Order Of Service

Luke 2:1-7

(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. (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.

Introduction

During this time of the year, we in America often sing the Christmas carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem. In England the children often sing the carol, Once In Royal David’s City. These two carols point to a great theological principle:  God’s “sovereign specificity.” (I know that is a tongue twister.) God specifies certain things to happen, at a certain time, at a certain place, with certain people. God the Father specified that Jesus would be born at a certain time, in a certain family, in a certain place, in a certain way. That certain place was Bethlehem of Judea. Unwittingly to the persons involved, God directed and allowed several human acts and decisions to achieve His sovereign specificity.

This should be encouraging for each of us. God has a purpose, with a plan to achieve that purpose, in a designated place, for each of us.   

The question presents itself. Why did God choose this small village to be the place for the birth of His Son? Why not Jerusalem? Why not Rome?  Why not Alexandria? Why not Athens?

Let’s see if we can find a few answers to this intriguing question. 

Exposition

1. To Demonstrate That Size Is Not Everything.

(If Size Were The Only Thing That Matters, Dinosaurs Would Still Roam The Earth, And Whales Would Not Be An Endangered Species.)

(Have you seen a living dinosaur lately?)

(Quality Is More Important Than Quantity.)

2. To Prove Humble Beginnings Need Not Become A Hindrance.

(It’s Not Where You Start, But How And Where You End.)

(Massive Oak Trees Come From Little Acorns.)

(Many Great Ideas Have Come From Simple Everyday Things.)

(The Telegraph - The Helicopter - Metal Ships - Penicillin - FedEx.)

(Please See The End Notes.)

3. To Honor His Word.

(God Honors His Word Above His Name – Psalm 138:2.)

(Prophesy Must Be Fulfilled - Micah 5:2.)

(God Can Use Anyone, Including Pagans, To Honor His Word And Perfect His Will.)

(Caesar Decreed That All The World Should Be Taxed And A Census Taken.)

(Caesar’s Decree Forced Mary And Joseph To Travel To Bethlehem.)       

(Caesar Was Unwittingly Implementing God’s Sovereign Specificity.)

Closing Thoughts

God is sovereign! He can do what He wants to do; when He wants to do it; like He wants to do it; and where He wants to do it.

Why not Bethlehem? This is where Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz her redeemer. Why not Bethlehem? This is where Samuel anointed David as king. Why not Bethlehem? The name means “house of bread.” What better place for the Bread of Life to be born?  What better place for our Redeemer to arrive? What better place for the King of Kings to be born. Make no mistake: He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!   

Related Scripture

John 7:42

End Notes

1. Samuel Morse, the civil engineer, was working on a project at the edge of the forest. There were many pesky woodpeckers that would disturb his concentration. However, he noticed that each woodpecker had a unique pecking pattern that was different from all of the rest. He could identify each woodpecker by the pecking pattern.  Then he thought to himself, “If I can devise a mechanical pecking pattern for each letter of the alphabet and send them down a wire, we could communicate over long distances.” He invented the mechanical pattern that bears his name, the Morse code, and invented the telegraph. The rest is history.

2. Igor Sikorsky was an avid floriculturist who spent hours in his flower gardens. He was intrigued as he saw humming birds hover over flowers to extract the nectar. He wondered why humming birds could suspend themselves in the air, but other species of birds could not. Upon closer inspection, he discovered the reason. All other species of birds flap their wings vertically, but humming birds flap their wings horizontally. The flapping pattern makes all the difference. He thought, “If I can make an airplane with propellers that spin horizontally like a humming bird, I can build one that can suspend itself in the air and can take off and land without the need of an extended runway.” He invented a mechanical humming bird, which we now call a helicopter, and the rest is history.

3.  Several British Admirals were taking a walk to stretch their legs between long meetings. They notice a peasant boy playing in a mud puddle. The little boy stood and saluted the admirals. They were impressed with his respect for them and noticed that he had a tin sardine can in the mud puddle. He told them he was too poor to get a real toy ship from the toy store, but used the sardine can for his make-believe ship. They were startled at what they saw. The sardine can was metal, and it was floating on the water in the mud puddle. Heretofore, all ships were made of wood, because wood naturally floats. No one had thought of making ships out of metal. When the idea of metal ships was introduced to the British parliament, they thought the admirals had lost their minds. The response, “Metal sinks and wood floats.” The admirals had the little boy to stand before parliament and royalty and demonstrate his make-believe boat. The admirals explained with the correct shape and with the exact dimensions, ships could be built out of metal, and would be more rugged and less vulnerable to enemy fire. The British built battle ships and also passenger ships out of iron.   The rest is history; for Britain controlled the high seas for decades, and their empire expanded around the globe.

4. Everybody knows this; we learned it in elementary science class.  On September 3, 1928, Dr. Alexander Fleming, the senior bacteriologist of St. Mary’s Hospital, returned from summer vacation in Scotland to find his lab in a very messy condition. He had anticipated that his cultures would be ready for examination when he returned from vacation.  Unfortunately, someone, who still remains anonymous, had tampered with his specimens. One Petri dish was sitting on a windowsill, which was a big no-no.  Extremely angry and frustrated, he carefully placed the dishes under his microscope to see if he could save any of his specimens or if he would have to start all over again. To his amazement, he discovered that a mold, which had contaminated his experiment, had prevented the growth of the bacteria he was trying to study. That mold was penicillin, and the rest is history.

5. While Frederick W. Smith was helping his daughter with her

geography homework, an idea popped in his head and would not

exit. “With the exception of the West Coast, every place in the

United States is within five hundred miles of Memphis,

Tennessee, and airplanes can travel at five hundred miles per

hour. Therefore, items can be transported by plane in one hour

from or to Memphis. Now assume a package is flown to Memphis

from its point of origin and is put on another plane to its

destination, it can arrive in two hours. With the exception of the

West Coast, theoretically any package in the United States can

be shipped from point of origin to destination in two hours.”

From this geography homework assignment came FedEx and

overnight shipping. The rest is history.

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