THE UNWRAPPED GOSPEL: JOY FINDING US
Luke 2:1-19: Lifeway Winter Quarterly: Session 3
It’s the Christmas Season, 1962. A cold afternoon rain is falling out of the slate grey sky as daylight slowly fades to dusk in downtown Ft. Worth. Nelson turns up the collar of his blue jeans jacket and adjusts the strap on the guitar slung over his back. He needs to purchase Christmas packages for his family before his next gig that night. The sidewalks and streets are crowded with people and traffic as he makes his way to the department store. Outside the store, snuggled as close to the corner wall as he can get for warmth is Steve; he has arranged some shoddy blue wrapping paper, ribbons, and #2 pencils to sell to cover the cost of his next meal. He calls out like a seasoned street vendor, but all he gets for his efforts is looks of disdain and pity as people notice his grubby appearance and two missing legs if they even acknowledge he exists at all… that is until Nelson stops by and buys him out. The two men share warm Christmas greetings, a laugh a chuckle and Nelson notices the gratitude in Steve’s eyes as he heads away with his purchases of blue wrapping paper and ribbon and the oddly carved pencils Steve had been whittling on as he hawked his wares. Nelson, “Willie Nelson” was so moved by his encounter with Steve that he wrote a song… The second verse and chorus go like this: “Crowded street, busy feet hustle by him. Downtown shoppers, Christmas is nigh. There he sits all alone on the sidewalk hoping that you won’t pass him by. Should you stop? Better not, much too busy. You’re in a hurry, my how time does fly. In the distance the ringing of laughter. And in the midst of the laughter he cries…” Chorus: “Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue. Wrap your presents to your darling from you. Pretty pencils to write, ‘I love you.’ Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue…”
No one noticed Steve but Willie and that’s because he was paying attention. The result of their meeting was a blessing to both men. Luke Chapter 2:1-19 is a passage most Christians have heard every Christmas since they were little. Our familiarity with it can sometimes blind us to its significance and hurt our ability to see it with fresh and new spiritual eyes. Luke 2 is Father God’s “unwrapped present” and a letter that says: “I love you” to anyone who will listen. Most Christmases the story of the birth of our LORD and Savior is desired by us to be “front and center” in our celebration and holiday but it comes at us wrapped in a “package deal”. The story of Christ’s birth comes with our own trappings, and earthly clutter: trees, presents, traditions, busyness, relatives we might not like too much, large meals, and important programs… These aren’t bad things they are incredibly good things- and can be instruments of praise and purpose for God’s glory and the Gospel, but every once in awhile (from time to time, now and then) we need, we must have a break, an ordained “Sabbath Rest”- a providential “pause before the go.”
We need an “unwrapped” Gospel, a Gospel that greets us in our everyday, exactly where we are in our weariness, weakness, confusion, pain, and suffering a Gospel that in its common wrappings “of blue” writes clearly and legibly with a stubby pencil in the nearness of our imperfections and flaws- “I LOVE YOU! “YOU ARE NOT ALONE! IMMANUEL IS HERE: GOD WITH US!” Christmas 2020 is such a time. Wylie Baptist Church and our community get an unwrapped Gospel this year. As I write this, some of you are sick with and of Covid and/or other illnesses that have plagued our church, we grieve and mourn the loss of friends, and loved ones, we long for last year or next year but not now! A “normal” Christmas it is not. We are confused and Leary of the future in a world that promised us much and delivered so little but madness, division and strife.
In many ways we find ourselves in Luke Chapter 2 with Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds facing a bogus “world peace” (the pax romana) and a uncertain future- BUT JESUS IS HERE and the JOY, the salvation, the peace, the certain eternity of His Kingdom proclaimed and provided through faith in His name is just as present as it was on that night 2000 years ago. Let’s take a look at the angel’s proclamation of an “unwrapped Gospel” a Gospel that met Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds (met us) right where they were, and loved them too much to leave them that way! This Christmas in our mad and futile attempts to find joy in the season let’s realize as the Shepherds did, and as the angels’ proclaimed we don’t find joy, joy finds us in Christ Jesus Our LORD. That while we were looking for God He came to us in the common wrappings of a little child and that “common” was became and is Sacrificial, Glorious, Powerful and Holy for our sakes.
“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered” (Luke 2:1 NKJV). The ancient world and the modern world are not that different from each other the devil and our sin like to set up “counterfeit kingdoms and messiahs. Luke opens his Gospel past the prelude of Chapter 1 with a loaded context-(much like if I started a story “in the days of Donald Trump and Joe Biden”) and a picture of “World Empire” that tries to claim the same peace, salvation and power as a kingdom that Jesus Messiah brings with THE Kingdom but falls flat in contrast. “Gaius Octavius” became “Caesar Augustus” (“the consecrated lord”- the “son of gods” and emperor) after the Battle of Actium when he ushered in the supposed Roman Golden Age of Peace and Prosperity (the pax romana) which lasted for 200 years but it was far from peaceful and prosperous for Israel and Judea and later the early church. Christ was crucified, The Temple was destroyed, the Jews were slaughtered (see Mt 2:16) and scattered from their homeland in a movement called the Diaspora, the early church was persecuted and Christ Followers were martyred and executed under a bogus peace used to cover acts of violence, murder and unrighteousness.
Luke begins his Gospel with the “common” sinful state of man… of how Worldly Empire and earthly rebellion against God does just the opposite of God’s plan and takes the “glorious, and holy and degrades it to common. The humility of Jesus, His humble birth, and upbringing is in stark contrast to that of the Caesars and Hasmonean Dynasty (the half-Jewish kingly line of Herod the Great and sons). The earthly leaders and sons of gods came to Israel to be served while Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost (Lk 19:10). Caesar and the earthly powers were working their kingdoms towards their own joy by establishing wealth and power through finding tax money and man power with a census while God brings joy to all people who believe in Christ.
Enter Joseph and Mary coming to be registered and the story turns scandalous, and perilous. Mary is pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit and is still betrothed to Joseph but unmarried to him. The listener is left wondering, why does an unmarried pregnant woman have to walk 90 miles uphill to Jerusalem from Nazareth when only men had to register? Luke’s implied answer is two-fold: to show the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Messiah’s birth (see Isaiah 7, and 9, Micah 5) as divine providence and not happenstance, and to show how God provided and protected Mary and Joseph as they remained faithful to the Angel’s proclamation of Jesus’ birth (Lk 1). Mary was a virgin and Joseph was to honor and protect her as she carried the Christ Child (see Mt 1 and 2) and consummate the marriage after Christ’s birth. The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem where King David and the promised eternal Davidic Covenant of Kingship was from but Jesus was also to be called a “Nazarene” both prophecies were fulfilled through God’s providence and Mary and Joseph’s obedience. Luke’s Gospel in many places not only shows the fulfillment of prophecy, but emphasizes the obedience of Christ’s followers and godly people that bring God’s providence to the real time and location of the Gospel story and proclamation.
The second reason is to show how God protected Mary from the scandalous social accusations and violence that could have befallen her in her home village (they stoned adulterers and fornicators). Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s Mother and Mary’s relative) was pregnant in old age, and she and Zechariah were most likely Matriarch and Patriarch in the community and could protect Mary until John was born as well as the miraculous signs surrounding John’s birth could help others to believe that Mary’s pregnancy was even more miraculous and from the Holy Spirit. Joseph then took Mary with Him to continue to protect and provide for her (the stable they were in was not necessarily by ancient standards a cruel place to give birth- but a place for the poor, the visitor, and the “common” to give birth- other children could have been born in that same stable at different times). All four parents demonstrated a faith and obedience to God and a fellowship to and with one another that was extremely costly but showed God’s providence, His protective hand, and brought Him glory and left a lasting legacy for all future believers in the conduct faith requires! As an older believer are you demonstrating that kind of fellowship and faith to younger believers in the church? Protecting and guiding them as they grow in grace- allowing the miraculous and loving hand of God to be a conduit through you for their sake and others?
So far, we have looked at the common aspects of Luke’s story. We have seen how the world takes the holy, the glorious, and that which is treasured by God (people) and despises it because of sin. Now we will see how God takes the common and ordinary the despised and weak things of the world and makes them glorious by His favor, plan and grace- a reversal of fortune which is a major theme in Luke’s Gospel (consider Paul’s words about the weak and strong in 1 Cor 1:25-29) and the JOY of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord. Luke lets us see clearly that the Throne of the Ancient of Days lays behind the Manger for all who will listen and believe the Good News. Let’s look at the Angel’s proclamation.
The best way to view the angel’s proclamation in the story is to break it into three parts all related to joy (the joy of the Gospel- the saving power of God revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord and the salvation He brings for all who believe in His name): Joy is a gift given, Joy is a gift received, and Joy is a gift proclaimed…To the point of the angel’s appearance everything in Chapter 2 is instigations of worldly powers acting, and godly people responding while both being invisibly guided by the providential hand of God to fulfill prophecy. Caesar and his “august reign” with a delegated census causing extra hardships on a poor couple but putting them exactly where they needed to be to fulfill scripture and show the common made glorious. Now God intentionally acts sending the angel to pronounce good news. Was this good news- this Gospel deserved? Was this favor on mankind that the angels sing about because of Israel’s religious efforts at righteousness? Of course not, The Christ Child and the salvation He brings is a mercy and grace, a gift that Father God has planned from before the beginning and has given. The gift comes from heaven not from earth and is given to the entire World for all time and beyond. The glory of the Lord shines in awesome light and revelation (Luke tells us that the multitude of the heavenly host appeared praising God- basically heaven was emptied the entire angelic army in all of its splendor and terrifying grandeur {the same army that protected Elisha, and Hezekiah, the army that will wage war and defeat the demons and all earthly powers in the last days} appeared to shepherds and praised/sang before and beholden by the undeserved, the unwanted, the despised, the desperate, the loyal, the faithful, the brave, protective and the expectant. Father God gave the gift of His Son and bestowed favor on the despised- to seek and save that which was lost!
The angels’ message explained and was revealing of the three-fold name of Jesus of who He is, what He will do, and what His birth means for them and all people who believe. Jesus is proclaimed Savior, Messiah, and THE LORD. Jesus is proclaimed Savior and came to save- His mission is to rescue and reconcile mankind back to God, away from Hell and fitted for Heaven to bring us His peace (there are so many verses that confirm this- just read the whole New Testament). Jesus is proclaimed Messiah (the anointed one- Christ or Christos in Greek). Who anointed Jesus? God anointed Him- it is the eternal and divine plan of God that Jesus is Messiah and our Messiah He has been and always will be Messiah… both earthly (from the line of David) and Heavenly- Jesus is King and there are to be no others before Him. Finally, Jesus is proclaimed THE LORD. Kings and emperors in the ancient world like presidents and politicians today might hold great offices and titles but power is something else and varies… Power required cooperation, intimidation, compromise, and political maneuvering. Jesus isn’t “a lord” squabbling, and pecking for an earthly authority that comes and then goes. Jesus is THE LORD the Master and all authority on Heaven and earth has been given to Him (Mt 28:18)… Jesus has had authority and creation authority since before forever and He has and will have it forever more and our first and continual allegiance is to Him and His Lordship over us. All of this unwrapped Gospel- the joy of Heaven given to and for us and for everyone.
But not everyone will receive Him. We can’t find joy we must receive it in Christ Jesus our LORD when we listen, accept, and believe the Good News the angel brought. When my daughter was three years old, she tugged on my elbow while I was working on a seminary paper… “Daddy, I can’t find God. He is gone and I have looked everywhere.” I was perplexed at first (this deep a theological thought from a three year old?) then I remembered, Carri and I had gotten her a little plush nativity set, and we had told her that Jesus is God’s son… Naturally for her, child and Daddy should be together therefore Joseph (Foster Father was an unknown concept) figure must be God the Father. She was very upset she couldn’t find him (but we eventually did).
It was a great opportunity however to talk about what it means to receive God- to receive Jesus and the joy of His Gospel. “Do you remember how you were afraid of losing Daddy after the accident? When you receive Jesus like the Shepherds did, God promises you will never lose Him because His love has found you, and the Bible promises that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:38).” We may wander far and away from God, but when we believe and trust in His name His grace has found us and the promise now rests upon the one who made it and “fulfills” it. On the other hand, if we don’t believe that God has come in Christ Jesus our Lord or continuously doubt that He has kept His promises how will we ever develop the trust to follow Him and please Him? We don’t find joy but we return daily, time and time again to the source of our joy to the Word and the Gospel to remember God’s promises and faithfulness so we can be faithful- so we can be revived again! Do you think those Shepherds ever forgot that night and the sound of the heavenly host proclaiming- singing the Gospel?! Luke shows us there is great assurance in joy because it rests upon the gift given and received and it results in joy as a gift proclaimed to others!
What did the Shepherds, Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, and Elizabeth do when they heard and received the angels’ message? They shared the same message with others. Luke begins His Gospel story (Luke 2:16-18) in the same place he ends it in Luke 24:31-35; people running, people proclaiming and testifying with great joy and excitement… Jesus is alive! His Kingdom has come! His peace He brings! Join us, and spread THE WORD!!! Luke’s Gospel is an evangelism of proclamation- of the outbreak of the Kingdom of God. The cantankerous unreconciled Scrooges of the world try to bring us “back to reality”. They ask us what right in the midst of a global pandemic in a season of suffering and tears do we have to spread hope, to be joyous, to worship God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) any which way we can with full zeal and urgency? The answer is simple, the proclamation is profound, the contrast is complete: Jesus has come, our lives are never the same regardless of the circumstances around us… And He is coming back- the trumpet, saints (the dead in Christ) and angels shall proclaim Him and the whole world shall behold Him… Will His Church proclaim Him today? In the midst of our suffering with the clutter of the season cast aside will we present the Gospel unwrapped and repeat the proclamation of the angels that joy has found us in Christ Jesus our LORD? Love to all of you, and Merry Christmas! Christ has come! Darrin.