Tracing the Sovereignty of God in the Incarnation

The hymn writer penned the words, What child is this?

What child is this? Well, he never wrote a book, but there are libraries filled with books about him. He never practiced medicine, but no man ever was healed without him. He never traveled over 200 miles from home, but there is not a spot on the globe where he has not been and where he is not now. Herod couldn't kill him, Satan couldn't seduce him, death couldn't destroy him, and the grave couldn't keep him.

What child is this? One writer has said all of history revolves around the incarnation of Jesus Christ. You can alter the calendars, dispute the Scriptures, wallow in skepticism, and you will not change the fact that Jesus Christ is God who came to earth to achieve God's mission of salvation. Paul declared to the church at Galatia that in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son. And then goes on, in the fullness of time, at the proper time, at God's prescribed time, in which God had ordained an eternity past, Christ came into this world. You see, God was not passively waiting for the right circumstances to develop on earth before He was able to send His Son.

No, God was working His eternal plan and purpose to send His Son into this world that He might redeem a people for His own glory and His own namesake. So this morning as we look at this narrative from Luke chapter 2, I want us to see that in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we're going to observe God's sovereign rule over the affairs of men, over nations, over political powers and agendas, over the angelic world, and over heaven itself. So, this morning from Luke chapter 2, 1 to 20, I want to consider this scene of the sovereign rule of God related to the events that are recorded here under these three headings. Number one, I want you to see that the birth of Jesus Christ drew Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. That's verses 1 through 7. Number two, I want you to see that the birth of Jesus Christ drew the angels from heaven, verses 8 through 14. And number three, the birth of Jesus Christ drew the shepherds from the fields, verses 15 through 20. Again, we are tracing God's sovereign work and dealings in these circumstances. Micah chapter 5 verse 2 prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. We have a problem.

What is the problem? Mary and Joseph are in the city of Nazareth, of the region of Galilee in the north. Bethlehem is 80 to 90 miles to the south. And to complicate things and to compound the problem, verse 5 tells us that Mary is with child. So how are we going to get Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, an 80 to 90 mile journey? Well, we'll buy them a plane ticket.

No. The mode of transportation is by animal, maybe 10, 12, maybe 15 miles at the max on a day. So a five to six day journey to get from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Now again, this is to fulfill prophecy. God had prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Now we speak of problems and obstacles and hindrances and sometimes we view our own circumstances as impossibilities.

And why is that? Because we've been taught that with man things are impossible, but with God all things are possible, right? Well, the reason sometimes we view our circumstances as impossible is that we cannot conceive, we cannot perceive, we cannot come up with an answer to our dilemma, a solution to our difficulty, and our reasoning, our flawed reasoning goes like this. Well, if I can't figure this out, if I can't see how God can deliver me or provide for me, there must not be a solution.

Do you see how faithless that kind of thinking is? Since when is God limited to our understanding? God has solutions and answers and ways through and ways out that you can't imagine, I can't imagine, we can't conceive of. Are not His ways higher than our ways?

And past finding out? So, rather than being pessimistic, why not with a heart full of faith anchored in the Word of God and a relationship with Jesus Christ say, I wonder how God's going to bring me through this, I wonder how God's going to perform this, show Himself strong on my behalf. That kind of thinking is the Christian life, it's an adventure, it's a Godward perspective, it's trust in God. And we need to cultivate that more and more, I think too often we're thinking on human terms, I'm just bewildered, I don't know how, I don't think it's possible, I don't know how we can get through this.

Trust God, you're His child, He'll bring you through and He has lessons to teach you through the journey. Well, let's look at this text. We are indebted to Dr. Luke, of the two gospel writers who record the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the one who sets the narrative in the context of secular history.

He's the one who gives us historical pegs. Notice verse 1, 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 Carinius was governing Syria. Luke is most concerned about grounding the redemptive events in history, that the incarnation of Jesus Christ has taken place in history.

It's not the product of an overactive imagination. This transpired, this is historical fact, and Luke is tying it to these historical people. How is God going to get the royal family from Nazareth to Bethlehem? Verse 1 says, a decree was issued by Caesar Augustus. Augustus means revered, majestic one.

Caesar Augustus held the highest position of honor and power in the known world. He was ruling, but God was in charge. He was ruling, but God was in charge.

God used Caesar's decree to move Joseph and Mary 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill His word. And I think it warrants stopping and asking, do you believe that God is able to move in the hearts of the people that are around you to alter circumstances and to bring about a solution that is for your good and for His glory? Do you believe that God is able to move in the hearts of kings and emperors and senators and congressmen and presidents to accomplish His purposes? Well, we have the word of God that tells us the king's heart is in the Lord's hand and he turns it whithersoever he wills. You can't do that.

I can't do that. No other power can do that, but God can do that. Now it says, verse 3, all, so all went to be registered, everyone to his own city and all included, Joseph and Mary.

And again, it's not just a passing thought. All went to be registered, everyone to his own city. That's significant. Verse 4, Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and the lineage of David. God is fulfilling His purpose and His plan.

He is fulfilling His word. It tells us, verse 5, they went to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife who was with child. And 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 wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

You see, we are provoked to stop and to wonder and to marvel and to worship a God who was sovereign over time, over space, over history, and in His providential dealings brings everything together at His appointed time for His eternal and divine purposes. In the fullness of time, at just the right time, precisely as God had arranged it, in keeping with a plan He had sovereignly planned and purposed. Jesus came into this world. The actual birth narrative is very brief. And it's impossible to imagine a more lowly, a more humble birth than we have recorded here. Think with me, on the night the angels appeared near Bethlehem, Caesar would have been sleeping in Rome, probably in a gold bed with the finest of linens. He would have been attended by servants. He would have been guarded by the Praetorian Guard. And by contrast, Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger, placed in a feeding trough.

His attendance were Mary and Joseph, we don't know who else might have been there, but beasts, animals. The contrast between the power, the fame, and the glory of Augustus, and the weakness, and the obscurity, and the humility of the babe of Bethlehem could not be more stark. But God has arranged it this way, to communicate to us the necessity of humility. He opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. We must come to him as a little child.

And we're received in that way. This is the way of God. Listen to what Paul said to the church in Corinth. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence.

That's why. So we could say over the birth narrative here in Luke chapter 2, God has chosen the babe of Bethlehem to bring to nothing the authority of Rome. Yes, God is sovereignly ruling and reigning. The one born in such lowly surroundings in a stable of poor parents laid in an animal feeding box or manger was nevertheless the God of glory, whose splendor before the incarnation surpassed that even of those heavenly beings who announced his birth.

Here is a baby, but he is what? The king of kings and the Lord of lords. He is God in the manger. He is the supreme potentate of the universe.

Come in lowliness and humility. It's amazing, isn't it? Astounding. But we are tracing a theme of God's sovereign rule over the events and the circumstances related to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. And we've looked here in the first seven verses that the birth of Jesus Christ drew Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

But look with me number two, how the birth of Jesus Christ drew the angels from heaven. Verse eight, Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks 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. Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For there was born to you this day in the city of David a savior who was Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. There are two scenes here that these shepherds encountered. First, a single angel.

He's not named, but we suspect that it was probably Gabriel. And he appears announcing the birth of Messiah to these lowly shepherds. Verse 8, Behold, an angel, singular, of the Lord stood before them.

And then the announcement. And accompanying the angel was the Shekinah glory that terrified the shepherds. They were greatly afraid, verse 9 says. And in response to their fear, the angel said, Do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid. Isn't that good news that God can calm our fears? Because there's a lot of things in this world to be afraid of. Legitimate fear.

But what? The Bible says perfect love casteth out fear. They were afraid because they were in the presence of the manifestation of the glory of God. And their sinfulness, their consciousness of that overwhelmed them. And we see that any time anyone in the scriptures has an encounter with an angel, with glory, there's fear. It always concerns me when I hear people reporting that they had an encounter. They had a vision.

God came to them. And life just went on business as usual. I was in my shower, I was in my bathroom and I was shaving and Jesus spoke to me. What did you do?

I just kept shaving. Really? No. Something amiss there. Notice this message that came and it was directed to the shepherds. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. The one whom God had provided and appointed from all eternity and had been long ago promised and much expected. Jesus.

You remember the instructions that were given to Mary and Joseph? You shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. I'm thankful today that he saves from sin. He saves from Satan. He saves from the law. He saves from the world. He saves from death, from hell. He saves from the wrath to come. We have a savior.

Glory, hallelujah for that because everybody's in need of one. And if you're going to get out of this world alive and spend eternity in the presence of God, you're not going to get out of this world saved on your own. God's going to have to do the saving.

You're going to have to look to him. Notice it says they were to receive a sign and this will be the sign to you, verse 12. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.

Those specific instructions. And that was followed with a second scene that these shepherds experience. Notice verse 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.

We have this record in Job 38 verse 7. Multitudes, multitudes of angels that sang together at the laying of the foundation of the earth. Multitudes of angels. Here there are a multitude of angels singing and praising God at the foundation of man's salvation as it's being laid in the incarnation of the Son of God. These angels dispatched to go on this hillside to manifest a message to these shepherds. Angels who had no doubt been praising and worshiping the Son before the incarnation. They know something of his glory, of his riches and of his majesty. I want you to notice how Luke's record is theocentric as opposed to Matthew's account being Christocentric.

What do I mean by that? Well, Luke's account, glory to God, it's theocentric, saying to God the Father who has sent the Son. Matthew's account is Christocentric. The Magi come to worship and offer gifts to the newborn child. Notice here in Luke's account the message is first Godward. Glory to God in the highest. And we must understand this order. This is the divine order. This is the Bible's order. God first, Godward first, and only then manward. Glory to God in the highest. There's the manward perspective. And on earth, peace, good will toward men.

There's the horizontal perspective. Manward. We must never invert that. We must never put man and his needs first. Man and his needs must be subjugated to God and his deeds.

When we get things inverted, then everything becomes man-centered. No, we want to maintain a God-centered, a God-perspective. There's a third thing here I want you to see, and that is that the birth of Jesus Christ drew the shepherds from the fields. The birth of Jesus Christ drew the shepherds from the fields.

Verse 15. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But 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 them.

Whenever you see men giving heed to divine proclamation, it is evidence of the sovereign work and operation of God. Here are shepherds, and they were engaged in their vocational duty. They were watching sheep.

They were living on the hillside. Sheep, no doubt, that would be later offered in the sacrifices in the temple. As the angels, it says, were going away into heaven. What did the shepherds do?

Verse 15 says, so it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven. What did the shepherds do? The shepherds said to one another, let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us.

What did the shepherds do? Well, we see their believing response. We're going to go see what the Lord has made known to us through His messengers, the angels.

And that should be our response. When God plants divine life in us, with that life comes a disposition to heed the word of God and act upon the word of God, to obey the word of God, to follow the Lord and His directives. We see that here with these shepherds. What was their immediate response?

Verse 16. They came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. So not only a believing response, but an immediate response.

Someone has called this the first Christmas rush. They rushed in obedience to the instructions that they were given. And such a message demands a believing response. Such a message demands an immediate response. And when God by His Spirit comes to a man, that's exactly what happens. But when the Spirit of God doesn't come to a man, He can be sitting under the word of God. He can be admonished. He can be instructed. He can be warned. And He just sits there. He's callous. He's indifferent. It must apply to the person sitting beside me.

The person sitting behind me doesn't apply to me. No, but when the special call of God comes to a man, He understands, I have no other choice but to believe this message. I have no other choice but to do this in haste. May God so work in our midst that that is what transpires. God has called us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of our souls. God has called us to come to Him in believing faith. Today is a day of salvation.

Now is the accepted time. Notice what they saw in verses 16 and verse 17. They came with haste and they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. They found a babe lying in a manger.

What do you see this Christmas season? Do you see just a babe lying in a manger? Someone who doesn't threaten.

Someone who doesn't make any demands. Someone who draws an emotional response. You have sentimental feelings toward this Jesus, but this is just a sentimental story. Or do you see in the babe in the manger the eternal Savior?

God's appointed redeemer. Notice what they said in verse 17. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. You can measure the sincerity of a man's faith in his willingness to convey it and communicate it to others. These men were constrained to go and communicate to others what they had seen and what they had heard.

When they'd seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. Has the gospel had that effect on you? Are you constrained? Are you burdened for others?

Are you content? It's come to me, I'm saved, I'm on my way to heaven, I'm secure, and you're indifferent and cold to others around you. That is not the heart of God.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. We need to have a heart where we're burdened for others. We're willing to move out of our comfort zone and carry the message of salvation, bear witness. Some say, well, there's some who just have a particular disposition and a gift for that, and I wouldn't argue contrary to that, but that doesn't remove responsibility for the rest of us. Many of us can sit here and trace our journey in grace on a human plane. We recognize God is the one who saved us, but God directed somebody who was praying for you, somebody who came to you, somebody who was instrumental in bringing and confronting you with truth, that you heard and believed and came to Christ.

And if that's the case, then why don't you see the importance of being that conduit for someone else? And before we think out in broader circles, we need to be constrained in our own homes. God has made you the head of your home, and if He's given you children, it's your responsibility to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. It's for you to live a godly example before them and to be admonishing them, instructing them and pointing them to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's your responsibility to create in your home a atmosphere of grace and mercy and gospel, that the gospel's lived out in your home.

And it's wonderful when that's happening, and it is happening in a lot of your homes. But for some of us, we need help, we need instruction, we need admonish, we need how-to's to do that, how to go about that. Notice the response that their witness prompted, verse 18. And all those who heard it, heard what? Heard the message that the shepherds convey.

All those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. We've got a compelling message. I mean, a compelling message. And when you share your personal history, your own personal testimony that God worked in you and brought you to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there may be some people who would be rude to you and cut you off and say, I don't want to hear that. But most people are going to hear you out. Because everybody has a story, and yours is just another. So don't be bashful, don't be afraid, don't be intimidated.

Share your message. Let me tell you where my life was going. Let me tell you what God has done.

And just, it's compelling. And God will use those efforts. Notice what they did in verse 20. Verse 20 says, Then the shepherds returned. Returned where? They returned to their vocation. They returned to their station.

They were caring for sheep. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them. They returned to their station in life. But they returned, changed men, changed forever.

And they were changed forever by the things that they had heard and seen. And they were given a new preoccupation of glorifying and praising God. And that's what God does when He invades hearts. He makes us worshipers, doesn't He? What child is this who laid to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King whom shepherds guard and angels sing. This, this is Christ the King, the Babe, the Son of Mary. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh. Come, peasant King, to own Him. The King of Kings salvation brings.

Let loving hearts enthrone Him. This, this is Christ the King whom shepherds guard and angels sing. This, this is Christ the King, the Babe, the Son of Mary.

Well, in 2,000 years, millions have followed the star, searched for the stable, discovered the newborn child. And yet, from generation to generation, across the centuries, the joy never dims. The good news never loses its power to bring us to our knees in adoration. For each time a searching heart finds, Christ the Savior, the angels sing, heaven rejoices, and Christmas, blessed Christmas, comes again.

Let us pray. Father, we've been moved again today to stand and wonder and marvel and gaze at Your ways. How You sovereignly overruled the powers of Rome to orchestrate the coming of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world.

How You brought Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, how You sent the angels from heaven to the shepherds on the hillside, and how You moved in the hearts of shepherds to send them out to be gospel witnesses of the things that they had seen and heard. Oh God, thank You that You are working similarly in the lives of Your children, that indeed all things are working together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to Your purpose. Thank You that You have made us worshipers, You have given us a desire to bring honor and glory to Him who has saved us. And You have made us ambassadors, You have made us messengers of reconciliation. So Father, please take this message and cause it to bear fruit in our lives for the good of others and for Your honor and for Your glory. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.