Advent – Week 2 | The Bethlehem Candle: Humility

This is the second week of Advent, the Bethlehem Candle dealing with the theme of humility. This year’s text is Luke 2:1-7 and deals with the subjects of Caesar Augustus being dethroned, Joseph and his hometown, and the sign of the manger. This sermon was originally preached December 7th, 2008 at The Resolved Church in San Diego, CA.

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December 7th, 2008
Pastor Duane M. Smets

Advent 2008
Humility – The Bethlehem Candle: Luke 2:1-7
The Upside-Down Kingdom is Born

Introduction

Good morning everyone.

Well, it’s the second week of Advent as you’ve heard. We in full Christmas swing here in San Diego. The malls, the freeways, Santa, candy canes, and Christmas music playing everyone. It’s down right dangerous in some places. Did you guys here about the people who got shot at Toys R Us and the ones who got trampled in a Wal-mart stampede? I didn’t know Wal-mart was that cool of a store? How it ever got to this is insane. Jesus has seriously got to be just shaking his head as he looks at all this…a consumer driven materialistic frenzy.

San Diego is a unique place for Christmas. We wanted to cut down our own tree, so we had to drive out to hick-ville in El Cajon and it was like 85 degrees. Something just didn’t seem right about that. It’s supposed to snow at Christmas right? Not in San Diego. We wear bikinis all year long.

Well, this year for the Bethlehem Candle which focuses on the theme of humility I’ve chosen Luke 2:1-7 as our text. Michelle read it earlier and I want to go ahead and read it once more and pray over it.

Lord God, today by your Holy Spirit would you help us today as we revisit the profound humility you so vividly demonstrated in the birth of your son. Father, would that humility, the humility which encompassed Jesus life from birth to death be born in us. Through the story of your word would you transform us. As sinners humility is not our strong suit, but rather at the base of our fight for contention with you. May we see today why you are worthy and why you are our only hope. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord I pray, Amen.

We’ll work through three main points from this story today: “Augustus Dethroned” “Joseph and his Town” and “The Sign of the Manger.”

Augustus Dethroned

First off, notice how Luke, the human author of this story intentionally mentions the political rule of the day four different times:
1. “…a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.”
2. “…it was the first registration when/before Quirinius was governor of Syria.”
3. “…all went to be registered.”
4. “…(Joseph) went to be registered with Mary, his betrothed.”

It seems like a little bit of an overkill doesn’t it. I mean if I was going to sit down and write a book about how I came to know Jesus, I’m not so sure I would start out talking so much about the politics of the day. Like…”It was the year 2008 when Barrack Obama was elected President. And he promised that there would bring change.” It seems a little off subject to bring up this commanded registration four times in just five verses.

I think there is a reason for that. I think Luke is up to something. First, I think he cares about the historicity of what he was writing about. Many people today question the accuracy and authenticity of the Bible. Interestingly, the Biblical authors cared a lot about people knowing that what they were writing was true history because they recorded these verifiable names and time periods. You don’t find that in other cosmogony stories of antiquity. Listen to Luke as he addresses his concern for true historical representation.

These are the first words of the book, Luke 1:1-4, ” 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

So that’s the first reason I think Luke repeatedly mentions this whole decree of registration from Caesar Augustus. But I think the second reason is far more interesting and important. You see Luke’s goal was not just to write history but also to write theology and present Jesus Christ to us. I think he is getting at something theological with the issue of who Caesar was and what Jesus came to do.

Notice the interesting phrase Luke inserts here in verse 1, the decree went out from Caesar that, “ALL THE WORLD” should be registered. Luke notices, Caesar’s claim of rule over all the world.

Let’s talk about Caesar Augustus and his rule. He ruled the Roman Empire, over 2 million square miles of land, for forty-five years. He had absolute power, was called the emperor and was essentially a dictator. He had three names. A personal name, which was Octavian. A family name, which was Caesar. And an official name which was Augustus, which means “divifilius” or “Son of God.” He was considered both by the Roman Senate and the majority of the Roman people to be divine and placed as the leader over the whole world by the gods.

This is all common knowledge at the time. So Luke comes at this a says look, Caesar has declared himself god over the whole world, but God, the God, the one true God is guiding history and sovereignly ordering his providential rule so that Caesar’s decree inadvertently brings about God’s plan to have his one and only son be born.

Notice that little phrase, “the time came.” Surely there it is a double entente, a double meaning, noting not only culmination of nine months of pregnancy, but the planned time which had come when the Son of God was to born for all the peoples of the world.

There is a sharp literary contrast in this story between Jesus and Augustus.
- Augustus asserts and declares his rule to all. Jesus demonstrates his right to rule and declares it to a few lowly people.
- Augustus had power and glory he made sure everyone was aware of. Jesus would show his power and glory to the humble and lowly, the poor, the outcasts…Joseph & Mary, shepherds, fisherman, the diseased, the drunks, and the prostitutes.
- The regalia of Augustus was all displayed openly in the cities he defeated with military might. Jesus would one day display his ultimate rule on a cross where he defeated Satan and all his demons.
- Augustus was a king over top of all. Jesus would be a king who was a servant to all.
- Augustus claimed to be a God. Jesus was God. Augustus proved his deity with military enforcement. Jesus proved his deity not with force but love and his willingness to be utterly humbled by taking on the lowly form of humankind.
- Augustus called himself the savior of the world. Jesus would die so that he could actually save the souls of every kind of person in the world.

Truly, in every physical way Augustus at the time was ruler over all the world. But unknown to him, in his province there was a small little village called Bethlehem where a God-man would be born, who would dethrone him in every way, and be born as the king of the world for all time. It’s the upside-down kingdom, the way God does things through Jesus.

So my first point for today is in Jesus’ birth all rulers, past, present and future…of all time are dethroned, because in Jesus the true king of the whole world king is born. There is not a person here today who Jesus is not for. Your background and past does not matter. Where you have come from…the things you may have done or not done…your culture, upbringing, race…it does not matter. Jesus was born for the whole world. He was born for you. Wherever you have come from, wherever you are at right now, whatever issues you are dealing with…Jesus is relevant and intentionally came for you.

Jesus is the ultimate king, the epitome of humility. In his birth he demonstrates why he is so worthy to rule. Any king who would be humble enough to go through what Jesus has gone through is far superior than any man who has led any number of people throughout all time. Jesus stands in a league of his own. A king, who has reigned over the world before time was spoke into existence…would choose to leave that place of rule and come and in the most vivid and humiliating way show why he alone is worthy to rule in that place…why he alone is able to truly be for the whole world.

Joseph and his Town

Well, let’s talk about the first man Jesus chooses to reveal himself as a king to. Joseph. Let’s move on to our second point and talk about “Joseph and his Town.” This Christmas year I am more awestruck with Joseph than I have ever been. It’s probably because I’ve been a dad now for over a year and I know a little bit about what that is like. So let me talk to you a little bit about Joseph and his Town, Bethlehem.

Here’s what we get about Joseph in the text. He lived in Nazareth, but was born in Bethlehem, his home town, which also happens to be the birth town of his great, great, great, great, great, 40 greats Grandpa is King David. The most well-known and well-loved king of Israel’s history.

He is engaged to a woman named Mary, who is at least three or more months pregnant, which we know because Luke’s first chapter tells us she spent the first three months of her pregnancy at her cousin Elizabeth’s house.

Now Mary is not pregnant with his kid. He knows that. They are engaged or betrothed to be married. In these days, not having sex before you are married wasn’t something only crazy Christians did but was law. Being engaged was a binding contract. If one of the parties had sex with another person, that infidelity would be treated as adultery. They would have to a certificate of divorce if they chose to not get married in spite of the adultery.

Marriage was a lot bigger deal back then. We’re trying hard here at The Resolved Church to make marriage and family a big deal once again. You all know I work part-time at a group home for troubled kids. 100% of the kids there are there because they come from homes that did not have good strong marriages and families.

Here’s some statistics for you. A few years back Georgia State University did a study on couples who co-habitated and were sexually active before they were married. These marriages had a 62% higher divorce rate than those who did not live together or have sex with one another before they got married. That’s one of the reasons along with the clear teaching of God’s word that we have all couples who get married in The Resolved Church to sign a pre-marital purity covenant until their wedding day.

We’ve got to do something to change the way we view marriage today in our city. I mean you can freak’n become a minister online today and any ole’ person thinking they can do a wedding and anyone can get married if they want to just for the heck of it. It’s ridiculous…marriage means so little to so many today. I’m on a mission to change that.

So anyway, marriage is a big deal in the Bible and for Joseph. Joseph is this poor dude, who has royal blood, apparently had to move to Nazareth at some point because he couldn’t make any money in little o Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a blip on the map. I mean it is a little village. It was located up in the hills just about 5 miles south of the big city Jerusalem. So Bethlehem is like Jamul or something. Some little tiny town on the outskirts of the city that no one knows about. Some of you who live here in San Diego probably have no idea where Jamul is huh?

So Joseph’s from Jamul. He’s got to move to Mission Valley to get a job where he can sell the wood furniture he makes. While he’s living there he falls in love with a girl named Mary. It’s young love. She’s like 14 or something. They get engaged. And then crap, she’s pregnant and he knows they haven’t done it yet.

The gospel of Matthew tells us he was going to go ahead and divorce her but an angel comes and talks to him and tells him not to because Mary, his soon to be wife, is pregnant with God and conceived without having sex with any dude. Joseph buys the story from the angel, which I guess I would too if an angel actually came down and talked to me. Now he is more in love with Mary than ever. He didn’t have to take her to Bethlehem, only the heads of households needed to show up for the registration in their hometown…but maybe to spare her the potential shame and gossip, he decides to take her to his hometown, Bethlehem.

I mean you got to get your head around this. At our community group this week we were asking Greg (he and Carrie just got engaged) how he’d feel if he found out that Carrie was pregnant? Just the other week Greg took Carrie to his hometown up in Nor Cal for Thanksgiving and apparently it was like engagement celebration the whole week long. So we were asking him how that would have been if he had taken her home for that week and told everyone she was pregnant? He said it would have been a lot different mood for sure.

So you see, Bethlehem was not only small and little in terms of its size and insignificance. But it was also a place of humiliation in many ways for Joseph, Jesus’ step dad. Bethlehem. It’s scandalous and beautiful at the same time. About 700 years earlier the prophet Micah, said the messiah would be born there (Micah 5:2-4). But no one ever dreamed it would have happened in circumstances like this…that the savior of the world would come from Bethlehem. Interestingly, Jesus is never said to return there in his entire life and ministry. Bethlehem.

Bethlehem was an insignificant village. But from Bethlehem would come the most significant person in all of history. Bethlehem was a place of shame for Jesus’ family because his step dad brings home a knocked up wife fiancé. But from Bethlehem would come the man who would bear the shame of the whole world on a cross. It’s the upside-down kingdom, the way God does things through Jesus.

The Sign of the Manger

Well, let’s move on to our last main point for today and talk about “The Sign of the Manger.” So Joseph and Mary get to Bethlehem safely. We’re not sure when exactly they got there. Apparently they were there for a little while because if you notice the text says, “…while they were there.” So it probably wasn’t like Mary was about to pop when she came riding into town on a donkey.

Apparently when they get there because of the registration census, the town has a lot more people there than usual. There’s probably no room for Joseph and Mary at any of his family member’s houses. The text says there was no room for them in the inn. Interesting, this word for “inn” isn’t the normal word that gets used for a commercial hotel, like the one mentioned in the story of the Good Samaritan. That’s probably because most likely Bethlehem was too small of a town to even have a Hotel. It’s wasn’t a big vacation spot.

The word for inn here, usually means a private residence or public shelter. So in that day, if a stranger showed up in town there was probably a few people in town who had extra rooms who were known for letting people stay there. Kind of like Ron & Kathy’s house. They are so hospitable and generous letting people stay with them for periods of time.

So there’s sort of three options for where Jesus was actually born. Some of the houses were two story houses and the garage sort of speak was underneath the house and that is where they would keep their animals. Other people owned little caves in the hills nearby and that’s where they would keep their animals. Then the last option, is the public shelter. We don’t have any record of one in Bethlehem but some towns would have a central place for animals to be stored at.

So here’s the deal. The word “inn” here suggests the lower-level room. Early Christian tradition says Jesus was born in a cave. But the shepherds which get mentioned next in the story are said to have been nearby, which suggests an outdoor public shelter.

Now it doesn’t really matter and I’m sorry if that screws up your nativity scene. They’re already messed up because the wise men don’t get there until two years later. But that’s okay. Here’s what does matter…wherever they stayed, it was with animals and it was because of crowded conditions.

Having a baby with the animals was not normal. Not even for the poor. I’ll give you a comparison. If you averaged out Joseph’s income as a carpenter, he probably made about a denarri a day. The well to do class, like say that of the king’s house allotted his wives 400 denarii a day for pampering, that’s over a year’s worth of wages, for one day. You say how could a woman even spend that much? All you got to do is go over to Bloomingdales in Fashion Valley and look at the price tags and the people walking around and you’ll figure it out.

These women had a whole band of servants around them to meet their every need. Perfume, jewelry, back then they were even into false teeth made of gold…apparently that was hot. If you are rich today, you might hire a nanny to help take care of your kids. These women had at least ten nannies around to help them out with the children…so you can imagine what it was like when they gave birth. Not with the animals. It was serious pampering I’m sure.

Imagine it. Mary’s laying there in the straw. There’s the wafting fumes of the horse dung in the air. She’s in excruciating pain. There’s no epidural needle to take the edge off. This is nasty. Who knows who delivered the baby. And once they do they lay him in the dog dish. I mean come on! And this is Jesus, God, the king of the world, the creator who spoke life into existence.

Do you guys get the scandal of this story? The utter humility shown by God, by not only allowing this to take place but actually setting it up? Our God is a humble God.

I’m telling you…we have Kaiser insurance through my job at the group home and after Adina was born they placed her with Amy and I in this room that had another couple and their baby in there…and I was pissed! I wanted our own room. If they had put us in a room downstairs with the animals I would have punched someone.

A manger was no place for a baby, let alone the son of God. But this was to set the tone for the life and the mission of Jesus…who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. From the day of his birth onward Jesus laid himself down to be the feeding trough for us and he remains so today. He is our life and our health. I think Jesus went about as low as you can go. His humility in exchange for our hope and salvation. It’s astonishing.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude. I want to conclude in this way today. This week of advent focuses on humility. Let’s think about that for a second. How would you feel as Jesus.

How would you feel about Augustus? You’re the true king of the world. For hundreds of years, you’ve watched various kings and emperors come and go. All of them claiming their dominance and might. You know it is really nothing at all.

You decide you are going to enter the world, in order to save the human race. If it were me I would want to come in right away and show ‘em who’s boss. Prove ‘em all wrong and make them recognize.

Not Jesus. He wasn’t so insecure that he was intimidated or had something to prove. Instead, he humbly submits himself to the decree of a mere man, who only has power because you have allowed it.

In this backwards, upside-down way, Jesus shows himself to be the true king over the world.

How would you feel about Joseph? You’re going to become a God-man and enter the world. Wouldn’t you want to pick someone who kind of had their act together…Was already married and had a good paying job from a reputable town? Where I would see weakness and a bad idea, Jesus saw a perfect opportunity where his humility and glory could be further displayed.

In this backwards, upside-down way, Jesus shows himself to be willing to undergo shame and weakness.

How would you feel about the manger? I mean the parents here know this well. You want the best for your kids. You want them to be healthy, safe, and well.

If you are Jesus looking ahead at all this, wouldn’t you want to make sure you’re going to born at least in a place where there is not this huge risk of infection and bacteria floating around everywhere? Wouldn’t such a thing just be so starkly opposite to everything Jesus was used to.

In this backwards, upside-down way, Jesus shows himself willing to be subject to the worst of the worst and to entrust himself to the most meager means.

When we look at each of these things in this way…and contrast them with our own hearts I think it has the effect of sort of drawing out the sin and the pride that runs so deep in each of us because it is so radically different. It is so different it is almost impossible for us to wrap our heads around it.

We are so motivated by self-interest, self-indulgence, self-sufficiency, selfish ambition, and self-glorification. We all have these inflated views of our selves. Jesus is the one person who has reason to have an inflated view of himself, he’s God, it’s not an inflation. But rather than call attention to that, he takes the upside-down backwards way, to show us, why he is that great.

R.C. Sproul says this, “The grand difference between a human being and a supreme being is this: Apart from God, I cannot exist. Apart from me, God does exist. God does not need me in order for Him to be; I do need God in order for me to be…We are dependent. We are fragile. We cannot live without air, without water, without food. No human being has the power of being within himself. Life is lived between two hospitals. We need a support system from birth to death to sustain life. We are like flowers that bloom and then wither and then fade. This is how we differ from God. God does not wither, God does not fade, God is not fragile.”

The birth of Jesus has this effect. The God who needs nothing, humbles himself, placing himself in the world of humans so that we might be humbled know our great need for him.

Where in your life do you need to be humbled today?

Do you pride yourself in your power…maybe as a parent in telling your kids what to do, maybe you’re a manager or a boss and you have employees, maybe you’re a teacher or maybe you have an assistant. Remember the humility of Jesus who is born under the decree of one lesser than him who dared to claim his right over the world.

Do you pride yourself in your plans…maybe it is your plans for the next year and how you will progress in your job, get married, have more kids, buy a new house…thinking then you will be happy or things will be better. Remember the humility of Jesus who is born into a town and a family of shame, smallness, and weakness, in order that the greatest plan of all might be fulfilled.

Lastly, do you pride your possessions…the place you live, the things you own, the relationships you maintain. Remember the humility of Jesus who was born into a poor family next to the animals so that we might know he and he only is our only need and greatest possession.

Let’s pray.