Sermon Snippet – Even More People That You Should Know
INTRODUCTION – The birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, was a momentous occasion, for God Himself – God the Son – came to us because we could not go to Him, could not even take one small staggering step toward Him. We can learn much from the events in Bethlehem and from the people there.
1. EVEN ON THE JOURNEY OF JOSEPH AND MARY TO BETHLEHEM, GOD WAS AT WORK
We find in Luke 2:1-7 that the couple had to travel from Nazareth in the north of Israel to Bethlehem in the south. Their trek would have included a poignant passage through the Plain of Jezreel, the future site of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), the extended battle (really, a campaign or war) at the end of the Tribulation. Later, the couple and their unborn son would have passed through the capital city, the home of the hateful Herods and the location of the Crucifixion more than 30 years later. Then, they would have traveled the final 5 miles to “the city of David.” Along the way of this lengthy and challenging journey, anyone could have inquired of Joseph and Mary the “good tidings of great joy” (verse 10) surrounding her pregnancy. As I frequently say, God is always doing more than one thing at a time. While He was preparing for the birth of His Son (at Bethlehem, in fulfillment of Micah 5:2), He was also preparing individual people to believe this glad Gospel.
2. GOD WAS AT WORK IN THE LIFE OF THE INNKEEPER
This unnamed innkeeper, probably a hard worker, has been unfairly vilified in poetry and sermons. The Scripture is clear: “there was no room for them in the inn” (verse 7). The people in the inn could have (and I would say should have) given up their places, but the innkeeper did the best that he could do under these unusual and trying circumstances. He provided the only place he had available – a small cave, used as a stable. It was shelter, simple but snug. Soon, the innkeeper would have first-hand confirmation of God’s fulfillment of His promise to provide the Messiah to save us from our sins.
3. GOD WAS AT WORK IN THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE IN BETHLEHEM
Like Joseph and Mary, many of the folks in Bethlehem had been forced to travel there by the oppressive Roman government – and then these people were going to be more heavily taxed! These people were harried and hurried (like so many of us at Christmas). However, each one of them had a front-row seat to the great miracle of the Incarnation, the birth of Jesus Christ. These Jewish people came from all over Israel; many of them would return to their home city, town, hamlet, or farm with a story – a true story – to tell.
CONCLUSION – I appreciate the painting The Census at Bethlehem by the Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel. Finished in 1566, it depicts a winter scene in a Flemish town of that period. It is more than a fascinating portrayal of life at that time, for it includes Joseph and Mary before the crowded inn. The painter was not suggesting that Jesus was born there (and then) rather than in Bethlehem during the reign of Caesar Augustus. Rather, he is rejoicing that the Savior has come to all of us to offer His salvation to all people at all times. May we make sure that we do not miss the miracle of Christmas. May we trust in Jesus for eternal life, and may we celebrate His love that has reached out to us and that is reaching out to others even now.
https://www.artinsociety.com/bruegelrsquos-white-christmas-the-census-at-bethlehem.html