This morning we are going to begin with a game.  The game is called “Name that Christmas Character.”  The game is played in two parts.  First you have to name the character from the nativity and then you have to tell which book in the New Testament it comes from.  Here is Tanya’s Willow Tree Nativity. This is the one I talked about last week with its fuzzy angels.  Let’s start with a couple easy ones: (Hold up different figures.)
Shepherds: Luke
Wise men: Matthew
Joseph: Both. 
Mary: In both but only barely in Matthew - Luke
Baby Jesus in the Manger: Luke, no manger in Matthew
Gabriel: Luke – To Zechariah and Mary – not named in Matthew
Hosts of Angels: Luke
Sheep: Luke sort of they are being watched by shepherds
Star: Matthew
Camel: Neither – Matthew wise men had to ride something

Here is the reason we played our game.  We have merged the two stories into one.  Our manger scenes and our stories of Christmas have taken both of the accounts of Matthew and Luke and put them together to get one story of Jesus’ birth.  That’s okay for nativities and the telling about Jesus at Christmas, but this morning we need to extract the two stories and look at them separately.  Matthew and Luke are both making amazing, but different, points with their selections of parts to the story.  Once we have unraveled the two accounts we will be able to see their different points. And then we will be able to see where Luke is going with his Gospel.
____

But let’s quickly begin with Matthew and just glance at his Christmas stories:
-The angel comes to Joseph in a dream. 
-The virgin will be with the child, Immanuel.
-The Magi come looking for the King of the Jews. 
-The star is an omen of the birth of a king.
-The Magi give gifts to a king.
-One king attempts to kill another.
-The baby king escapes to Egypt. 

Just from Matthew, who is Jesus?  He is the King of the Jews!  Wow, what an amazing point.  Matthew is telling us right off the bat that Jesus is destined to be God with us, the King of the Jews!  Jesus is Lord and Master.

Now let’s go do the same thing in Luke’s story and look for what the message is.  Let me give you a clue, it is going to be way different. 
-Last week we talked about a grumpy old preacher named, Zechariah and his barren wife Elizabeth; a disgraced couple.  And we compared them to a young country-bumpkin girl named, Mary.  Neither is involved in any political intrigue or kingly-stuff.
-In Luke 1:39-45 we have this wonderful meeting of two mothers.  And Elizabeth’s blessing.

Luke 1:42-45  In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Two mothers; one old, one young, are talking about their sons.  Hardly, news worthy. 
-Skipping to chapter 2 we find Joseph, playing the lesser part in Luke, taking his young fiancée to Bethlehem because he has been ordered by a king.  They end up in a barn because there is no room for them. Hardly king stuff.
Then who gets the message about Jesus’ birth?  Not wise men from the east, rather shepherds out in the field.  Watch what the angel says;

Luke 2:9-14  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 of great joy that will be for all the people.  11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ 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, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  

-We are beginning to see Luke’s point.  This baby born in a barn to a poor couple, seen first by bottom-of-the-social-ladder shepherds, is good news for all people!
-Watch what the shepherds do.

Luke 2:16-18  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

-What do the shepherds do with the message of a baby, the Christ, born in Bethlehem?  They spread it to all who would listen. 

What is the difference in the Matthew and Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus? Matthew says, “Jesus is King of the Jews!”  Jesus is born like other kings, with gifts from foreign dignitaries, amongst political intrigue. But Luke’s Jesus is born humble, poor, among shepherds, in a barn.  Luke’s Jesus is the Good News for ALL!  It is good news for old barren couples. It is good news for young unwed mothers.  It is good news for poor carpenters. It is good news for all those at the bottom of the social order.  Jesus comes to bring peace to all people!  That is the message of Luke!  It is the message of the angels!

Luke 2:14   "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
____

Don’t forget the word, “favor” we will come back to it in the coming weeks. Luke begins to make this point in the birth stories of Jesus.  He is going to repeat this message throughout his Gospel.  Let’s take a sneak peak at a couple of places where this theme is loud and clear. 

Luke 3:18  And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

Who was coming to see John?  All kinds of people.  The Gospel is for all.

Luke 7:22   So Jesus replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

This is the evidence that Jesus is the one with the message of Good News; he is preacher to the poor, the dead and the diseased.

Luke 8:1-2  After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;

Rejected, outcast, demon-possessed all hear the good news.   Listen to Luke’s version of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount; which is interestingly enough on a level place.  Matthew’s is on a mountain.  Luke is down to earth. 

Luke 6:20-38  Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.  22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.  23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 

24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.  25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.  26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

 27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.  33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.  34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.  35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

The message of Luke is the Gospel is for all.  And it is good news.  Do you believe it?  Do you believe it enough to have it change who you are?  Are you willing to be the good news? 
____

That having been said, let’s get back to our original question; our theme question, “Lord, what do you want me to see?  Perhaps a story will help us see. 

A group of women from the church were calling on elderly Mrs. Diamond who was not doing to well; lots of health issues. The women came in.  They all gave Mrs. Diamond in a hug.  They chatted about the weather and talked about the news of the church.  They spend a good long time visiting with her. When their time was up, they rose to leave and told her, "Esther, we will keep you in our prayers."

Immediately, without missing a beat, Mrs. Diamond replied, "Just wash the dishes in the kitchen.  I’m able to do my own praying."

I, nor Luke, have any problem with praying for others, that is a good thing.  But the message of Luke is good news that reaches people who need help.  It is good news that the poor and the sick and the hurting have help.  It is good news that those of us who are followers of Jesus don’t just talk, but we model the actions of Jesus.  We take the message of the Gospel to those who are hurting. We live the good news to others. 

What are you going to do to put Luke into practice?  The theme this year is not about you, it is about others.  It is about everyone.  It is for all. 
 Luke’s characters, in the Nativity, show… (pick up the shepherds) the message, “The Gospel is for all.”

End with a prayer, “Lord I want to see how I can be good news to all?”