Unaware in Rome

Well, Thanksgiving is over, and the month of December is just a few short days away. Like always it kind of sneaks up on us. But while December sneaks up on us, it’s very tough to honestly say that Christmas sneaks up on us. I mean, you’ve heard news reporters back in September say, “Shoppers, you only have one hundred shopping days left.” So it’s tough to say that Christmas could sneak up on us. I mean, it happens every year. This year prior to Halloween I saw Christmas decorations and Christmas items for sale. That’s crazy. A month before Thanksgiving! I mean, Christmas is everywhere. You couldn’t miss Christmas if you wanted to.

Yet this year, like every year, many people still will. And while they may not miss the day or the event, they might miss the meaning and the magnitude of what it’s all about. It would probably be safe to say that most people probably miss the truth and the experience and the wonder of Christmas. I don’t want you to be in that number. So, in this sermon series we are going to imagine “’twas the night before Christmas” back in Jesus’ day—the very first Christmas Eve. What was it like in Rome on that first Christmas Eve? What was going through the minds of the people in Jerusalem? Did anyone even notice in Bethlehem that there was this baby that was about to be born? Or did they all miss it? We’ll look at several different locales the night before Jesus was born.

For us the night before Christmas is different. It’s often a night of joy. It’s a night of expectation and of excitement. For children it’s a night of sleeplessness. For parents it’s a night of sleeplessness as well. And whether it’s because of presents and family or because we’re excited about the true meaning of Christmas and what it is we’re celebrating, for the Christian the day before Christmas should be a time of great anticipation.

But the night before the first Christmas wasn’t really like that. I ’m going to ask you to stand right now, and I’m going to have you read a portion of the Christmas Story. So go ahead and stand with me. In Luke chapter 2—you know this story. There’s one word that’s kind of tough to say and that’s the name of the governor. His name is Quirinius. Let me hear you say that. Quirinius. Other than that, I think it’s smooth sailing for all of us. So just read along with me this familiar story from Luke chapter 2:

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. 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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (vv. 1-7).