Life is Miraculous

Scripture Passage

Luke 2:1-14

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.

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. 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.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Sermon Script

We see three distinct events in today’s passage.

First, Caesar Augustus – the first Emperor of Rome – orders a census to be taken of the entire Roman world. The purpose of the census was to ensure that all the citizens are registered and required to pay taxes.

Second, Mary and Joseph experience the birth of their son, Jesus, while they are in Bethlehem. Since there is no guest room available for them, Jesus is born in a stable.

Finally, the angel of the Lord appears to a number of shepherds living in the fields nearby. To them, the angel delivers the news that the Saviour of the world – the Messiah – has been born on that very day.

Yet, we see that these three events are not entirely random and separate. We see that they are connected. Because of Augustus’ order for the census, Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem – the town of David. Luke tells us that it’s because Joseph comes from David’s line. But there’s a greater significance. Them being in Bethlehem sets the stage for Jesus’ birth and fulfills the words of the prophet Micah spoken long before their time—

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.

Micah 5:2

Imagine if Augustus never gave the order for the census. Mary and Joseph wouldn’t have gone to Bethlehem. They would’ve just stayed in Nazareth.

And so Jesus, the promised ruler of Israel, is born – even though it takes place in the most unexpected and inconvenient place. Mary and Joseph probably felt lonely. But what they aren’t aware of is the fact that there are others –strangers – who know about the birth of their baby boy. The shepherds soon come to rejoice and celebrate with them.

Behind these separate, distinct events, we can see God’s invisible hand at work, bringing all things together for good. This, to me, is the miracle of Christmas. Yes – Jesus’ birth is the miracle we celebrate. But his birth doesn’t happen out of the blue, in isolation. It is the CLIMAX of these events coming together in a mysterious, but beautiful way. Before the events of today’s story, there’s the birth of John the Baptist. God’s hand was even behind John’s birth and his naming. It was unusual that a son would not be named after his father. Yet his parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, knew God’s hand was behind what was happening. The angel had told them to name their son “John”. Luke also saw God’s hand at work.

Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

Luke 1:66

We may think of our life as consisting of a series of random events. Accidents, we might say. I believe that nothing that happens in our life is an accident. We only call them “accidents” because we can’t really make sense of them. We may not be able to see the significance of what happens to us at that moment, but we will later see how they are connected to the other events of our life. We will come to see God’s loving hand that’s been present, guiding us, and shaping us throughout our life for the better.

When I look at my own life, I realize that even my being in ministry, let alone at this church, wasn’t some random accident. There is a lot that happened, without my own doing, in order for me to be where I am today. I never “planned” to enroll at the seminary at the same time as Rev. Simon. I was actually planning to enroll a semester later, but somehow that didn’t end up happening. So I met Rev. Simon in September of 2016. It was through him that I first found out about Rev. Kim. I even had a chance to meet him in person. That was in October. After meeting Rev. Kim, I remember I had this wish that I could be mentored by him. At the time, I had no idea how I was going to find work in ministry. But what I also didn’t know at the time was that Rev. David Son was going to be resigning. Because of that, an opportunity opened up for the youth pastor position at this church. In November of the same year, Rev. Simon asked me out of the blue if I wanted to come work at St. Tim’s. Everything happened very fast. I said yes, did some interviews, and was here by January of 2017. Without Rev. Simon’s good word, or the support of the ministers as well as the Elders here, I wouldn’t be here. Without God’s grace and guidance, I wouldn’t be where I am and who I am today.

Our life can be uncertain, difficult and challenging at times. But life isn’t miserable. Life is miraculous. It is more than what we see, feel or think. It defies our expectations every time.

Your life is not a random accident. Your life is a miracle. It is a gift. Your life is in God’s hands. Even when you are feeling confused, uncertain, and discouraged, God is at work, bringing all things together for your good. God will give you the eyes of faith to see what he is doing. That’s when we see how miraculous life is. Isn’t that why we celebrate on Christmas? We celebrate the miraculous-ness of life. We celebrate how God has done the unthinkable. In today’s story, a whole company of angels appear and celebrate the news of Jesus’ birth, praising God.

In our celebration, there is also a deep sense of peace. Peace that comes from experiencing God’s presence in our midst. That’s what the angels sang—

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.

Luke 2:14

In Jesus, God brought peace on earth. Peace that’s different than what the Emperor brought. Peace that Augustus brought came from absence of all conflict. He removed all conflict by force. But it only lasted during his reign. Peace that Jesus brought was strength and assurance in the midst of darkness. Still today, we can experience this peace that God gives us.

I pray that you may have joy and peace this Christmas. You have nothing to worry about, especially now that you are on your winter break! We can celebrate and rejoice. Us being here together, on this day, is a miracle and a blessing. God is with us. God is for you. Life is and will always be miraculous.