Thoughts from Pastor Stan

SERMON NOTES

4TH Sunday of Advent

Born in a Stable

Passing Of the Peace

QUESTION: Which holiday is more important to you: Christmas or Easter?

Question

If there is no Easter, then is there no Christmas?

If there is no christmas, then is there is no Easter?

POINT

Christmas is meaningless without Easter

In fact, even though some may consider Christmas as the holiest day of the year

Christmas in the past was a low holiday

Easter is suppose to be the BIG one.

But in our society, which one is bigger Christmas or Easter?

Advent Theme Verse

Luke 2:10a “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy...” Christmas is coming!

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE

Question: When was Jesus born?

Answer: Many different opinions, but this morning, the Biblical Answer:

Let’s once again take a look at this important story of the birth of Jesus.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2: 1 - 7

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first CENSUS that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to REGISTER.

CAESAR

The most important person in the Roman Empire at the time of the birth of Jesus is Caesar. Caesar has no clue; “There’s a new kid on the block.”

Question: It does not matter how important we are,

what matters is if we have a clue.

Even today, in the midst of the battle of “merry Christmas” vs “Happy Holidays”

there are people who have no clue.

REGISTER

Citizens of the Roman Empire went to be registered.

From this moment, citizens of the Kingdom of God have been registering because of what took place at this Roman registration. It was at this “register” that all other people from hence forward will be given an opportunity to “register” and follow after the King of Kings.

CENSUS

A census was taken by the Roman Empire, typically every 14 years (after the birth of Christ), so it is assumed that possibly it was previous as well. The purpose was for taxation and compulsory military service (except for Judea, only taxes). At this time, Judea was part of the province of Syria.

ANSWER: Jesus was born on Tax Day, April 15

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

The Jewish mindset (like all others within the Roman Empire) was to “give unto Caesar

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER: Matthew 22: 15 - 21

15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"

21"Caesar's," they replied.

Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

QUESTION TO PONDER

What does it mean to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God”during the Christmas season?”

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

BETHLEHEM

Question: What do we know about Bethlehem?

Bethlehem means “house of bread”

(Jesus is the bread of life; john)

Rachel is born there

Ruth met Boaz there (line of David)

Bethlehem to Nazareth is about 80 miles.

It was a difficult trip.

Travelers brought their own food.

Inn keepers provided a fire to cook the food and fodder for the animals.

5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,

CLOTHS

(According to Barclay) “Swaddling cloths consisted of a square of cloth with a long bandage-like strip coming diagonally off from one corner. The child was first wrapped in the square of cloth and then the long strip was wound round and round about him.”

He was wrapped in cloths and not purple cloth of royalty, but cloth of the ordinary.

MANGER

Manger can be the feeding trough or the stable where the feeding trough was located.

Question: Was the stable first cleaned out for the King of Kings?

because there was no room for them in the inn.

NO ROOM

Why? Why was there “no room for them in the inn?”

Historical answer: too many people returned to Bethlehem for the census

Biblical answer: the world was not prepared to receive her King

Does it sound like they were prepared?

No room at the inn. Animals in the birthing room. No midwife

The accouterments of royalty were not present at his birth.

POINT

The reason we may not be prepared at Christmas is because we did not “give unto Christ what is Christ” at Christmas.

READY OR NOT: Christmas is coming (whether we are prepared or not)

POINT

The birth of Jesus is the dawn of a new age. Jesus is both the message and messenger of a new WORD. The word that was with (John 1:1)??? Within him is the presence of the Kingdom of God; where all are invited: magi, shepherds, the lowly; those born in a stable or born in a palace; all are innvited into the kngdom of god to experience a new way to live. a kingdom where the purpose is relationship with god and others.

INTRO TO CLIP

Three weeks ago - Always Winter, but never Christmas (curse)

Two weeks ago - Edmund’s temptation (Turkish Delight)

Last week - Edmund’s betrayal of brother and sisters (broken rule of relationship)

This week - Aslan, the Lion takes the place of Edmund and dies on the stone table

NARNIA CLIP: 1:52:35 - 1:54:12 (the Resurrection)

Question: What does this have to do with Christmas?