Mary Had a Little Lamb

Luke chapter 2. Second Chapter of Luke in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment when Quirinius was governor of Syria, and all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered, and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for him in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, be not afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praying, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men with whom he is pleased. I was talking with a close friend who is a pastor in the area a few weeks back, and he was kind of lamenting Christmas time because he felt like he didn't know what he could preach on that hadn't been said already. And I guess there's a sense in which Christmas is so familiar to us that it may be a challenge to some of us to consider what would the Lord say to us that's new in the Christmas story this year. But I find that just as God is altogether and always new, even though he's always the same, he always has something new to say to us. So as I meditated on the. On the words of this Christmas story, the Lord spoke new things into my heart. And I trust that you, in your quiet times with the Lord, have been sensing a fresh inspiration of His Holy Spirit as we come to celebrate the birth of His Son today, I want to ask you to look with me at a couple of details with regards to the Christmas story. You know, this event is so, so absolutely filled with theological significance in the sense of the immense idea bigger than our Minds could ever get around that God became man. You know, the incarnation is one of three things that I believe we cannot fully understand with our minds. Anyone know what the other two might be? Well, there's three of them. You think about it. If nothing else, you'll leave here with a question. Today, there are three things that our minds cannot fully understand because they are circumscribed by infinity. That is to say that only God can really fully explain to us what it meant for him to come to Earth. And so when we come to the Christmas story, it's easy to just focus on the giant truth of God becoming man and maybe miss or gloss over some of the details that are there, thinking that, well, I know the gist of the story. I know that God became man and that Jesus was born of Mary and that after that he flew the coop, so to speak, to get away from Herod and all the rest. We know the essence of the story. And then what really is important is what happens later in Jesus life and death. But you know something, when it comes to details, how many of you believe that the word of God is important in every detail that it mentions? Okay. It really is. And it's important for us to see that God is as concerned about the details of our lives as he is of this book. And I want you to know that I don't believe that many of us, that all of us, I should say, think that there are some of us who feel like God doesn't really care about the details of my life. But as long as I'm faithful in believing that Jesus died for my sins and that. That he's my savior, that I'm coming to grips with the main essence of what it means to be a Christian. But God doesn't care all that much about the details of my life. So consequently, we move on and make decisions and do things from time to time, kind of hoping that God's there and giving it direction, but not really convinced that he does care. I want you to see something today about what God really thinks in terms of eternity and details. Because as God revealed this to me, it was a precious thing. And it told me that he cares about the details of my life and your life so much that they have eternal significance. And I want you to see it with me. There's three things here that I want to pick out. The first one is the foundation of the details. There's two specific things I want to focus in on. Now, don't get the threes and the twos mixed up. It's not that important. There's two details here. There's a whole. It's really a fascinating study. I heard someone on the radio the other day, maybe you were listening also, who was talking about the significance of the detail in the genealogies and how, for example, there was a curse that was placed on the. The line of David before the line of David. And Jehovah said that for 10 generations there will not be any kings in this line and there would be a curse. And in the 10th generation, the curse was lifted and it happened to be on the name of David. And there's just some incredible things if we wanted to take the time to study those genealogies. And I don't know if you ever noticed, but the genealogy in Matthew is different than the one it is, than we have in Luke, chapter three. And people want to say, oh, there's errors in the Bible. Well, it's not it at all. One of them is the legal genealogy of Joseph and one is the spiritual genealogy. So there are a lot of things that we think are errors that once we study, we realize, gee, the only error is right up here, folks. And that's not put down is just to say that we tend to criticize the Word before we really dig into it. But the two details I want you to look at with me today are seen here in Luke, chapter two. We read the story of how Joseph and Mary left Galilee and headed to Judea, to the city of David, which is Bethlehem, and there was no room for them at the inn. The first thing I want us to see, the first detail is to see is why Jesus was born in a manger. Now, you've got to figure Joseph and Mary. Checking in my maps, it's about 80 miles from where they left Galilee to where they got in Judea. 80 miles by mule. When you're nine months pregnant. It was no wonder she was ready to be delivered when she got there. Right? And the story leaves room for us to believe here that she was there in the area for a little while. It says, if you'll look at it with me, the time came while they were there. The time came so that they had been there for a while. And the best understanding of that is when they got there, they looked up their relatives, because probably Joseph had relatives since that's where he was born, right? And he looked up, but there was no place even then to stay. Now, when the time came to have this child, they needed something, and so they went to the word for inn. Now, in the Greek, there are two words for inn. One is kataluma, which means to a place of unloosing. So literally kataluma is a place where you would arrive with your oxen and your. And your mules and whatever, and you'd untie them and you'd get the provender out for the night and get them settled and that kind of thing. And there was water there. And usually it was an enclosure, but it wasn't an inn in the sense of a place where a caravan would stop. A hotel. That's another Greek word called. Which isn't used here. The word that's used here is kataluma, which means an untying place. So literally, he wasn't talking about going to the Holiday Inn and staying Holiday Inn, Christmas time. He wasn't talking about that. I knew that. You didn't. That's why I had to underscore that. But rather he was going simply looking for a place to untie the animals and put them down. And there was no room even there. And so the Bible says that they laid him in a manger. And the word for manger is P H A tne or pronounced transliterated fatne, which means stable, stall or manger. And so the best thing that we come up with is that Jesus Christ was born in a stable or in a stall. You say that's a big revelation. I knew that when I was 4 or 5 years old. But did you ever ask yourself why, why, why would God who changed circumstances. Did you know that it was prophesied 650 years before this, that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem in Micah 5:2? Do you think that it was an accident that the governor called, that Caesar Augustus called for the enrollment to take place just when he did? Or do you think that maybe God was turning the hands sovereignly of humankind so that his son, the Messiah would be born where he was supposed so the prophetic fulfillment would take place. The words that were spoken by the prophet would come to pass? I believe he did. So do you think that when Joseph and Mary got there that God somehow forgot that he needed a place for Mary to have the baby? But I'll tell you something. God sent his son to live and die for you and me. But we sometimes think he doesn't care about what happens in our families or homes or jobs. Beloved, it's no less important that you. You see that for you and you see it here for the Son of God. And God changed a little course of human history so that his son would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. And I believe that he designed for his son to be born in that stable. As I meditated on this, the Lord put in my heart this thought. But surrounded by the oxen, surrounded by the cattle, surrounded by different kinds of animals, what better place would there be for the birth of the Lamb of God? God had his son born in a stable so that he could portray physically the reality in the Spirit that his son was the Lamb of God. And I believe that there's a foreshadowing there of the eternal destiny of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God sovereignly designed for him to experience his birth in the lowest of places that he might be known as the suffering servant. You see, it's not just the humility of it all. And I don't know, but I don't think we'll ever understand how important it is for a person who has nothing to realize that Jesus has nothing, had nothing when he came to this earth and had nothing when he left. But you see, God so made it that Jesus came so that nobody had to look up to him. But it's more than that humility, you see, that's what I always saw in him being born in that stable. But now I see that in it, God is saying and picturing in the physical the spiritual truth that his son was the Lamb of God that would be given for the sacrifice, for the sin of man coming. And the second detail that I want to direct you to, that I believe affirms this is to whom did the angel appear to announce this glorious event? Was it a group of laborers who were resting on the side? Was it some carpenters? Was it some scribes and Pharisees who were studying the Word? Was it some holy and righteous people who were just having their family devotions? Any of those would have been equally humble. It wasn't the humility of the shepherds only. It was the fact that the shepherds came to tend the Lamb. Hallelujah. So God is showing in advance that this one that he brought to the earth is the Lamb of God. And in it, you see, in the detail of this physical thing, God is planting the seeds for the eternal destiny of his only Son. Beloved, it's so easy for us to think that God doesn't care about us, that he's not aware of the fact that our boss is oppressive, that he doesn't realize how much my husband hates the fact that I come to church here. God doesn't care that my son or my daughter left me and said I was a terrible parent. Or God doesn't care that I hurt in my lower back or whatever the problem might be with you. But I believe that we see right here that there are seeds in every physical thing that God does, every detail of an eternal working of his Spirit in our lives. And I still want you to grab a hold of that today. Because, you see, that's what Christmas really is, isn't it? It's God coming into life. It's the plan and purpose of the Almighty coming into where you live. That's what happened at Bethlehem. That's what happened in that manger. That's what happened to those shepherds. Now, after the foundation of those details is laid, then a formation takes place. I think it's so significant, beloved, that Jesus Christ we hear nothing about save one appearance in the temple at age 12, right? We hear nothing about him for 18 years and the next thing. But the apostle John says the first thing out of his mouth when he sees the Son of God is what? Behold the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the earth. And that tells me that the seeds that were planted in the stable of the character, of the meekness, of the humility of the Son of God were formed over those 30 years. So that when he was seeking by a man who had gone before him, Jesus Christ is called the Lamb of God, first thing out of his mouth. That's John the Baptist. I'm sorry, not the apostle. First thing out of his mouth. Isn't that tremendous? You see, God had taken the details of his life and woven them into his character so that when he was seen and presented as it were, what was seen was. John could have said anything else, any of the names that we named. He said, here comes the wonderful counselor. He could have said, here comes the mighty God. Here comes the root of Jesse, all these things. But he said, no, here comes the Lamb of God. And formation takes time in us. Yesterday I was just praying and finishing up teaching. The Lord used the time for me very well yesterday morning. And I had a phone call from a gal who's not here. But I asked her if I could share this with you. And she said yes. You see, she became a Christian a few years ago. We're probably four or five now. And for her, being a Christian meant more than just accepting Christ. It meant that when she went to live for Jesus, that her parents did not understand that as we understand it biblically. And they had a real problem with it. And they found it easy to find fault with her. They found it easy to misunderstand little things. That she'd do. They find it difficult to understand why she'd want to read her Bible or go to a Bible study, because they never did. And they wondered why she wanted to spend all those times with those crazies who lifted their hands and things like that. And so God found in this girl a detail of her life that could have been for her something it appeared that God didn't care about because she'd been living in this for a couple of years now, several years. She came yesterday just to share this heartache and the fact that she was turning bitter and she didn't know how to respond to her parents anymore, and so on and so on. And I had a chance to share with her what the Lord showed me here. And I said, you know, I see here, I see that God is doing something in your life. He's forming a character quality in your life that five or ten years from now you're going to be able to offer to him something of the patience, something of the humility, something of the brokenness that you've learned through this detail in your life. And it will be an offering that will be acceptable to the Lord, and it will touch many people. You see, likewise, all of us have these things that maybe others don't even know about that are burdens, that are details that we think God doesn't care about. And in it all, God is weaving an eternal destiny for you and for me. The foundation may start today. The formation may have been going on in you for years and we want to get out of it. How many of you say, lord, take this burden away, and I'm learning that that's alright to pray that as long as we can pray alongside of it. Lord, when the work has been fully done in me, then take it away, not before. But beloved, there's a foundation and there's a formation and then there's a fulfillment. And I want to show you something that's going to just lift the hair right off of your head. Some of you don't have to worry. I frequently, when I am learning something in the Lord, try to see how it all works out at the end. So I turn to the Book of Revelation. What do you think happened in my heart when I turned to the Book of Revelation and using my concordance, discovered that the name that is used of the Lord Jesus Christ 30 times in the Book of Revelation, in practically every context and above every other name is the Lamb of God. Revelation. Just turn to 5:12 for an illustration of this. Would you. Excuse me? We have this. If you don't know this see Guy or whoever's on this gene today, I guess we can. There's a Guy that's wearing a. Okay, it's Guy. He runs the volume on this thing, and he's supposed to know when to turn it down. This means turn it down, Guy. Revelation 5 begin at verse 11. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all therein, saying, to him who sits a prayer upon the throne, and to the Lamb, see, the Lamb and God the Almighty are now one. Be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. The four living creatures said, amen. And the elders fell down and worshiped him. He's the center of angelic praise and the praise of all the redeemed, of all the earth, the Lamb. He's receiving glory and honor and power and blessing the Lamb. Revelation 7:17 says that he's the leader of the saints, the Lamb. He's the bride of the beloved, the Lamb's wife, we're called in Revelation 21:9. He is the light of heaven. Can you imagine that? The glory of the Lamb is the light of heaven. Revelation 21:23. He's the judge of all the earth, the Lamb. Meek, mild Lamb. Revelation 6:16. He's the conqueror of all the armies that are poised against God in Revelation 17:14. And I said, Lord, why the Lamb? Why not the Son of God as we know him by some other name? Isn't there some other way that you'd. Why not something else that shows his power and shows his dominion? Why not the lion of Judah, right? No. 30 times the lamb of God. And I don't know really what the right answer is in this, but I'll suggest this. God was able to make the Lamb the One that he exalted over everything in the Book of Revelations, because the Lamb was the one who gave everything when he lived here among us. And you see, God can only place on us what we give to him beforehand. And so the Lamb who was sacrificed from the foundation of the earth, it was he upon whom God could pour out everything of his character in life. And so he becomes the one that sits on the throne that we worship, that rules, that judges, that Victors that gives the light. Beloved, it all started in a stable. It all started back there. And God foreshadowed it all by a physical detail that probably many of us overlooked all these years. And the point I'm trying to make today, above others, is that God cares about the details of your lives. Those of you out here today who are lonely, perhaps you're single. You wonder, does God care? Does he care that I sit alone at night yearning to have someone to be close to, to share with? Not only does he care, but in that very circumstance, he's fashioning something of eternal significance in you, something of a quality of compassion that perhaps someone else who's been married all their life could never give. Does God care about me? And the word of the Lord is today, I believe that he cares enough that he'll take whatever circumstance you're in today, whatever uncertainty, whatever fear, and he'll make that if you'll let him, the seed of an eternal rule in your life. I so rejoice that the Lamb that was slain is the Lamb that's on the throne. The Lamb that came in this stable is the Lamb who lights all of heaven and earth. And I don't know what details in your life he's working in, but I believe this, that if Christmas means anything, it means that God cares about you and the details of your life. And that if you'll willingly give them to him, he'll seat you, the Bible says, with the Lamb, Revelation 3, 20, 21. And that causes me to rejoice. Amen. Let's give him praise together. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Just rest for a moment in here. Lord jesus. Lord, I wonder if Joseph thought if you had forgotten. Lord, I wonder if Mary questioned if you really were in this thing or not, because the details didn't seem to be working out. Oh, but Lord, you knew you were saying something so precious, Lord, something that we for ages now have lived in the reality of that your son was the Lamb of God, given for the sacrifice of sin. Lord, I pray right now. Beloved, would you just join hands with one another if it's possible? Lord Jesus, I pray right now that you'd speak to every heart who's laboring under a conviction, every heart that feels that you've abandoned them today, everyone that feels that their circumstance has been neglected or just forgotten, or that if, Lord, you do care, you have a funny way shown. But, Lord, I pray that more than that, they'd see today that back when time was begun, you knew that from that circumstance would emerge a person in whom the character of God was strong. And the love of God was flowing. And the heart of God was seen. And that you allow these circumstances, yea, Lord, even designed them for the forging of that character. And I pray, Lord, that that formation would soon be complete. That many here, Lord, would reflect that character. Even as Jesus did in John the Baptist. Behold the Lamb of God. Lord, we as your people rejoice this Christmas. Can and know and know and know that you're with us right in the midst. And we give youe praise. Bless yous name, Lord. Hallelujah. Bless the Lord. O Jesus. Let's sing this beloved to the Lord.