I Wonder Why

Last night after the girls went to bed, I sat at my desk at home going over my sermon again before this morning. I thought of a question that caused me to think deeply. The question was, "why did Luke not elaborate on the birth of Jesus?" All it says in Luke 2:6-7 is, "And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." That's it! Nothing else? We have a holiday that celebrates this. Shouldn't there be more?

Here is the answer that I think the Lord led me too after a couple of hours of praying and wondering: It's not so much about the birth as much as it is about the One who was born. In other words, the birth was the means, but the emphasis is on the Christ. While this may seem overly simplistic, it was very encouraging for me to see this. It's why, I think, Luke goes straight into the glorious announcement to the shepherds. This time (and Scripture) is not about a birth; it's about Jesus the Christ!

Not only is it about Jesus, but the three titles given to Him in verse 11 is magnificent. It say that He is Savior, He is Christ, and He is Lord. This is the only place in Scripture that all three of these are together. Oh how precious is this Christ who was born with Easter in mind. Matthew 1:21 points us straight to Easter, "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."