Thankful For Jesus: Born In A Barn

THANKFUL FOR JESUS

‘Born in a Barn’

Luke 2:8-21

#Christmas2022 #Heresy

READING OF SCRIPTURE

We are going to begin this morning by reading Scripture, but I would like your help and participation as we do so. The passage will be on the screen, as we read, please read out the words in yellow and underlined as we go through. Would you stand as we read God’s Word this morning?

READ LUKE 2:8-21 (ESV)

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the Name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

[You may be seated.]

INTRODUCTION

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year: With kids jingle belling and holiday greetings and parties for hosting and caroling out in the snow; There are tales of Christmases long long ago and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near; there are marshmallows for toasting and much mistletoing because it is the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas is also the most wonderful time of the year: With churches singing Christmas hymns and parties for hosting and caroling out in the cold; There is focus on the first Christmas long long ago and hearts glowing as we focus on the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior; there are cookies for baking and gifts that need giving because it is the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas is a most wonderful time of the year. Christmas also one of those emphases we make in the Church that sometimes comes with traditions or understandings that really aren’t true.

For example, the term X-mas is not a conspiracy by atheists to remove Jesus from Christmas. I thought that for many years after I drew the card ‘Receive an X-mas bonus $25’ in the game of Monopoly. Actually, X is the first letter of Christ in Greek and so X-mas is just proper shorthand for Christmas. And just so you know… the word Christmas is already abbreviated for Christ-mass… a Catholic term in which most people just chop off one ‘s.’

Another great example is something Kristian mentioned last week as he preached on Luke 2:1-7. Most of the time we think in our minds about the mean old innkeeper who said to Mary and Joseph, “There is no room for you here, but I’ve got a barn out back you can stay in.” That is absolutely nowhere in the Bible. Not even hinted at and yet we think it happened that way because of Christmas plays we’ve seen and details we added to the Bible.

There is one more mind-blowing tradition about Christmas that I don’t know if you are ready to face yet. It is something I say. It is something all of us say. Are you ready? Are you ready for it? Look over Luke 2 briefly and tell me where Jesus was born? It says He was laid in a manger, right? It says they laid Jesus in a manger because there was no room in an inn? Right? It literally says Jesus was laid in a manger… but… are you ready… the Bible never says where the manger was located. We assume and add the detail that the manger, which is a feeding trough for animals, was where the animals were, but the Bible doesn’t say that. The Bible says that the inn was filled and things were cramped and busy because of the census and it never says Jesus was born in a barn or a cave or any weird place like that.