How to Please God: A Christmas Story
INTRODUCTION
If my calculations are correct there are, from the date of this blog post, 62 days until Christmas! So, since Christmas is so close let’s look at that part of Luke usually reserved for a “Christmas message.” But before we get into that, let’s remember a couple of facts about Luke:
1. Luke is a historian and is concerned with dates, times, and events.
2. Luke is not one of the original 12 disciples. He is the only non-Jewish writer included in the New Testament. He is writing this book (and its companion Acts) to help a man named Theophilus “know the truth concerning the things about which [he has] been instructed” (cf. 1:3-4).
With these things in mind, let’s read the Christmas story from Luke 2.
CONTEXT
In 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.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register (Lk 2:1).
This is why I reminded you of Luke being a historian. Luke is the only writer to tell us about what is happening in the world when Jesus is born. Remember, Luke is not writing to religious Jews like Matthew. Luke is writing to Gentiles – Greeks. When Greeks, like Theophilus, read the words “In those days Caesar Augustus…” it helped them to understand the “when.” But it also helped them understand the environment of the time.
Caesar Augustus was the first Roman Emperor and revered by many as a god. Eventually, Romans began worshipping the Emperor. Roman citizens would pay taxes in the pagan temple and make a public declaration, “Caesar is Lord.” In the early church many Christians were martyred because they refused to say those words. Instead they would render to Caesar the taxes due, but they could not give him what only belonged to Jesus – worship. So, in the pagan temples Christians publicly declared “Jesus Is Lord!” This brought quick punishment and sometimes death.
Augustus Caesar wanted to tax the people but first he needed to know how many people to tax. He ordered a census be taken. The Romans used censuses (I hope that is the plural of census 😊) for two reasons: (1) military duty or, (2) taxes. Jews were not required to serve in the Roman army, but they were required to pay taxes. Let’s continue with the story:
4 So 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Whenever I read this passage, I cannot help but wonder, “Why would Joseph take his pregnant wife on this 80-mile journey?” Mary is not just a little pregnant – she is close to giving birth. Rome did not require women to be present when being registered for the tax. Neither did Rome require you to go to your hometown – this was a Jewish tradition that the Roman’s allowed.
The Jews were not big fans of the Roman censuses. The first obvious reason is because it meant “tax-time” (we can feel their pain – especially in April of every year). More importantly, they considered “numbering the people” a sin against God.
Jews believed it was God alone who should number the people. In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy there was an event where David, the king of Israel, arrogantly numbered the people to prove his own strength. Instead of trusting God to give them victory over the enemy, David trusted in the strength of his numbers (cf. 2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 25). The motivation for not counting is a good one in the sense that it points to a dependence on God. Despite this, Joseph, takes Mary to Bethlehem.
Now, let’s stop and consider this for a moment – because them going to Bethlehem is the plot twist in this story.
Mary did not have to go – but obedience to tradition required it. Joseph is grudgingly making this trip – because the government is requiring it. But God is at work in all of this. The prophets had said that Emmanuel will be born in Bethlehem. To fulfill His word, God orchestrates a tax, a census, and a tradition to bring His words to pass.
Think about it like this: God uses a pagan ruler (Caesar Augustus) to serve His will and fulfill His words. Without even knowing it, Caesar, an enemy of God, brings about God’s will and the greatest blessing the world has ever known – let’s read about in verse 6:
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Mary and Joseph walked in obedience to God. Mary, the one who was highly favored of God, obediently did what God asked of her. Joseph, the one who could have walked away, stayed! He was obedient to the will of God even at great personal cost to his reputation. Mary and Josephs obedience to God’s plan made it possible for God to use His enemies as a blessing to the world.
Can I let you in on a little – no huge – secret this morning? When you and I walk in obedience to God, He will make it so that even our enemies will bless us!
THE BLESSING OF OBEDIENCE
The Bible has 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. The first 5 books of the Bible are called the Torah or Pentateuch. The 5th book of the Bible is called DEUTERONOMY – which means “Second Law.” In this book God uses Moses to remind the Jewish people of “The Law.” In other words, it is the second time God gives them the laws they are to follow.
In Deuteronomy, God’s people are reminded of the 10 Commandments. They are told again about loving and obeying God. Moses repeats the laws that will govern how the people will handle property and more.
In Chapter 28 of Deuteronomy God reminds the people that if they walk in obedience to Him, He will bless them.
Listen to these words from God:
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: 3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. 5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. 8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you (Deut 28:1-8).
Walking in obedience to the Lord will bring blessing into our lives. Mary and Joseph walked in obedience, and they were blessed to be a part of fulfilling the greatest event known to humankind. Their road of obedience was not easy – the travel – the giving birth – none of these were easy. Proverbs 16:7 says, “When people’s lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them.”
PLEASING GOD
When I read Proverbs or Deuteronomy, and hear words like, “please the LORD,” and “fully obey the LORD,” I get worried. Not because I think it’s impossible to do these things but because I see so many people trying to do them in their own power.
As I write these words, I can imagine some of you creating a list of what it means to “please God.” DO this and do that. DON’T do that and this and that (the list of do not’s is always longer). Some of us go to bed every night feeling like failures. Why? Because we have created lists of rules and regulations that seem spiritual but are sucking the joy of loving God out of us.
Let the truth of God’s word set you free – the only thing it takes to please God is FAITH.
WHAT IS FAITH
But what is faith? The New Testament book of Hebrews tells us,
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)
I am sure that clears it up – right? I think the simplest easiest way to understand faith is think of “trust” [same word in Greek – pistis]. What does it mean to “trust” someone? It means two things:
1. You are sure the person you are talking to exists.
2. You are convinced he/she is trustworthy; you can believe what he/she says and trust in their character.
Faith is KNOWING that GOD IS REAL. Faith is KNOWING that HE KEEPS HIS PROMISES. I can’t see God, but I know He’s real. I am not always sure how God will bring His promises to pass – but I know He will!
· You cannot trust someone who is not there – not real
· You cannot rely on someone who doesn’t keep their promises – they are not trustworthy
That is why the writer of Hebrews uses the words substance and evidence to describe faith. But he links these words together with the word hope. Hope in the Bible is not about wishing something would be true. Hope is the confidence that the God we cannot see exists. Hope is the evidence that this God we cannot see is at work through everything and every circumstance around us.
Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem by faith. The evidence of their faith in God’s promise is Jesuse!
APPLICATION
Here is the point – obedience that brings blessing (even from our enemies) is a product of faith. In other words, we don’t obey God because we are afraid, no! We don’t obey God only for the blessing!
· We obey God because we believe God.
· We obey God because we trust Him.
· We obey God because we know He works all things for our good.
· We obey God because we have confidence in His character.
Pleasing God is not about lists of what we can and cannot do. Yes, God expects us to live righteously and grow in holiness. He expects us to flee from sin. (But even running from sin requires faith that God’s life is better than the life sin offers us).
The life that God blesses is the life of obedience. Obedience is built on faith in God! Faith believes God can take the best and the worst in our lives and make it into something beautiful. The book of Isaiah tells us that through faith in God:
· give us a crown of beauty where we once had only ashes.
· give us the oil of joy to replace mourning and sadness.
· give us a garment of praise where we once wore the garments of despair (cf. Is 61:1-3).
God will take our unstable lives, stained by sin, overcome by fear, fraught with doubt, and through faith in Him make us a display of glory!
CONCLUSION
Is there an area of your life you need to surrender to God’s control? Your finances? Your family? Your career? Your future? I can honestly say this morning there are a couple areas of my life where I am struggling to see God at work. So here is what I want us to do.
The first act of faith is faith to believe in Christ as your savior. You cannot see Him, but I know you can sense His presence around you this morning. So, take that leap of faith this morning and ask Jesus to come into your heart.