went out from Caesar Augustus. What does that even mean to us? Well, it clues us into a time period—a monumental time in human history where the great Roman Senate switched from being a Roman Senate to a Roman Empire.

This individual that we are introduced to here, Augustus Caesar, is really the first true Caesar and emperor of Rome. His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus. His given name before he took that name was Octavian. Octavian came to power, or he came to rule over Rome, after the assassination of his great uncle. His great uncle was assassinated in 44 BC, and his name was Julius Caesar.

Julius Caesar, if you know something of the history, is a monumental character because he was elected as dictator in Rome by the Senate. From that position, you have probably heard the saying before: he crossed the Rubicon. He took the armies that were detached as his armies and led them across the Rubicon, which was against the law in Rome. He moved towards the city of Rome, and in doing that, in 49 BC, he triggered the events that really toppled the Roman Senate and gave rise to the Empire.

Then, five years later, he was assassinated. After he was assassinated, his great nephew, because he had no child, ascended to his place. He had written that his nephew Octavian would be his sole heir. So, after the assassination of Julius Caesar, Octavian takes his name and moves from being Octavian to Gaius.

Julius Caesar, through all kinds of different political intrigue and names that are well known in history, like Mark Antony and Cicero, over the course of the next couple of decades, is one by one removing the powers that are coming against him. Eventually, the Roman Senate votes to give him the title Augustus, which in Latin means "the illustrious one." With the title they gave him in January of 27 BC, he not only has a position as emperor of the Roman Empire, but he is also given a kind of religious authority. With this name, the August One, Augustus now has a divine status among the people.

Augustus not only takes on that name but also titles himself Divus, which means "Son of God." This sets the conditions for what is happening in this text. The birth of Christ comes a short period of time, about 20 years, after this August One has titled himself the Son of God, right in the middle of his roughly 40-year reign as emperor.

Now we have a decree that goes out from him that all should be numbered. When we read about the history of this period, we realize that the people of Israel, where Mary and Joseph live, are under Roman occupation, like most of the rest of the known world at that time, especially in the West. They are under the control of Rome, which kept them under a very serious thumb. If anyone stepped out of order or did anything that contradicted the law of Rome, it was immediately smashed by Roman legions who would come in and punish severely anyone who stepped out of line.

There was a great fear and oppression under the occupation of these people. The people of Israel in this region are very proud, like most people are; they are nationally proud of their heritage and who they are as the descendants of Abraham. However, they are under the control of Rome. So when Rome says, "You go and be numbered," everyone uproots from where they are and goes to their city of origin or the city of their family to be registered in this census. The text tells us that everyone went to be registered, each to his own city.

Now, I don't think anyone would want to...

To live under the circumstances that Mary, Joseph, and all the people of Israel were experiencing during the time of Caesar Augustus was not really an option. They had no choice but to do what he said when he said it. The story of the birth of Christ falls into this context. The true Son of God, according to what we are told in the Scriptures, is coming into the world under these circumstances.

I think that the way this all happens, even though Augustus is Caesar and holds power and control over all the people, shows us that God is still at work. This teaches us an important lesson, one that I believe we would do well to remember in the times in which we live.

Point number one, if you're taking notes: God's plan annexes earthly authority. What does that mean? It means that although there may be earthly powers, God is the power over those powers and has the ability to work even through them. Augustus called himself the illustrious one; he considered himself God on Earth. Yet, God in heaven is still the one on the throne. He is still working and can annex, commandeer, or use earthly powers as He wills to further His agenda and move things forward.

Right under Rome's nose comes one who would rise and ultimately undo Rome's power. Though it would take four centuries, the awesome reality is that this child, who we will see in just a moment, is born in the most humble circumstances and in complete obscurity. This little child, laid in a manger, is the one who ultimately undoes the power of Rome, the greatest power of that time.

The illustrious one thought himself to be God on Earth; he believed he was in total control in his position and power. Yet, there is still a God in heaven who rules and is able to accomplish His work, even when there are earthly powers that think they are in total control. Man may think himself great and aspire to be great, but God can commandeer or annex man's authority at will to do as He pleases. This is so important for us to keep in mind.

King David acknowledges this in one of the Psalms, specifically Psalm 2, verse 1.

It says, "Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing?" At times, you might even think the same thing. You look at the world news, reading the news on the internet, listening to it on TV, the radio, or a podcast. Whatever it may be, you hear all these things about nations rising up, and you wonder, "Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing?"

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together. You have these alliances and allegiances of people trying to plan their actions, whether it's the G7, BRICS, the UN, or whatever it may be. They seem to have great power and are banding together. We've seen so much of this in the last few weeks, with European leaders gathering to figure out what they are going to do. When you read this, you can feel on edge, much like people must have felt when Augustus declared, "This is what you are now going to do." It’s as if they had to submit and do whatever was commanded.

How can the rule and power of God undo some of these things? Why do the nations rage? They take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us." We see all the wrangling and workings of man in Psalm 2. Then David observes, "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh." It’s as if God finds it interesting. "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision."

Another Psalm, Psalm 75, states, "For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south, but God is the judge. He puts down one and raises up another." One of the great examples of this is seen in the 8th century BC. If you read through the book of Isaiah, it becomes very clear. In fact, throughout the year, if you ever find yourself on the History Channel, you'll probably come across a show about the 8th century BC and the rise of Assyria.

The great names Sargon, Shalmaneser, and Tiglath-Pileser may mean very little to us if we are not into history, but if you look at the history of the 8th century BC, you see the rise of the first major global power empire. They were going to conquer kingdoms, and the kings of Assyria were renowned. They were feared because throughout the entire 8th century BC, they were the first to really go out, conquer, and destroy all kinds of kingdoms, putting them under their control.

Rule and resituate the map and the world they would go and they would destroy the kings of Haroth or Arpad. These cities were great in antiquity, but they mean nothing to us today because they are completely destroyed by the Assyrians. The Assyrians would come, destroy a city, and then relocate those people to other places in the Assyrian Empire to learn new languages and customs, effectively destroying their culture, language, and customs. I call it the Assyrian relocation program.

If you look at this from the lens of human history, you might think of Tiglath-Pileser, Sargon, or Sennacherib. These guys must have been awesome military minds. Where did they come up with their strategies? I suggest that if you read through the lens of Scripture, particularly Isaiah chapter 10, you will realize that God says, "You are a tool in my hand." God makes it very explicit: "I will use you, Assyria, for my purpose, and when I'm done with you, you will be gone." If you follow the story, that's exactly what happened. God used the kings of Assyria to bring judgment upon His own people, and when that was done, they ceased to be a conquering power. It's as if the light switch of power went off immediately when they were finished.

How is that possible? Because God is able to annex or command human power for His ends. It's an amazing reality. This is not to say that God does everything and we do nothing; He has chosen to use and include us in His work so that we would partner with Him. In spite of man's power and his seemingly awesome abilities, God still rules. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.

I think this is a good thing for us to consider at this moment. For the last 80 years or so, the United States of America has been the dominant world power, and we might be beginning to see changes in that dynamic. We are certainly witnessing the rise of powers in other places, especially in Asia. Additionally, every four or eight years, our own nation enters a tumultuous period when a new power rises to occupy the White House. There may be a change of party from the left to the right or from the right to the left, and whoever now occupies that power...

Those on the other side, the rhetoric just flies out of all the fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Oh my God, we're all going to die! I can't tell you how many times, in my time as a pastor here at this church, we've had several of these transitions—administration transitions. Virtually every time, I'll have people come talk to me, expressing their fear that we're all going to die. I go, "You know, I'm not terribly concerned." Why? Because I believe that God reigns in heaven.

If you're a believer in the Scriptures today, you can find rest in recognizing that God reigns in heaven. Whatever power is in Washington, or within the UN, or in Brussels, or in Beijing, or wherever it may be, God is still in control. His work is not thwarted by these powers. It’s good for us, who know the Scriptures, to remind ourselves of this and maybe remind others.

Let me tell you, you're probably having conversations with people who don't know what you know about how world power works according to God being enthroned in heaven. They might be very fearful about this, and maybe they're sharing their fears with you as you're getting your mail at the mailbox or as you're getting coffee. Wherever it may be, you're having a conversation, and they're expressing their fear. That's a great opportunity to tell them about the true power that's at work in the world. God reigns in heaven, and He can, as He needs to, annex and command the powers of man.

No doubt Augustus thought himself to be in control, yet God is working His work in His way. Here’s the hard part: in His timing, which is rarely in line with my timing. He always seems to be going a little slower for me than I like. Does anyone else feel that way? But He is working His work in His way. He uses the power and authority of humanity—Augustus in this situation—to accomplish His ends.

In what way? What do we see? Well, Joseph, we're told in the text, 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 him was Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. What’s happening here? The interesting thing that’s happening here, behind the veil, if you will, is that yes, on Earth, Augustus has said...

Must be registered in my census, which means now you need to leave where you live or where you're staying and go back to the family land. For Joseph, in this case, he's leaving Nazareth, which is a village outside of the Sea of Galilee. It was kind of a no-nothing town at the time, never mentioned in the Old Testament. It's well known to us today, but it wasn't before this period of time. He leaves Nazareth, where he lived and applied his trade as a carpenter, and now he needs to go on a journey.

This journey would not be that big of a deal for us driving in a car, but for him, it's at least a three-day journey down to the county of Jerusalem. Bethlehem was about seven to ten miles outside of the city of Jerusalem; it's in the region, the county of Judea. He has to go down there because he has to fulfill what the government says he has to do.

But what is really happening behind the scenes? Well, behind the scenes, there's something awesome happening. God has spoken through His angel to this young girl who is betrothed to Joseph, telling her that she is going to have a child. Miraculously, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Emanuel. They are told to name Him Jesus, but this one who is the Messiah is supposed to be born according to the prophets in a specific place, and it's not Nazareth.

Micah 5:2, 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah was informed by God, inspired by God, to write these words: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings

God is working and accomplishing His ends. The Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem, a descendant of David, a son of David. In 2 Samuel 7, God promised King David that the Messiah would come from his line. Therefore, God is using human power to get Mary into the place where these things are going to be fulfilled. It is not hard for God to do what He wants to do when He has the power and authority to command and annex human authority for His ends. God is big enough to get His work accomplished in spite of circumstances.

Some of you probably just need to hear that today. There may be a big, earth-shattering thing in your life. Maybe it’s a personal problem that nobody knows about, but it feels huge and earth-shattering to you. It could be a family issue or something that is a global concern. You see the things happening in the world and just can’t fathom how they could be fixed. I want to remind you, according to the simple story we have here in Luke Chapter 2, that God is big enough to accomplish His work and His way in spite of circumstances.

That may be the very thing you need to hear today. As I said, I don’t believe this suggests that God does everything and we do nothing. No, He wants us to partner with Him; however, He is capable of carrying out His work in spite of us and in spite of whoever is occupying the White House or any other place of power or position. There are things that seem so massive to us.

I was thinking about this recently. My wife and I were talking about when we bought our home, the one we currently live in. I received a call while I was at a wedding from my loan guy. Many of you may have experienced this; one of the more stressful things is going through escrow. We had sold our other house and were trying to buy this one, and it felt like we were effectively homeless, but not really. My loan guy called, and I could hear the stress in his voice. He is a really sweet brother and a Christian, but he said, "Listen, we have a problem with your loan."

He explained that we could do this loan, but we would need to get a secondary loan and do all these things. They just wouldn’t give us enough; we needed $40,000. At that moment, $40,000 seemed like the biggest thing in the world. Maybe you have understood these sorts of things before, and then we were trying to navigate this situation.

He's trying to work this out, and this company that's trying to do this $40,000 loan tells him no. They say they can't do it because my wife had her job for 11 months and 15 days, and they needed 12 months. They said they wouldn't give him a loan for just 15 days. We're talking about a car loan of $40,000.

The next morning, I get a call from someone who, at the time, attended the church. He has since moved to another place. He called me up and said, "Hey Miles, how are you? How are things going? Just thinking about you this morning." I told him things were not going really great, and I explained what was going on. He said, "I'll loan you the money." I was taken aback. He said, "Yeah, I'll loan you the money." I thought, "I don't know about that."

Twenty minutes later, he's in my office, handing me a check for $40,000. I was shocked and asked, "What on Earth are you doing?" Then my loan guy called and said he couldn't get these guys. I told him I had a new wrinkle, and he asked, "What kind of friends do you have?" He said we would have to figure this out because the bank wasn't going to go for it. They had to turn it into a loan, and we worked out a plan to pay them back at a certain time. Immediately after we moved in, we refinanced. It's funny how these things work; we refinanced about 25 days later with no problem getting a loan. It was like, "What in the world is going on?"

In that moment, it was the biggest thing to me. You think, "What are we going to do?" and God says, "I'm going to prove to you that I'm faithful. That's what we're going to do." So, you say you're not relying upon Countrywide Mortgage, which, by the way, don't rely upon them; they're not even a thing anymore.

God is the one who works even when there's no room in the inn. Look at this: she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. I love to imagine these stories. Can you imagine the conversation between Joseph and Mary? "We have nowhere. There's no room in the inn." "I'm sorry, honey, I'm going to have a baby." "What do you mean there's no room in the inn? Get me a place to have the baby!" "Well, all we have is an animal stall."

Okay, this isn't exactly how we thought things were going to go. Yet, there's another important key for us here: God's plan annexes earthly authority, and point number two is that God's purpose thrives in humble places. Again, someone might desperately need to hear that.

Morning. God's purpose thrives in humble places. It's easy for us to think, "Well, you just don't understand. I got the worst possible lot."

Think about Mary. She's in labor, and they say there's no room in the inn. I got the next best thing; it's a little lower than an inn—it's an animal stall. It's dry, it's warm; we'll be okay. Yes, the cattle are low, but it's going to be just fine. Ladies in Africa do it under a tree. They don't scream. You got this. You may feel like the lot you have is the worst possible lot.

Nazareth was historically not a prominent place. Joseph was not a well-to-do, wealthy, privileged VIP. We see it very clearly here in the text. Mary was no princess in waiting. An animal stall is no place for a baby to be born, nor is a manger a suitable cradle. But God's purpose thrives in humble places.

It's not just the humble place, but the humble announcement. Verse eight states, "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." The angel said, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people."

Now, we can assume—and maybe we're wrong—that this is the same angel who spoke to Zacharias and to Mary, which would be Gabriel. Once again, the message comes down: "Hey, the child has been born, and the Father wants you to give the announcement."

"Okay, who should I go talk to? Should I go talk to Caesar Augustus?"

"No, no, no, not Caesar. We're not going to send the message to Caesar."

"How about Herod? I mean, we don't like Herod, but maybe Herod?"

"No, no, no, not Herod."

"Well, where am I going to go?"

"You're going to go talk to some shepherds."

"Shepherds? I am an archangel, and you want me to go talk to the lowest of the low—shepherds keeping their sheep by night?"

"All right, fine. He's the boss. We go tell them."

And so, the angel said, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people."

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 the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Suddenly, there was

People, if he had been well-to-do in the palace, then he would be unreachable by you and me, and he could not reach us. However, he comes to the most lowly, and the announcement comes to the lowest of the low: to the shepherds keeping their sheep by night. His power and his promise break through in a glorious way.

In this, I think there is even a fulfillment of Isaiah's vision in Isaiah chapter 9: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined." He comes, the light of the world, to the lowest of the low, and that means he is there for all people. The promise of God, which had been predicted and reiterated time and time again for hundreds of years by the prophets, now breaks forth.

This is born to you: "There is born to you this day in the City of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord," the one who is promised all the way back in Genesis chapter 3. Immediately after the fall of humanity, when Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin enters in and death through sin. In that very moment, as God is speaking judgment upon the serpent that beguiled Eve, he says, "She shall bear a son, and he will crush your head. Yes, you are going to injure him; you are going to bruise his heel, but he shall bruise or crush your head."

In that promise in Genesis 3:15, there is the first promise, and now Jesus comes in fulfillment of that promise. But not just that promise. Chapters later in Genesis 12, God calls a man, Abraham, and he says, "I want you to follow me by faith. You are going to leave everything that is common and known to you—your family and your country—and you are going to come to a land that I will show you. If you follow me and trust in me, you shall be a blessing to all nations."

That blessing to all people, to all nations, is Jesus. He is the blessing to all nations. He is the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3, the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, and the fulfillment of Genesis 49, where God says one will come from the tribe of Judah, a lion from the tribe of Judah. He is the fulfillment of that passage. He is the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15, when Moses says, "There will come a prophet like unto me, and him you shall heed and follow." He is the fulfillment of the promise given to David in 2 Samuel chapter 7, that one from your royal line will be the one who...

He will rule over the people. He is the fulfillment of Micah 5:2, being born in Bethlehem, or Isaiah 7:14, born to a virgin. In Isaiah 9:6, He is described as the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

So when the angel says to the gathered shepherds, "There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior," he is referring to the Messiah, Christ the Lord. "Christ" is a term that means "anointed one," and every Jewish individual in the first century who would have heard the word "Mashiach" or "Christos" in Greek would have known immediately what that meant. It would carry them back to all the prophecies they knew from Joel, Zechariah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah. They understood what that meant.

Not only is He the Anointed One, but He is also called Savior. Savior from what? Matthew 1:21 says He shall save His people from their sins. He is also called Lord. "Lord" is a general term; the Greek word "Kyrios" means master or ruler. However, in a biblical context, it is a divine title. He is God.

Some textual critics of the Bible argue that the Gospels never explicitly say that Jesus is God. But when we read these titles—He is Christ, He is Savior, He is Lord—every Jewish individual in the first century would have understood exactly what that means. It is a divine title. It might not mean that to someone who lives in the 21st century, like a textual critic from Purdue, but that is what it meant in the first century. He is Lord, the Son of God in human flesh, the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Savior, the King, the ever-existent One, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

If you are going to believe what the Bible says about Jesus, then that is what you believe about Him. He is all these things: Creator, Sustainer of everything, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the ever-existent Eternal One, the Alpha, the Omega. All these titles are what you believe when you accept what the Scriptures say about who Jesus is.

We must receive Jesus as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures, or we are not truly accepting Him as He is. Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace and goodwill toward men." Now, if you are a shepherd out...

In the field, you have this angelic scene, which must have been absolutely mind-blowing. When that happens, what do you do? Do you just think, "Oh, that was interesting," and then go back to feeding the sheep?

In verse 15, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Hey, let's now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." They felt compelled to see it, so they came with haste and quickly found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

When they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning this child. All those who heard it marveled at the things which were told to them by the shepherds. Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.

When you see something like that, when you receive a message like that, it requires and inspires a response. Point number four: God's promise of peace and power requires a response—not just the response of the shepherds who received this message 2,000 years ago, but a response from you and me as well. God commandeered Rome's authority to bring forth the promised glory and power of His Son. He used humble circumstances to do it so that we would understand that He came for the most lowly, not just for the high privileged class. His coming demands our response.

What will you do with this? What will you do with what is revealed in the Scriptures as Jesus is revealed to us? It demands a response. I love the way that C.S. Lewis puts this in his book, Mere Christianity. He writes, "I'm trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus. They say, 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things..."

That Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg, or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice: either this man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come away with any patronizing nonsense about him being just a great moral teacher. He has not left that open to us; he didn't intend to.

This is what has come to be known as Lewis's trilemma. Either Jesus, as he's revealed in the Gospels and the Scriptures, is a liar, a lunatic, or he is Lord. But you must make your choice. If you recognize who he is, as he's revealed to be in the Scriptures, it demands a response. I would suggest the best response is the response of the shepherds who went forth proclaiming the greatness of what they had seen. May we do the same.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? God, thank you for your Word. I pray that this text of Scripture that we've looked at this morning would stir our hearts. God, maybe some of us here today need to be reminded that you are in control, even though the things around us may seem swirling and seem to us to be out of control. Lord, just the simple reminder that you're still on the throne is such an important thing for us to hold in our hearts.

Well, maybe there are some here today who feel like they are just in this humble circumstance or situation, thinking there is no possible thing that God could do great with them. Yet the story of the shepherds reminds us, Lord, that you love to move your purpose forward in those humble circumstances and situations.

God, would you stir in us a desire to go forth as the shepherds did, sharing the good news of your grace that you are Savior, Christ, and Lord? Thank you that you have the authority and the power to save us and rescue us from our sins, and Lord, that you have the authority in our lives to demonstrate your power. Would you do that in us today and this week, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen.