Luke 2

Luke 2:4

Bethlehem The city of David, which is called Bethlehem—Luke 2:4.There is no place in the Bible better known to you than Bethlehem. It is the first place you learn about, because it is the place where Christ was born. But, though that is long ago, Bethlehem even then had had a long, long history. For thousands of years there has been a village on this spot. There was one in the time of Jacob, but in those days it was called not Bethlehem but Ephrath. There are four stories about Bethlehem in the Bible.1. The first is the story of how Rachel, Jacob’s dearly-loved wife, died when she was near Bethlehem. You remember how Jacob mourned for her, and how he set up a pillar over her grave.

There is still a place near Bethlehem which is called Rachel’s grave. The pillar which marked it is gone; but in its stead is a tomb built by the Saracens. When General Allenby’s victorious army took possession of Jerusalem and the neighborhood, special guards were sent to watch over Bethlehem and Rachel’s tomb.2. The second story is the story of Ruth. You all remember how Ruth would not leave her mother-in-law, Naomi; how she gleaned in the fields at Bethlehem; and how she married Boaz, the kind farmer who owned the fields in which she gleaned. You remember how she and Boaz and Naomi all lived happily together in Bethlehem, and how later Ruth had a baby whom she called Obed.

This child grew up and had a son named Jesse.3. That brings us to the third story, for Jesse had eight sons and the youngest of them was David, the shepherd boy who became King of Israel.David was, like all the natives of Bethlehem, a splendid sturdy man.

People who know about such things say that there is something about the water in Bethlehem which makes its natives hardy and fearless. That is perhaps why so many of them are shepherds. The shepherds in Palestine have to be brave men. They have so often to risk their lives defending their sheep. David’s mightiest captain, Joab, also came from Bethlehem. It was for the clear cool water of the well at Bethlehem that David longed when he was beset by King Saul and his enemies.

And you all know the beautiful story of how three of his brave followers overheard David’s longing, and how they risked their lives to bring him a draught of the water for which he thirsted. You remember how, when they brought David the pitcher, he felt that the water was too precious to drink, and poured it out instead as an offering to God.4.

The last and best story about Bethlehem is in the New Testament You know it so well that I need not repeat it. The shepherds and the angels, the inn, and the Baby who was Christ the Lord—you have known and loved them since you were tiny toddlers. That story is not only the best story about Bethlehem, it is the best and most wonderful story in all the world.Wouldn’t you like to go and see the place where all these things happened, the town where Christ was born? Perhaps you may some day. Who knows? Shall I tell you what Bethlehem looks like today?It stands today where it stood in the days of Ruth, on the top of a grey chalky ridge of hills.

The side of the hill is cut into terraces, built up with walls, to keep the earth from falling down. These terraces are planted with vines and olive trees, fig trees and almonds.

You may look down over the fields where Boaz walked among his reapers, and Ruth gleaned after them; where David tended his sheep and threw stones with his sling; and where the glory fell on the shepherds watching by night. And far away in the distance you may see the blue mountains of Moab from which Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem.The streets of the town are narrow. The flat-roofed houses are built round courtyards, and they have few windows to the street. The shops are merely arches without doors or windows, and in them the people carve ornaments of olive-wood or mother-of-pearl to sell to visitors.A great many visitors come to Bethlehem to see Christ’s birthplace. A church called the Church of the Nativity is built over what is supposed to be the spot. Its roof is made of English oak sent by Edward IV. of England.

Underneath it is a cave with a silver star in the floor which is said to be the stable in which Christ was born.We cannot be certain of the exact spot, but St. Jerome, that good old monk who died in the year 419 A.D., lived the last thirty years of his life in a cave close by.

You may still see his cave where he translated the whole of the Old Testament out of Hebrew into Latin. That translation is what is known as the Vulgate. Some day, when you grow a little older, you may read it, and when you are reading it, you can think that it was written as nearly as possible on one of the most sacred spots on earth—the place where the Messiah it promised, the Savior that was to be, came at last to the world.

Luke 2:7

No Room In The Inn There was no room for them in the inn.—Luke 2:7.Not long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea there went out an order from Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, that a census of his subjects should be taken. Now at that time Palestine was under Roman rule, so the people of Palestine answered the census questions according to Caesar’s command. Some of you know what a census means in this country. Every ten years the head of each household receives a paper which he has to fill up. He must tell the number of people living in his house, their age, and, if they are old enough to work, what their trade or business is. In that way we are able to find out how many people there are living in our country.The census of Caesar Augustus in Palestine differed in some ways from ours.

The head of each family, instead of giving in his name at his own home, identified himself at the native town of his family or clan. And thus it came about that Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth, went to Bethlehem with Mary, because, although they were humble folk, they were both descended from King David, and David, you know, belonged to Bethlehem.It must have been a long, weary journey for them—nearly eighty miles.

I am sure they were very glad when Bethlehem came in sight, and I am sure they were even more glad when they arrived there and began to climb the steep village street. But imagine their dismay when they found that the inn was crowded to the door and that there was no room for them there! The town was filled with Jews who had come for the same reason as they had, but who had had the good fortune to arrive earlier. No one was willing to give up their shelter for such humble folk, however tired they might be. And so they were turned away from the inn.Then Joseph bethought him of the stable. It was only a rude cave cut out of the hillside, where the travelers put up their oxen and their asses, but it was better than nothing.

It would afford them rest and shelter.You all know what happened that night while Bethlehem slept. The Lord of life came to earth; the King of Heaven was born; and no one knew of it except Mary and Joseph and a few humble shepherds under the cold stars.

And because there was no room in the inn, He to whom all the earth belonged was cradled in a manger. Many a royal baby that night lay on soft pillows, but the Prince of Peace slept in a cold stable. There was no room for Him in the inn.And so it was all through His life. There was no room for Jesus in the world. The Jews refused to receive Him as their Messiah. When He preached at Nazareth, where He had been brought up, the people cast Him out of their city and led Him to the brow of the hill that they might throw Him down headlong.

Often He had nowhere to lay His head, and in the end the priests and scribes put Him to death so that the world might be rid of Him.There was no room for Jesus in the inn. How gladly we should have given Him a room in our house that night, and a soft pillow for His tiny head.

But Jesus no longer requires a house to shelter Him. He is no longer weary. He no longer hungers or thirsts. Yet the Babe that was born at Bethlehem is still seeking for room—for room in the hearts of men and women, and boys and girls.Once a preacher spoke to two little black Zulu boys away in South Africa and told them about Jesus and His love. One of them went home to his mistress, and when she asked him what he had heard, he said, “Oh, it was about a wonderful Man. The people were very unkind to Him, and He died and went up to heaven; but He came down again and was like a little child in people’s hearts.”Then the lady said, “Well, and what did you do?” With shining face the boy replied, “I opened my heart and let the little Child Christ come in; and He came in, and my heart closed over Him, and He is safe inside.”Boys and girls, there was no room for Jesus in the inn. Is there any room for Him in your heart?

Luke 2:49

A Great Awakening Wist ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?—Luke 2:49.Many of you boys and girls have sat in the gallery of the church on a Communion Sabbath. You thought there was something strangely solemn about the service. You could not quite explain it to yourself, but it seemed like no other meeting you had ever attended. You caught a glimpse of several people you knew; they were seated at the communion table. But you could not keep your eyes off someone who was just a few years older than yourself; he was quite lately in one of the upper classes at school. You felt somehow as if you would be afraid to speak to him on Monday.

You wondered too if, after a few years, you yourself would be sitting there, and if then you would feel as solemn as you believed he did.Today I want to speak to you about Jesus Christ at the age when He began to understand about His mission on earth, and His Father in Heaven. He had just passed His twelfth birthday, but He was regarded as a child no longer.

He was a man—not a grown man exactly, but a youth. At that age a Jewish boy became a member of the congregation and had to attend the services and observe the fasts. But what would please Jesus more than anything was the fact that He could now join His parents in going up to Jerusalem to the three great national and religious feasts. He had never been there. To a Jewish boy Jerusalem would seem as big as London or Glasgow seems to you; and it was just about as far from Nazareth, where Jesus lived, as Dundee is from Aberdeen, or London is from Southampton. How He would look forward to going to the great city for the first time!The feast of the Passover was held in April, when all Palestine was glorious with lovely spring flowers.

The air was scented with their fragrance, and the birds sang in pure joy. The main roads leading to Jerusalem were crowded with people all going on the same errand.

Many walked, some rode, and the numbers constantly increased as the city was approached.Old people could tell you of great open-air meetings that were held in Scotland in the early sixties of last century. Boys and girls were among the crowds that gathered together from all parts of the country to attend them. Family parties walked long distances from outlying country districts, and as they went along they sang revival hymns together. But on the road to Jerusalem those devout Jews sang the noble Psalms of David. One company would start with a verse, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help,” and another would continue, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.” Don’t you think you would have liked to join them?Jerusalem would seem very beautiful to Jesus when it first burst upon His sight.

But after He had seen the Temple He would have eyes for nothing else in the city. He knew there were men in the Temple who lived wonderful lives; they sought knowledge continually.

He was sure that God was with them all day and always.The time passed so quickly that, before He knew it, the day for returning had come. The women and children usually set out first, so Joseph and Mary started, each thinking that their boy was in the company of the other. But after a time they discovered that Jesus was missing. Had no one seen Him?’ “Have you seen my son?” they kept asking. They sought and sought Him, but in vain. Back to the city they went. Through one street after another they wandered, still with the same question. At last they ventured into the Temple, and there, in a chamber adjoining one of the main courts, Mary caught sight of Jesus.

He was sitting in the midst of the wise men listening to them and asking them questions.Doubtless many questions had occurred to the Boy in the little home at Nazareth. Here, as He listened to these men who gave up their time to the acquiring of knowledge, there came a sudden feeling of being lifted up above this world; His pure soul was filled with a great joy. He felt God was His Father. He knew now that he was in reality the Son of God. He could not move; He sat on. To His mother who chided Him because He had lingered and had made it necessary for both Joseph and her to return there came the surprised reply—the only saying of Jesus’ boyhood that we have. “How is it that ye sought me?

Wist ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?” It was as if He said, “Did you not know, Mother? I was bound to be in God my Father’s House.”But although Christ had awakened to feel that He was the Son of God, and the Savior of the World, He went back to Nazareth and was subject unto His parents.Jesus came into the world to teach boys and girls how to live, to tell them that they, too, are sons and daughters of God.

And He is one of whom you can make a Friend; for He lived your life, at home, at school. He knows your difficulties and temptations, and He can help you to become worthy sons and daughters of the Great Father.