Shepherds and Angels

Main Point: Jesus’ birth demonstrates God’s great love for us

Introduction

How do you think our culture defines love? How is it different than you think that Jesus defines it?

How does the Christmas story demonstrate God’s love for you?

Christmas we celebrate that out of His great love He sent His sone as our Savior and Lord

Christmas sets in motion Jesus’ sacrificial work for us, which culminates at the cross. I love the start of my favorite movies because I know what’s to come… that’s Christmas!

As we discuss the shepherds’ response to the good news of Jesus’ birth, consider how you respond to God’s gift of love to you.

Bible Study

Luke 2:8–14 CSB

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

Shepherds primary responsibility was to guard the sheep, which were used for temple sacrifices among other things.

How appropriate that the first people to hear about Jesus’ birth were those who guarded the sacrifices He would later replace, when His crucifixion and resurrection permanently atoned for sins.

What’s symbolic about announcing Jesus’ birth to some of the lowliest members of society?

Jesus was a gift for everyone, not just the powerful or important

Let’s look at Mary’s prayer from 1 chapter before (The Magnificat):

Luke 1:46–55 CSB

46 And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. 50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. 51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.

How does the appearance to the shepherds relate to Mary’s prayer?

v48: humble

v.52: whole verse

How can these verses reassure you when you’re tempted to feel unworthy of God’s love?

We’re all unworthy, but God sent Jesus for the unworthy. For the lowly. For the humble.

By letting the shepherds know about the good news of Jesus’ birth and sending them to meet Him, God made it clear that no one was outside His love. The Messiah came for everyone.

Verse 9 tells us “an angel of the Lord” appeared to the shepherds. The men were stunned and terrified by the angel’s presence, but the angel quickly made it evident that his presence was cause for rejoicing. God wanted the shepherds to know the good news about Jesus’ work of salvation.

Luke 2:8–14 CSB

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

What did the angel reveal about the uniqueness of Jesus?

What 3 titles are given to Jesus in v11? What is significant about them?

Savior: In this culture… Anyone who could heal or rescue from danger. However, Jesus came to save from their sins, which is a whole nother level! Matthew 1:21 “21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.””

Messiah: Someone God sent to rescue you, means anointed one. In the technical term, Moses was a messiah

The Lord: Only 1 of them! The phrase messiah and lord illustrates that Jesus was sent by God AND Jesus was God!

Moreover, Jesus Himself was divine (the Lord).

How do you describe to someone that Jesus is fully human and fully divine? Have a good explanation!

What do you think the Jewish shepherds thought of the idea of “Savior” and “in a feeding trough” being in the same sentence?

In case the shepherds harbored any doubts, a further sign ensued in v13. Luke 2:13

Luke 2:13 CSB

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

The word host signified an army from heaven present on earth. Instead of presenting themselves for battle, though, the heavenly host announced a message of peace. \

This battle is the end of the war, but the shepherds didn’t recognize it as that.

The host proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest heaven.” They praised the One God who revealed Himself in all His sovereign greatness to lowly, sinful human beings.

What do we learn about God’s love for us through the shepherds encounter with the angels?

Between the angel’s announcement and the angelic song, we get an incredible picture of the gospel. The Messiah is here, He brings with Him our salvation and peace, and that deserves our praise and worship.

Difference in reactions

Luke 2:9–17 CSB

9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,

Matthew 2:3–5 CSB

3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

How were the reactions of the shepherds and the religious leaders different? Why is that significant?

Even though they had earthly responsibilities (keeping the flock of sheep), the shepherds knew they were experiencing something divine. Seeing angels, hearing them speak of God’s peace, and knowing that the Savior had arrived was something worth abandoning their daily routine over. We need to embrace the message of Jesus’ arrival with the same abandonment.

What keeps people from embracing the message of Jesus with the same abandon as the shepherds?

How did encountering Christ change your identity? Your purpose?

How would you explain the significance of Christmas to someone who doesn’t understand it? Who needs to hear this explanation?

Back to my earlier question about love:

John 4:7–12 CSB

7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. 9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” 11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

Based on these verses, what is the biblical meaning of love? What happens if our efforts to love each other aren’t rooted in Jesus?

God did more than shout down from heaven, “I love you!” to the people on earth. He demonstrated His love by sending Jesus to die on the cross.

That’s the nature of love—it’s more than mere emotion or sentiment. True love is intentional and action-oriented.

When we begin to grasp the depth of Jesus’ love for us, we will find ourselves freed to love each other in that same sacrificial and intentional manner.

Application

What most frequently stands in the way of you truly loving others?

What are some tangible expressions of this kind of love you can practice this week? At home? At work? At church?

Why should genuine love trump any fears we have of sharing the gospel with others?