Now as we come again to the word of God, I want to read to you from the Gospel according to Luke and chapter two. The Gospel according to Luke and chapter two, commencing to read at verse seven. 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. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night, and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace. Goodwill toward men. came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven the shepherd said one to another let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord has made known unto us and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returning, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. I'm sure the Lord will bless to us the reading of these verses. Let us bow for prayer. Our Father, we thank thee that thou hast never left thyself without a witness. We praise thee that at the time that the Saviour was born, that heaven itself burst forth into praise to tell that thy beloved Son had been born in Bethlehem. And just as the shepherds heard the word and went to find out, God drank that someone at this season shall be led to trust the Saviour. Take our thanks for every blessing thou has bestowed upon us through thy beloved Son, and be with us now for the Lord Jesus' own namesake. Amen. And now we continue looking at some of the scriptures relative to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have read to you this record from the Gospel according to Luke. It seems to me, as we read these verses, There are many lines of truth here, all converging onto one point, all leading us to the little town of Bethlehem and there taking us to that place where the Savior was born. But then there are one or two things to consider in this connection. First of all, at the beginning of this chapter, we're told, and it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed, that is, all those in the Roman Empire. Now, before they could be taxed, there had to be an enrollment. And so there was a national enrollment to take place, and I want you to think of this, a great Political movement has taken place. Things are changing in the land of Palestine. And now because there is to be this enrolment, every citizen living in the land had to be enrolled. And they had to be enrolled in various centers. There's nothing new then in taking a census. It's an old custom. But now living away up in the northern part of Palestine, in the area called Galilee, in that little town of Nazareth, there was a young couple, there was Joseph and his young wife Mary. And at this particular time they've got to leave Nazareth, whether they liked it or not. And they've got to travel away down to the little town of Bethlehem, just a few miles from Jerusalem. They've got to go there for a certain reason. And the reason they've got to go down is simply this. That Joseph also went from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, unto Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. And the reason he had to do that was this, because he was of the house and lineage or family of David. We've been pointing that out in previous studies as we looked at the genealogy in Matthew chapter one, and we've studied other aspects regarding the prophetic scriptures, making special reference to Micah chapter five, and we saw how it was prophesied that the Redeemer would be born in the little town of Bethlehem. But now, whether Joseph knew that scripture or not, we're not told. But this much we do know that God was moving from behind the scenes. Sometimes men think that they are making all the decisions. Some of the politicians think that they are running the world. And they begin to think that it's their decisions that will control all the people of the land. Little do they know that God is over all, and God can cause men's hearts to move in a certain way. And so while men think that they're making the decisions, little do they understand that behind the scene it may be God who's prompting them to make those decisions. And so the law is passed that all these people must go into their own area according to their family history, they have to go according to their genealogy and there be enrolled. And because that Joseph was of the family of David, he would have to go down to the little town of Bethlehem and there be registered. And also he would require to take his young wife with him. Do you realize this, that if Caesar Augustus had caused this enrollment to take place three months earlier than this, it wouldn't have fitted in with the prophetic scriptures? And if he had waited for another month later, that would not have fitted in. The fact of the matter is that he caused this enrollment to take place And years before ever he came to power, the Word of God had said exactly when the Redeemer would be born, and also where he would be born, and at the very time that this political leader sent out the decree. and they were all to go to the various centers in order to be registered with a national registration in view of a taxation that would take place. Then Joseph and Mary had to go down to Bethlehem, and it was at the very time when they arrived in Bethlehem that there the child was born, who was the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior provided for poor sinners. So while there is the line of political events, nevertheless it was causing Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem. Now there are some things about that little town that are very interesting. See this town is associated with David the king. David was living in Bethlehem at the time when Samuel the prophet went there, looking for the man he was to anoint. And all his brothers were brought in, one after the other. But no, it wasn't them. Is there anyone else? And he told them there were just a little fellow who was out looking after the sheep. All right, says Samuel, we'll wait till he comes in. And when David came in, it was David who was anointed. So David was anointed by Samuel down in the little town of Bethlehem. So David was a shepherd, and he must have gone out onto the plains of Bethlehem to tend his father's sheep there. But there's someone else associated with the town of Bethlehem. When Ruth the Moabites came back with her mother-in-law, both of them widows, when they came over from the country of Moab, they came to Bethlehem, and they came at a time of harvest. And there was a kinsman redeemer there by the name of Boaz, and Boaz owned land in Bethlehem. And it was then that Boaz met all the requirements of the law, And then he took Ruth to be his lawfully wedded wife. And so Bethlehem is associated with a great wedding, the wedding of the Redeemer and Ruth his bride. And those of you who were listening, when we mentioned things pertaining to the genealogy in Matthew chapter one, you'll remember that Ruth found her place in that genealogy. She was one of those who was in the line from which David descended. And then something else took place near that town of Bethlehem. Just a little way up the road from Bethlehem, not too far, a few miles up the way, there's a tomb. And when the tourists go there today, sometimes a guide will stop and show you this tomb. It's the tomb of one who was called Rachel. Rachel, you will remember, was the wife of Jacob. She also was in that line from which the Redeemer would come, for she was married to Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. And Rachel died just a little way up the road from Bethlehem, and she was buried there. And so Bethlehem is associated with a death, the death of Rachel. But at the time that Rachel died, she gave birth to a son. She called him Benoni, which means the son of my sorrow. But his father changed his name and called his name Benjamin, which means the son of my right hand. Now you see how interesting the little town of Bethlehem becomes. Of course it's not such a little town today, it is grown, and it's quite a large town at the present time, but in these days when the Lord was born it was little Bethlehem. But Bethlehem then was associated with the death of Rachel, and associated with the birth of Benjamin, the son of my right hand. It was associated with the wedding, the wedding of the kinsman-redeemer Boaz to Ruth the Moabites. It was also associated with David the king. So you have the town of Bethlehem associated with the son of my right hand, associated with Boaz the kinsman-redeemer, and associated with David the king. And this was the little town that was prophesied to be the best place of him who would be the true Redeemer, the Savior of sinners. He who would, of course, be the man of sorrows, acquainting himself with grief, but would be exalted to be the Son of God's right hand and crowned with glory and honor. He also would be the anointed King who would reign over the house of Jacob. And now the time has come, and while these politicians think that they are making the move, their movements had to fit in with the prophetic announcements of the Word of God. The time had come for the promised Redeemer to be born. And Mary, who was carrying the child, was reaching now the day when she would bring forth her firstborn son. They arrived down at that place called Bethlehem. But when they arrived there, there were so many people in Bethlehem because of the enrollment that they couldn't find a place to live, going to what would be the most popular place there, the inn. They found that every room was occupied. There wasn't a place they could get in the whole of that town. But I sometimes wondered if the innkeeper had a second look. And perhaps with his second look, he had some little measure of sympathy for this young couple. And at least if he couldn't give them a room in the inn, he suggested that there was a place just round the corner, down at the back, A cave just down below the inn where the normal visitors would put their animals, their little donkeys, or their sheep, whatever they had, and they would be kept in that cave. And if they cared, there was one part of it where they could perhaps find a corner with plenty straw, and there they could bed for the night. That's exactly where they went. There was no place in the inn for them, but while they were there that night, the child was born. I read this, and so do you. And you wonder at it. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished. What days? The days that she should be delivered. The time had come for the fulfillment of these promises. The time had come for Mary to bring forth the child, and she brought forth her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. See, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now sometimes, when it comes to the time of the year when people claim that they are celebrating the arrival of the birth of the Christ child. They would almost make you believe that he was born with great pomp and great amount of bell ringing. And they would make you think that the whole world was rejoicing because the Christ was born. There was no carpet on the floor for him that night. And there was no beautiful blankets for his bed. That child was wrapped in swaddling clothes. and laid amongst the straw in the manger. The place that normally would be used for putting the food for the animals. And here was the one who was the very bread of heaven, laid in the manger. He came at night when the world was wrapped in dense darkness, yet he was the light of the world. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. They had no room for him when he was born, no room in the inn. During his lifetime they had no room for him. There came the time when he was chased out of his own town of Nazareth. There came the time when he had to leave the city of Capernaum. He came down to Jerusalem and there came the day when they didn't want him there and they put him on a cross. The world didn't want the Christ of God. He was rejected from the very day he was born. But while men rejected him, and while politicians perhaps didn't know anything about his arrival, there's this much we can say that heaven was moved. If there were movements on earth, there were also movements in heaven. And if these prophecies were fulfilled concerning the coming of the great Redeemer, Heaven bursts out into praise. And here is what we read. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field-keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. And they were so afraid. No wonder. You put yourself in the position of these men. They were out on the plains of Bethlehem that night. The town was packed with people. People were there in view of the enrollment. Every room was taken up. There's every possibility that some were camping with their little camps as well. And these men, these shepherds, are out on the plains of Bethlehem, and they're watching their sheep by night. When something unusual took place, for a great light shone round about them. It was the glory of the Lord from heaven. And in the midst of that glory there was an angel. And they were so afraid at what they saw. When suddenly not only did they see the vision of the angel with the glory of the Lord shining round about, but they heard the voice of the angel. And the angel said unto them, Don't be afraid. Be not afraid. Fear not. For this reason. Behold, I bring you good tidings. of great joy, which shall be to all people. At first there's every possibility that these shepherds thought that this angelic messenger was coming with judgment upon them. But he says, No, don't be afraid now. I am bringing you good tidings of great joy. No, it's an interesting thing to take note of what angels had to do with the Lord Jesus Christ during his sojourn on this earth. It was an angel who came to Mary to announce to Mary that she was to be the mother of this child. It was the angel who appeared to Zechariah, he who was to be the father of John the Baptist. It was also an angel that came and announced here his birth to the shepherd. You'll also find an angel came and strengthened the Lord Jesus at the time of his temptation. Again you'll find it was an angel that strengthened him in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was angels who announced that he was risen when the disciples went to the tomb on the first day of the week. Also when he ascended from the Mount of Olives, two angels came and bore testimony to the fact that this same Jesus would come again. But here in Luke chapter two, an angel is telling the shepherds that they're bringing them good tidings of great joy. What can this blessed gospel be? And this is to be a message for all people, not just for the Jews, you know. Not just for one little section of humanity. It's to go out to all the people. And here it is. For unto you is born this day the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. This is exactly what the world... Two didn't need us. Not only did the nation of Israel need a Savior, the whole world was in need of a Savior. Men and women need a Savior. My friend, your greatest need today, my greatest need today, is that of a Savior. See, men need to be saved. And how can you be saved without a Savior? And how can they save unless they have the power to save? and the Lord Jesus Christ came to be a Saviour. And so the angel said, There is born in the city of David a Saviour, and that Saviour is Christ the Lord. Now they said, You will not make any mistake, because here's the sign that you'll receive. It's this. You shall find him as a babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying, in a manger. Doesn't that seem strange? That he who came from the splendors of the glory, the eternal Son of the eternal God, the one who is destined to be acknowledged as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, when he came in his incarnation, he's a little babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger in poverty. Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts, and what were they doing? Praising God, saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men of good will. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and he was the one who procured peace through the death of the cross. He is our peace. And peace is preached in the message of the gospel. That's the reason the great apostle Paul could say. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.