God’s Plan Advances: The Birth of a Savior, Christ the Lord • 02.08.26

Nick Lees - February 8, 2026

God’s Plan Advances: The Birth of a Savior, Christ the Lord
Luke 2:1-21

Grasping the significance of God’s plan through the birth of Jesus

God sovereignly orchestrates the details of Jesus’ arrival
Heaven announces the Good News – Jesus is the Savior, Christ the Lord
Heed the responses of both heaven and earth

Manuscript:

Good morning church family! Welcome guests + introduce self.

Dismiss 4^th + 5^th graders

Ushers + Bibles (Luke 2; page 1018)

How many of you enjoy a good book? A good movie? An engaging TV series? These all typically have something in common – a skilled author who knows how to build narrative tension. You don’t get all the information at once, but things build slowly and methodically up to the “big” reveal. Perhaps it is the surprising introduction of the bad guy/gal – they weren’t who you suspected they might be, maybe they were one of the good guys who turned traitor. Or it could be that the hero solves the riddle just in time, avoiding certain death or the destruction of the world. You might think of narratives like The Lord of the Rings, or the Narnia series, or perhaps even more modern stuff like Mission Impossible or the show 24. Each of these builds as more and more details are revealed and the plot advances. And we are drawn in, coming back for more each time we pick up the book or resume the show. This is not a technique modern authors invented but rather learned from the original author of the greatest narrative of all – God. Throughout the Old and New Testaments and in human history God has unveiled his grand plan of redemption.

Over the last month, we have had the privilege of journeying through the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, observing incredible truths about God’s redemption plan. As we have studied, it has been our aim to drive home the significance of his plan. As you have repeatedly heard, this is a plan that God has had since before the creation of the world and that he has been carrying out since the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve chose to rebel against him.

These truths or should I say, realities, that Luke has been recounting have been drawing us in week after week! They reveal incredible things that have changed the course of human history. Allow me to provide a brief recap of what we’ve heard:

Week 1 – God planned to break centuries of silence and advance his redemption plan through John
- God did this through answering the prayers of his people. He would send the promised prophet and Messiah to rescue and redeem.
Week 2 – God planned to fulfill his promises and advance his redemption plan through Jesus
- God is a covenant-keeping God! What he promises, he fulfills.
- We observed how God chose a lowly virgin woman from a village of no repute to be the mother of the Son of the Most High, the Messiah, the Son of God!
- Mary modeled for us the appropriate response of faith and worship.
Week 3 – God advanced his plan through the birth of John the Baptist, the Elijah-like prophet who prepares the way of the Lord.

Today, as we pick back up in Luke 2, we arrive at the pinnacle of God’s revelation – the birth of God the Son as the baby Jesus. Now, before we read the text, I want you to consider what I find to be an amazing observation. For 9 months Mary has carried the incarnate Son of God in her womb. The God who made and sustains Mary now receives oxygen and blood from her body to sustain his body. For 9 months the One who will reign forever on the throne of David, who is both holy and great, the Son of the Most High, contented himself to dwell and develop as a human baby in Mary’s womb. How can we ever fully fathom the incredible nature of these things?! And he did it for our benefit and the Father’s glory!

Do you grasp the significance of what is happening here? Do you see the big picture of God’s redemption plan? These are history-defining, eternity-shaping, soul-thrilling and soul-redeeming events we are studying week after week! I pray that none of us will take these matters for granted. Seek to hear these words with fresh understanding. Allow wonder and awe, but more importantly, faith, to be your response.

Let’s turn our attention to the reading of God’s Word.

Luke 2:1–21 (ESV)

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷And 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.

⁸And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

²¹And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

As I said earlier… these are history-defining, eternity-shaping, soul-thrilling and soul-redeeming events. What we have recounted for us by Luke is none other than the birth of the Messiah, the long awaited Savior. And even though the humans portrayed in this narrative are still grappling with what they are being told, the host of heaven has no reservations in rejoicing at the advancement of God’s grand plan! My hope is that by the time we are done here this morning, you would agree with the angels by believing and rejoicing in God’s plan.

My aim as we proceed to study this text is to help you in…

Grasping the significance of God’s plan through the birth of Jesus

Let’s begin by observing that…

God sovereignly orchestrates the details of Jesus’ arrival

Did you notice the hand of God over these events? Luke recounts for Theophilus that the birth of Jesus was immediately preceded by:

A decree from Caesar Augustus

This decree was affecting a census of the people. Historical accounts reveal that Caesar Augustus was known to have instituted three censuses in this period of time. The Roman Empire was active in registering its people, whether they were Roman citizens or not. But the Romans were not known for requiring their citizens to travel to their hometowns for a census. Do you know who was known for that practice? The Jews. Jewish culture required ancestral registration to keep track of the lineage of the tribes of Israel.

Luke reveals that God works through the means of foreign rulers, like Caesar Augustus. No one and nothing will stop God’s plan from happening exactly as he dictates. If you’re not sure how this connects just keep listening as it will be made clear soon.

Luke then brings Joseph back into the forefront of the narrative, long enough to trace his journey from Nazareth in Galilee, to Bethlehem in Judea. He makes sure to remind us again that Joseph is of the house and lineage of David. This is also what he highlighted about Joseph when he was first mentioned in chapter 1. Why is this important? Let me remind you that…

Mary is betrothed to Joseph

In Jewish culture, to be betrothed means they were legally pledged to marriage. God had brought Mary and Joseph together in marriage so that Jesus would be of the house and lineage of David. This was in fulfillment of the covenant God had made with King David ~1,000 years earlier that a son from his lineage would reign on his throne forever!

This also fulfilled another prophecy that God had given ~700 years earlier through the prophet Micah. And while Luke does not draw attention to it here, it is the promise that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah. Here is that prophecy:

Micah 5:2 (ESV)

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me

one who is to be ruler in Israel,

whose coming forth is from of old,

from ancient days.

God is revealing his sovereign hand in carrying out his grand redemption plan. He brought Joseph and Mary together to fulfill the promises he had made to his people long ago! And then he had a foreign ruler, Caesar Augustus, issue a census to bring them to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem. All of this so that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah would be born of the house and lineage of David in the city of Bethlehem.

How do you respond to these revelations? Should it not amaze us that God fulfilled promises he had made 700-1,000 years earlier? Absolutely it should! What God promises, he fulfills. Luke is drawing attention to the hope of the nation of Israel. Jesus fulfills the Messianic promises they had been given long ago.

One other way we see God sovereignly orchestrating the details of Jesus’ arrival is in:

The ongoing theme of lowliness

We have seen this in previous weeks. God did not choose the rich and mighty of the world to carry out his redemption plan. He chooses to use the lowly and humble. He works in a way that goes against what mere human instincts might dictate. This is not man’s plan; it is God’s plan!

God chose for Jesus to be of low estate. His anointed king would be from a town of no repute. He would be born in a feeding trough for animals. I appreciated the way one commentator put it:

Messiah’s life will contain an unusual bookend for a king, since he was born in an animal room and will die with robbers

(Quote from Frederick William Danker 1988: 58 in BECNT: Darrell Bock).

God’s plan of redemption flies in the face of what humans would have come up with on their own. It certainly confounded many of the Jews in Jesus’ lifetime and continues to be a stumbling block for many people down through the ages! Who could conceive of a crucified King who reigns forever? How could one who dies save others? (Main points slide)

Who would send the angels to shepherds to announce the birth of the King of Kings? If humans oversaw this plan, we would have sent the angels to the high and mighty of the land. Caesar Augustus needs to know that the real savior has come! (Interesting historic fact: Caesar Augustus was hailed by the Romans as a divine figure who brought salvation and peace to the world.) It is quite possible that the announcement by the angels was a direct refutation of such worldly declarations! The REAL Savior has come and his name is Jesus!

Yet this King and Savior was not born in a palace, or even a normal bedroom. He was born in the company of animals. Those who came to witness his entrance into our world were not royalty but keepers of the flock. God’s sovereign hand is all over this plan that fulfills prophecies of old yet defies human expectations in many ways.

Let’s turn our attention to the heavenly reveal of what has occurred at Jesus’ birth. Look again at Luke 2:8-14:

Luke 2:8–14 (ESV)

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

If you’re going to grasp the significance of God’s plan through the birth of Jesus, then you must pay close attention to what heaven announces!

Heaven announces the Good News – Jesus is the Savior, Christ the Lord

Once again God sends an angel as a herald to the momentous events that are occurring in their days. This has become a familiar theme in Luke’s gospel. God using the heavenly host to announce the next steps in his plan. And this is the most significant development of them all – A Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born!

Jesus is the Christ, which is the Greek word for Messiah. He is the anointed one of God who had been promised long ago to provide salvation and deliverance for his people. At this point, Luke is predominantly focused on the hope that the Messiah provides to Israel. They had been under foreign rule for many centuries and longed to be free and ruled by God alone. Even this census was another reminder that someone else called the shots for their nation. But when Messiah came, that would all change! Or so they thought…

This babe in a manger was more than the Christ. He was also a Savior, the one who we know came to take away our sins. If you’re reading through the Bible this year, you’ve likely heard quite a bit about the necessity of holiness for the people of God. In my own reading plan I’m deep into Leviticus. In fact, I just read Leviticus 19 this week, which says:

Leviticus 19:1–2 (ESV)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Throughout the Scriptures, we find that God is consistent in requiring humans to be holy as he is holy. This quickly becomes a problem for us, as none of us can keep that requirement. We are all prone to sin or rebel against God’s commands. We are tempted to go our own way and live according to our own desires. This was true for Adam and Eve in the Garden, and it has been true for every single human after them. We have a sin/rebellion problem that separates us from God. It invites God’s just judgment upon us for our rebellion.

Which is why God instituted such a detailed sacrificial system in the Old Covenant. He was providing a way for the people to be made clean/pure so that they could be with him and he with them. If you’ve read the Old Testament, you know that it was a bloody mess, as it was necessary for blood to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. The New Testament author of Hebrews summarizes it this way:

Hebrews 9:22 (ESV)

²²Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Now, you may be wondering why we are talking about sin and blood in the midst of a sermon about Jesus’ birth. It all comes back to Jesus’ identity as the Savior. Jesus came to save his people from their sins! He took on flesh and dwelt among us, so that he could shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins! This is the very thing that he would later command his disciples to remember through the Lord’s Supper:

Matthew 26:26–28 (ESV)

²⁶Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Though the shepherds may not have understood in that moment, this baby is the perfect Lamb of God who would, as an adult, willingly lay down his life for the salvation of many. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Suffering Servant song of Isaiah 53. If you’d like to do further study on this, I’d recommend reading Isaiah 53 and Hebrews chapters 8-10. You will see and hear the beauty of God’s grand plan to send his Son as the perfect, sinless sacrifice for us.

For now, I will just share a snippet of it:

Hebrews 9:24–28 (ESV)

²⁴For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, ²⁶for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

In Jesus’ incarnation (taking on flesh and dwelling amongst us) at his first coming, he came to address our sin problem through his substitutionary death on the cross. But, having successfully accomplished that, he will come again to save those who have faith in him. This is why the angel’s announcement was good news of great joy! Jesus, the Son of God, had come to rescue his people from their sin and to make peace between them and God.

The grandeur of this revelation led to an entire host of angels showing up – praising God and saying:

Luke 2:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Jesus’ mission of seeking out and rescuing sinners and transforming them into saints who love and obey God is glorious! It reveals the mercy and grace of God in a manner unlike any other before it. It demonstrates the incredible love of God, even for those who have rebelled against him. Jesus, who is God the Son taking on flesh, will not only bring much glory to God but he will also bring peace among those with whom he is pleased.

This is a declaration of God calling people out of sin to a restored relationship with him. There will be a cessation of hostilities between God and such people. They will belong to a new community, which Luke will reveal is known as “the church” later in his writings. This new community of God’s people will be comprised of both believing Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) whom God calls to himself. They will have peace with God and one another. (Main points)

Try to put yourselves in the shoes of these shepherds on that night so many years ago. What an incredible experience! What amazing revelations! So much is happening here and it requires careful study and reflection to grasp the entirety of its significance. God’s plan is so rich and wonderful that you can spend a lifetime studying and appreciating the details of it. And that is exactly what we seek to do as Christians!

But perhaps you are here and you are still evaluating what you believe. You are not so sure that Jesus is the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. If that is your situation, I’m glad you’re here. I hope you’ll continue to come back week after week as we explore the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. But I also want to pose a question for you to consider. Have you ever considered why there is such a distinct lack of peace amongst those who reject Jesus? This is no secret, you can read about it every single day online – social media, the news, talk shows – those who reject Jesus are constantly engaged in conflict and fighting with one another. Yet what is the experience for those who have faith in Jesus and are truly in the family of God? We have peace with one another. Though imperfectly, we seek to handle our sin and conflict quickly, as Jesus taught us to do. We readily admit that we are not perfect and that we must exert effort to preserve unity amongst us. This requires real determination to put off pride and put on humility. To confess our sin and ask for forgiveness. To grant forgiveness! Christians are not perfect, but they are to be repentant, peace-makers. I hope you will stick around and watch how Christians relate to one another in this church and in our homes.

Church, that requires us to be the “real deal”. To be peace-makers. To cultivate humility. To confess our sin and ask forgiveness and to grant it – quickly and thoroughly. We have access to the peace of God through Jesus Christ, why would we squander that by living in the old ways of sin and rebellion? *pause*

Allow me to help us continue to grasp the significance of God’s plan as we…

Heed the responses of both heaven and earth

You’ve heard from heaven – the angels rejoiced, praising God. They declared the truth about Jesus. They believe! But they are not alone in their response. Let’s look at the response of those on earth.

As soon as the angels had departed, the shepherds turned to one another and agreed that they needed to go investigate what had been told to them. We are told they went with haste to find Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. They did not waste any time in confirming the truth of the angels’ revelation. And after they had shared the news they had received, they returned, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…”

These shepherds have faith! They too make much of God for all he has done. They open their mouths and proclaim the greatness of his plan and person. They are not ashamed to share the Good News of great joy!

Then you have Mary, who we are told, “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” These words are intentional. Luke contrasts her response with the rest of the crowd. While many wondered or marveled at what they heard, they did not necessarily do anything else with it. Their response was short of faith. But not Mary’s. She took what she heard and stored it in her heart, turning it over and over again, seeking to understand what it all meant. The word translated “treasured” means: to exert mental effort in storing information so as to have continual access and use of it—‘to cause oneself to be fully aware of, to keep in mind, to remember.’ (Louw-Nida)

Mary knew this information was worth protecting. And it certainly was. It is believed that Luke received these intimate details of Jesus’ birth directly from Mary later in life. Throughout her son’s life, she continued to protect these wonderful truths about who he was and what he had come to do. Her son’s mission had profound implications for both heaven and earth. He had come to save her and many others from their sins. He had come to make peace with God possible. He had come to reunite the creation with their Creator. The very things that heaven and earth had been longing for ever since Genesis 3!! (Main points)

What marvelous truths to consider this morning! I hope you now have a fuller grasp of the significance of God’s plan through the birth of Jesus. But don’t leave with mere intellectual understanding. Unite what you have learned with faith that leads to obedience! Be more like the shepherds who left glorifying and praising God or like Mary who treasured these things in her heart. Turn them over and over again in your heart throughout your week… for the rest of your life! Do not be like those who simply marvel at what they’ve heard but fail to unite it with faith.

There is incredible joy that comes from knowing Jesus as YOUR Savior. It is possible to have certainty that he came to rescue you from YOUR sins and rebellion. Listen to these teachings that came after Jesus’ D/B/R. After preaching about Jesus as the Messiah and Savior the Apostle Peter called the crowd in Acts 2 to respond:

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

³⁸And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Or the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians spoke about the transformation that is possible in Christ, along with an appeal to believe in Christ TODAY:

2 Corinthians 5:17–6:2 (ESV)

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,

and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Are you a Christian who has been forgiven by Christ? Then you have cause for great rejoicing today! You are a new man/woman. You are entrusted with the mission of representing him and sharing this Good News of great joy far and wide. Rejoice that you have been counted among God’s people. And then go and share what you have received and believed!

Are you wrestling with what you believe? Then embrace the hope of the Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. He has come. He has made a way of salvation. And there is forgiveness of your sins through faith in him. You too can have great joy and peace with God by confessing your need for a Savior and asking him to give you new life! If you’ve got questions about that, I’d love to speak with you after the service.

For now, I’d like to close our sermon with a word of prayer that each of us would respond properly to what we’ve heard today. Then we will finish our service by celebrating the Lord’s Table together.

Pray

for joy/obedience/praising God from believers
for conviction and confession and salvation for those still in sin

Communion

We are going to close out our services by worshiping the Lord through the celebration of communion or the Lord’s table. Communion is an opportunity for Christians to be unified as we come together to remember all that the Lord has done for us through his death, burial, and resurrection. This is an opportunity for Christians to remember that we have embraced the promised hope of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and salvation of our souls!

We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result is a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!

At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.

Before we pass them, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.

This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him.

The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.

The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.

Ushers pass elements

Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Take bread.

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Take cup

Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!

Closing Song