Reactions to the Birth of Christ

Text: Luke 2:1-18

Introduction:

The great interest surrounding the birth of a panda in captivity at the San Diego Zoo

  1. Antagonistic (Herod)
    1. He wanted to destroy Jesus
      1. There are many today who would like nothing better than to rid the earth of Jesus, the Bible, and Christians
        1. Communists: "Religion is the opiate of the people."
        2. atheists
        3. Madeline Murray O’Hare
      2. Herod pretended to want to worship him so that he could get an opportunity to destroy him
      3. Satan is the ultimate force behind these antagonists
    2. He wanted to destroy Christ before He could fulfill his mission
      1. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost
      2. He didn’t come to condemn, we were condemned already
      3. The birth does not save us, the death does. Satan tried to prevent the death for our sins by having Jesus killed before "his hour."
  2. Indifferent (scribes)
    1. Scribes
      1. Scribes were the printing press, they were very knowledgeable about the Scriptures due to copying the them.
      2. They knew of Dan. Prophecy in 9:26 that it would be 483 years to the birth of the Messiah.
      3. They knew that it would be in Bethlehem
      4. yet we don’t find them at the manger.
      5. they were indifferent .
      6. 30 years later their indifference has turned into defiance as they are one of Jesus’ chief antagonists
    2. Indifferent people at the inn.
      1. Not so much the innkeeper’s problem as it was the people there who weren’t compassionate enough to give a pregnant woman a place to stay.
      2. No one hospitable enough to keep them at their own house
    3. People today who are indifferent.
      1. They know some of the Bible, but they never search the Scriptures themselves to see if it is so
      2. Church members who are indifferent to the needs: ss teachers, Jr. Church workers, budget, etc. Indifferent to the lost around us.
    4. Signs of Indifference
      1. Not reading the Word
      2. Not being involved in the Lord’s work
  3. Wonderers (Lk. 2:18) (the people that the shepherds told about the birth)
    1. Fleeting, momentary interest, no depth
    2. Like the seed that had no root it withered
    3. Wonderers become wanderers
  4. Expectant (Simeon)
    1. Promise of his 1st coming had Simeon looking
    2. Promise of His 2nd Coming should have us looking
  5. Worshipful (shepherds & wisemen)
    1. shepherds
      1. Common laborers of the day
      2. "Not many mighty are chosen"
      3. God loves to send His message to the outcasts, poor
    2. Wisemen
      1. Not actually three of them
      2. From Babylon
      3. Only had Daniel’s prophecy
      4. Knew when he was to be born, but not where. So they went to Jerusalem first
      5. They did not have all of the Bible. The followed what light that they had
        1. Some want to know God’s will but do not follow the light that they have in Scripture. Until you obey the Scripture you will not know God’s will.
        2. Often our problem isn’t a lack of knowledge, it’s not doing what we already know we should be doing.
      6. They traveled a great distance

Conclusion:

 What is your interest level at the birth of Christ? It can be measured. Do you just wonder at it during the Christmas season? Are you indifferent as to its real message? Are you a scrooge against Christmas? Or are you looking for the babe to return as the King?