The Historical Significance and Humility of Christ's Birth

 

Summary

In reflecting on the birth of Jesus Christ, it is crucial to understand the historical and spiritual significance of this event. The world often distorts the true meaning of Christmas, reducing it to mere sentiments of fellowship and good cheer. However, the birth of Christ is a profound historical event, deeply rooted in the annals of time, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. This narrative is not a fairy tale or a philosophical teaching but a concrete event that took place in history, much like the reign of Caesar Augustus or the conquest of Britain. The Christian faith is built upon these historical facts, and it is essential to hold firmly to this truth, especially in a world that often overlooks the divine in favor of the temporal.

God's control over history is evident in the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. The decree from Caesar Augustus, which led Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, was not a mere coincidence but a divine orchestration. God, in His sovereignty, used a pagan emperor to fulfill His eternal plan, ensuring that His Son would be born in the prophesied location. This demonstrates that God is actively involved in the affairs of the world, guiding history according to His purposes.

The world into which Jesus was born was unaware of the significance of His arrival. The people of Bethlehem were preoccupied with mundane concerns, oblivious to the monumental event occurring in their midst. This mirrors the modern world's tendency to focus on transient issues while ignoring the eternal truths of the Gospel. The birth of Christ is a reminder of the world's need for salvation, a need that remains as pressing today as it was then.

The humility of Christ's birth is a testament to His mission. Born in a stable and laid in a manger, Jesus entered the world in the most humble circumstances. This humility underscores the purpose of His coming: to save humanity by becoming one with us, sharing in our experiences, and ultimately sacrificing Himself for our redemption. His incarnation is a profound expression of God's love, grace, and mercy, offering us the opportunity to be reconciled with God and become His children.

Key Takeaways:

1. The birth of Jesus is a historical event, not a myth or philosophical idea. It is essential to recognize the factual basis of the Christian faith, which is grounded in real events that occurred in history. This understanding helps us maintain the true significance of Christmas amidst worldly distortions. [04:10]

2. God's sovereignty is evident in the orchestration of historical events, such as the decree by Caesar Augustus that led to Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. This demonstrates that God is actively involved in guiding history according to His divine plan, offering comfort and assurance to believers. [12:11]

3. The world often overlooks the spiritual and eternal significance of events, focusing instead on temporal concerns. This was true at the time of Jesus' birth and remains true today. As Christians, we must proclaim the Gospel and help others recognize the true significance of Christ's coming. [22:57]

4. The humility of Christ's birth highlights His mission to save humanity. By becoming one with us, Jesus shared in our experiences and ultimately sacrificed Himself for our redemption. This act of humility and love is a profound expression of God's grace and mercy. [29:09]

5. The incarnation of Christ is a testament to God's love and compassion for humanity. Despite the world's sinfulness, God sent His Son to offer salvation and reconciliation. This divine love invites us to become children of God and heirs of eternal glory. [33:17]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:09] - Introduction to the Birth of Christ
- [01:02] - The World's Misunderstanding of Christmas
- [01:54] - Returning to the Biblical Record
- [03:04] - The Historical Context of Jesus' Birth
- [04:46] - The Christian Faith and Historical Facts
- [06:53] - The Reality of Jesus' Birth
- [09:15] - God's Control Over History
- [12:11] - Divine Orchestration of Events
- [14:41] - God's Sovereignty in World Affairs
- [19:34] - The World's Ignorance of Spiritual Significance
- [22:57] - The Eternal Significance of Christ's Birth
- [27:29] - The Humility of Christ's Coming
- [30:52] - The Purpose of Jesus' Incarnation
- [33:17] - God's Love and the Gift of Salvation

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Luke 2:7: "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 inn."

- Micah 5:2: "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."

#### Observation Questions
1. What historical details are provided in Luke 2:7 that emphasize the reality of Jesus' birth? [00:09]
2. How does the sermon describe the world's misunderstanding of Christmas? [01:18]
3. What role did Caesar Augustus' decree play in fulfilling God's plan according to the sermon? [12:11]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the humility of Christ's birth? [29:09]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the historical context of Jesus' birth, as described in Luke 2:7, reinforce the factual basis of the Christian faith? [04:10]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's sovereignty is evident in the orchestration of historical events? [12:11]
3. How does the sermon compare the world's focus on temporal concerns with the eternal significance of Christ's birth? [22:57]
4. What does the humility of Christ's birth reveal about His mission and purpose, according to the sermon? [29:09]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the historical reality of Jesus' birth. How does this understanding impact your celebration of Christmas? [04:10]
2. In what ways can you recognize and trust in God's sovereignty in your own life, especially during challenging times? [12:11]
3. How can you shift your focus from the temporal concerns of the world to the eternal truths of the Gospel in your daily life? [22:57]
4. Consider the humility of Christ's birth. How can you embody humility in your interactions with others this week? [29:09]
5. How does the incarnation of Christ inspire you to share the message of salvation with those around you? [33:17]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to experience God's love and compassion. How can you open yourself to His grace this week? [33:17]
7. Think of a situation where you can demonstrate God's love and mercy to someone in need. What practical steps can you take to act on this? [33:17]

Devotional

Day 1: The Historical Reality of Christ's Birth
The birth of Jesus is not just a story or a philosophical idea; it is a historical event that took place in a specific time and place. This event is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, which provides a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. Recognizing the factual basis of the Christian faith is crucial, as it helps maintain the true significance of Christmas amidst worldly distortions. The Christian faith is built upon these historical facts, and it is essential to hold firmly to this truth, especially in a world that often overlooks the divine in favor of the temporal. [04:10]

Luke 2:1-4 (ESV): "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 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."

Reflection: How does understanding the historical reality of Jesus' birth strengthen your faith in the truth of the Gospel? What steps can you take to share this truth with others during the Christmas season?


Day 2: God's Sovereignty in History
God's control over history is evident in the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. The decree from Caesar Augustus, which led Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, was not a mere coincidence but a divine orchestration. God, in His sovereignty, used a pagan emperor to fulfill His eternal plan, ensuring that His Son would be born in the prophesied location. This demonstrates that God is actively involved in the affairs of the world, guiding history according to His purposes. This understanding offers comfort and assurance to believers, knowing that God is in control of all things. [12:11]

Proverbs 21:1 (ESV): "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will."

Reflection: In what ways have you seen God's sovereignty at work in your own life? How can you trust Him more fully with the events and circumstances you are currently facing?


Day 3: Recognizing the Eternal in the Temporal
The world into which Jesus was born was unaware of the significance of His arrival. The people of Bethlehem were preoccupied with mundane concerns, oblivious to the monumental event occurring in their midst. This mirrors the modern world's tendency to focus on transient issues while ignoring the eternal truths of the Gospel. As Christians, we must proclaim the Gospel and help others recognize the true significance of Christ's coming. The birth of Christ is a reminder of the world's need for salvation, a need that remains as pressing today as it was then. [22:57]

2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV): "As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: What are some temporal concerns that often distract you from focusing on eternal truths? How can you intentionally shift your focus to recognize and prioritize the eternal significance of Christ's coming in your daily life?


Day 4: The Humility of Christ's Mission
The humility of Christ's birth is a testament to His mission. Born in a stable and laid in a manger, Jesus entered the world in the most humble circumstances. This humility underscores the purpose of His coming: to save humanity by becoming one with us, sharing in our experiences, and ultimately sacrificing Himself for our redemption. His incarnation is a profound expression of God's love, grace, and mercy, offering us the opportunity to be reconciled with God and become His children. [29:09]

Philippians 2:6-8 (ESV): "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Reflection: How does Christ's humility challenge your own attitudes and actions? In what specific ways can you embody humility in your interactions with others this week?


Day 5: The Incarnation as an Invitation to Divine Love
The incarnation of Christ is a testament to God's love and compassion for humanity. Despite the world's sinfulness, God sent His Son to offer salvation and reconciliation. This divine love invites us to become children of God and heirs of eternal glory. The birth of Jesus is a profound expression of God's grace and mercy, offering us the opportunity to be reconciled with God and become His children. This invitation to divine love is a call to respond with gratitude and a commitment to live as His children. [33:17]

1 John 3:1 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

Reflection: How have you experienced God's love and compassion in your life? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with God and live more fully as His child?

Quotes

The world moved and instigated by the devil, the great antagonist and opponent of God, is doing its utmost to rob us of the real meaning and significance of what happened nearly 2,000 years ago. The world would evaporate all this into some vague general spirit of fellowship and friendship and good cheer. [00:01:09]

The only way to avoid all that and to counteract it is to keep on coming back to the records, to the New Testament itself. For here, thank God, we are not only given the teaching, but we are given the facts accompanying them, and we are not only given the facts, we are given an explanation of the meaning and the significance and the purpose of the facts. [00:01:54]

The Christian message, the Christian faith, the whole of the Christian Gospel is based solidly upon events, upon facts that have taken place in the realm of history. Caesar Augustus, he was the emperor at this particular time. Well, he belongs to history as Julius Caesar, one of his predecessors, belongs to history. [00:04:10]

This is primarily an announcement, a proclamation of events, something that has actually and has concretely taken place in this world. It's a hard fact. How easy, I say, it is to lose all that and even to turn what happened in Bethlehem so long ago into a sort of fairy tale. [00:05:38]

God controls history. Now, where do we see that in this record? Well, we see it here. You read this statement: it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. [00:09:15]

God put it into his mind because he had decided and determined before the foundation of the world that it was at this particular moment that his son was going to come into the world to redeem mankind. Not only that, he had already given intimation nearly eight centuries before through the prophet Micah. [00:12:11]

The world with all its cleverness and all its opposite wisdom is never aware of what is really significant. Just think, cast your minds back to the mentality of the crowd in Bethlehem on that occasion. They were there, they'd come from everywhere, they'd all have to go back there who came out of the house and lineage of David. [00:20:17]

The world didn't know that the most momentous thing that had ever happened in the world was taking place amongst them, quite unaware of it. Nobody was saying a word about it. The biggest thing, the most glorious, the most wonderful thing, the most momentous thing, I say, that has ever happened in the whole course of history was taking place there. [00:22:57]

The only thing that matters in this world this morning is the thing that you and I have met together to celebrate. All the talk of the world will come to nothing. It's been talking like this throughout the centuries, but the world is worse than ever. But still, it'll go on doing it, and it won't listen to this. [00:24:21]

The humility, look at the loneliness. He who had been in the eternal bosom from all eternity, sharing the glory of the Father, who had ever been in the form of God, God the Son, coming into a stable, born onto the straw, placed in a manger. Is there anything more glorious, more moving, more wonderful than this? [00:29:09]

He came to save men, and how can he do it? There's only one way: he must become like us. He must take our nature upon him. He must enter into our condition. He doesn't do it by a fiat from heaven. He doesn't do it by a great display of eternal glory and power. [00:31:43]

There is the love of God incarnate. There is the grace, the mercy, the compassion. It's all there. It is because God's name is love that he did this, and his son humbled himself and came so low that we sinful, selfish, vile creatures might be forgiven, might be reconciled to God. [00:33:17]

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Transcript
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