Lord’s Day, Vol. 10 No. 51

Rejoice, the Saviour Is Born 

In the coming of the Saviour, our text in Luke 2:1-18 delivers for us a three-fold witness. The Bible bears witness to the truth recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:1 “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” The Saviour’s birth was witnessed most intimately by Mary, mother of the holy child together with Joseph, whom Mary was betrothed (v1-7), a homely witness.

It was ascertained by a multitude of angels from heaven who by a heavenly choir, proclaimed the Saviour’s birth, a heavenly witness (v9-14). 

And affirmed by lowly shepherds, whom the angels bore witness to, who immediately travelled to Bethlehem, according to the direction, identification instruction by the angel, to look for “a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger”, a humble witness (v8, 15-18).

In a most unusual scene, a manger is an animal sty, a most unlikely place for a royal birth and yet a most unique sign that ascertain indeed, this is the Saviour. 

The angel declared to the shepherds in the field, ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

He is the Christ, the anointed Saviour, as the Apostle John bear witness – 1 John 4:14 (KJV) And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

When the Holy Child was still in Mary’s womb, the angel announced that His Name shall be called “Jesus”, the Name means “Saviour.” And the angel said unto her, in Luke 1:30-33, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

This Holy Child is the Son of the Highest, God’s Son and He shall sit on David’s throne, as King and His reign and kingdom is everlasting!

1 John 4:15-16 (KJV) Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Truly, the kingdom of Christ is established in us when the Word of Christ finds its place in our hearts by faith and brings forth in our lives the fruits of righteousness and true repentance, we may testify, the kingdom of heaven is truly in us.

(1) Homely Witness (v1-7)

The Saviour’s birth was witnessed most intimately by Mary, who carried the holy child in her womb, the angel revealed to her in Luke 1:26-35, together with Joseph, the man whom she was betrothed in Matthew 1:18-25.

²⁶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. ²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. ³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. ³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. ³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: ³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? ³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall shall be 

overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Lk. 1:26-35 KJV)

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. ²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ²⁴ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: ²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matt. 1:18-25 KJV)

Both Mary and Joseph understood God’s divine plan revealed to them by the angel Gabriel, to bring forth the Saviour of the world, from the portals of their newly set up home. They submitted themselves to be God’s appointed vessels to raise the Holy Child. 

To say that newly wedded couples faced first-time experience to bring up a child, this is a most unique Child. Being the second person of the Godhead, Jesus was sent from heaven by the heavenly Father to represent God as the sinless Son of God to save sinful man. Jesus was sinless because He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). Jesus is fully God and yet fully man. As man, He was God’s vessel to bear our sins – 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea in the days of Herod the king (Matt. 2:1) fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 5:2 (KJV) But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

God providentially led Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem just when the child was to be born to pay their taxes to the Roman Caesar who ruled over Israel. Although it was a small and seemingly insignificant village, Bethlehem was the home of Ruth and Boaz, the ancestors of King David, and the birthplace of David himself.

¹ And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) ³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) ⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 

Verses 1-2 fixed the historical date of the Saviour’s birth. It was during the time of Caesar Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. It was the time when he imposed taxes on all the vessel states of the Roman Empire and Israel is one such. He was born in 63 B.C. known to historians as Octavian. One other detail further helps us to pinpoint the time of the Saviour’s birth. It was during the time when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. 

Both Mary and Joseph are the direct descendants of the kingly line of David through Solomon and Nathan (Matthew 1:6, 16), (Luke 3:23, 31) respectively.

Matthew 1:6 (KJV) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; Matthew 1:16 (KJV) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Luke 3:23 (KJV) And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Luke 3:31 (KJV) Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,

⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. ⁷ 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.

Swaddling clothes described in the Bible consisted of a cloth tied together by bandage-like strips. After an infant was born, the umbilical cord was cut and tied, and then the baby was washed, rubbed with salt and oil, and wrapped with strips of cloth. These strips kept the newborn child warm in the cold wintry night and also ensured that the child’s limbs would grow straight. The word “manger” comes from the Latin word “munducare” which means “to eat.” A manger or crib is a wooden or stone-feeding trough or food box or container that holds hay for larger farm animals like cattle, horses, and donkeys. 

What was unique is that the Saviour was born in a lowly manger. There was no place in the inn. This allowed the shepherds to identify Him according to the direction of the angels. This is the Saviour of the world! … to be continued.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee