Shepherds, Angels, Jesus, And You

Introduction

Many times in life we think that we are not worthy of anything good. We may think that we are the outcasts, the no goods, the people who are always left out.

We may think that what we do is pointless and wonder why we do it.

Maybe we never get to go to the good things that others do. We may hear about the fun times and the joy of others who get to do fun things.

Maybe we are out working all the time doing the work no one else wants to do.

What good is this if we always miss things and the “better offs” get all the fun and goods?

Yet, here in this Christmas story we see that the least of the people are the one’s that the Lord decided to make His Supreme announcement to rather than some potentate in a castle.

You see an announcement of this proportion would be something that the world would figure that the highest and most celebrated would receive the news.

Maybe the president or kings or maybe some high ranking politician, but what we see is that God made Himself known to the least of these first.

We have seen this in the song of Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah, and now in this amazing song of the Angels.

But before we look at that, think about your reaction if you received this message from an angel.

Angels are not the baby like things we see on cards nor are they like many Renaissance paintings of beautiful women.

Many have the idea they are like the old television show “Touched by an Angel” where you have these women and men who show up and do something amazing for people and then after the thing is done you see their glory in a light around them.

Granted an angel could come like that and no doubt they have, but this appearance was an awe inspiring and glorious appearance that set fear and shock down the shepherds.

But by God going to the shepherds first we see that He truly has His grace to all men and not just the wealthy which is what the time then thought and what many think today.

No in this song in Luke 2:8-14 we see that the least are made to be first, the greatest came low and humble, and there is a peace offering for all who will hear and believe.

Luke 2:8–14 ESV

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

That last leads to the final point of this section which is found in Luke 2:17-20

Luke 2:17–20 ESV

17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

and this point makes us think about which one we are. Are you one who wonders, treasures up the Lord in your heart to ponder on Him some more, or are you one who will glorify and praise Him for what he has done?

Since...

The Least are Made First

We need to rest in the fact that the Lord is for all people.

He came to the lowly shepherds and gave them notice before He did anyone else.

These were the men who were not allowed in the Temple because they were always unclean. They had no standing in the community but were the most necessary in the community.

They were looked on with disdain and contempt by many, and spurned by most.

These were hard working practical people who understood what it is like to be left out and disregarded.

They were humble in they worked daily and never sought any glory for the hard work they did.

They just worked and worked and waited on the Lord to come.

And come He did one night and announce He did to the lowly and humble over the high and exalted.

The angels appeared and told the shepherds to have no fear for they brought great news. This is the good news. The gospel of salvation in the child just born.

The shepherds were the first made privy to the way of salvation through the Messiah Jesus Christ.

This is the first record of the gospel being preached in the NT. And God chose to deliver it to the lowly and meek.

There is a great theological point in this. This is God saying that all people, even the low and rejected are made possible to be saved.

All can receive the message it is not just for a certain group, it is not only for the high and mighty and wealthy but for the poor who need help.

We see this not only in this announcement to the lowly shepherds but also in that...

The Greatest Came Low

In verse 11 we see that the angels say that born this day in the city of David is a savior who is Christ the Lord.

In verse 12 they say the sign of finding Him is that He will be in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths.

First we see that Jesus the Son, the second Person of the Trinity is born in human flesh.

He became a man for mankind to find God.

This is the heart of the Christmas story, God took on Flesh.

God came to us because we could in no way go to Him.

We are totally incapable of making it to God on our own. He had to come for us to be able to make it to Him.

He came in a lowly manner because He came for all people.

The second thing we see is that he is wrapped in a poor mans cloth and laid in a manger. He is laid in a feeding trough in cloths that no child of royalty would wear.

Jesus came in fullness in a full manner so He could experience all that we experience.

As Alistair Begg said of this scene, “The voice that made the cosmos could be heard crying in the cradle. The hands that placed each star in its place grabbed hold of Mary’s fingers. Her son was fully human, and fully God. In this man, divinity met humanity.” (Alistair Begg, Christmas Playlist: Four Songs That Bring You to the Heart of Christmas (The Good Book Company, 2016), 42.)

Jesus came low so we could ascend High. He came in a manner and was announced to the lowliest of all so we could all be made royalty through Him.

God bridged the gap by coming as a human. He made a way for us to break free from our slavery to sin and our separation from Him. He came to make a way possible.

Think about that a minute, He came here.

I want to ask you if you were in the most spectacular place with perfection around you and all you needed at your disposal but had the chance to come here and have to work hard to barley if even get by be hated by many and then die a terrible death, would you come?

The answer is no, no you wouldn’t. None of us would we would stay in perfection and glory.

But Jesus came. He came not only from glory to a glorious place here but he came to a lowly place to lowly parents and announced His arrival o the lowliest people.

Christmas Playlist: Four Songs that Bring You to the Heart of Christmas A Virgin Birth—Really?

This is how much the mighty God cares about us. Love was when God spanned the gulf. Love was when God became a man. Love was when God surprised those he had created by being born as one of them—as a baby.

Not only did He come in a lowly way but He also makes a...

Peace Offering

Peace among those with whom His he is pleased, says verse 14.

This peace offering is not of an end of wars like so many want it to be.

It is of a peace that only God can give.

You see at this time of Christ’s birth Caesar had instituted what is known as the Pax Romana.

That was an imperial decree that there would be peace amongst the nations within the Roman Empire. They were to be at peace amongst one another or face the wrath of Rome.

No, “This peace is the transcendent peace which brings an end to the conflict between men and God.” (R. C. Sproul, A Walk with God: An Exposition of Luke (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1999), 32.)

This peace is far and above any peace the earth may offer.

A stoic philosopher said of the Roman Peace (worldly peace) “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy. He cannot give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for outward peace.” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 176.)

Real peace. True Peace, is only in this child who was born that night.

His peace is a peace that gives rest and comfort in times of turmoil and grief.

His peace is a peace that will help you in life.

His peace offer is the only one that is worth anything.

Any student of history can tell you of some horrible peace treaties we have made in America.

We made treaty after treaty with the native Indians here. We would make them and keep them for a brief time just to break them because we are human and can’t keep a treaty.

Well the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ makes one to all who will believe.

This peace is found only in Christ the Lord and nothing else.

But so many miss this peace because they fail to make room for He who brings it.

Just like how the creator who took on flesh was laying in a manger because there was no room for Him anywhere else. No one made room for Him. The maker of the universe came into the universe only to have no room for Him here.

And this leads to the question that is raised in verses 17-20...

Which One Are You?

Are you like the shepherds who straightway went with haste to search for the child Jesus and make known all you have heard and then go away praising and glorifying Him?

Are you like Mary and so in shock still that you treasure up all you hear to ponder later?

Or are you like so many who just wonder at what you heard?

Again Alistair Begg gives clear insight to how many are about Jesus. He said, “Let’s be honest; in the lives of many of us, it’s no different. We have no room for him either—not if it makes life in any way uncomfortable for us, not if his presence brings any inconvenience to us, not when his actions and words surprise us. But our response does not change the truth. God has visited this world. He has come as one of us, to bring peace to us by redeeming us from our sins. Will you say to him, “No room?” (Begg, 49.)

We have no room for the savior of the world the one who came in a lowly manner so we can all receive the amazing gift of salvation.

He came from glory to a manger and swaddling cloths and was nailed to a cross some thirty years later so we could be with Him.

He was rejected and rejected many times and told there was no room for Him to only still hear that same answer now from so many that He died for.

So which one are you? Will you celebrate Him and make room for Him, will you treasure Him up and ponder on Him, or will you just wonder about this amazing birth and life?

Let me end with a story of one who did not ponder, or wonder but straightway celebrated the Savior.

Conclusion

During WWI one of my predecessors at Tenth Presbyterian Church, Donald Grey Barnhouse, led the son of a prominent American family to the Lord. He was in the service, but he showed the reality of his conversion by immediately professing Christ before the soldiers of his military company. The war ended. The day came when he was to return to his pre-war life in the wealthy suburb of a large American city. He talked to Barnhouse about life with his family and expressed fear that he might soon slip back into his old habits. He was afraid that love for parents, brothers, sisters, and friends might turn him from following after Jesus Christ. Barnhouse told him that if he was careful to make public confession of his faith in Christ, he would not have to worry. He would not have to give improper friends up. They would give him up.

As a result of this conversation the young man agreed to tell the first ten people of his old set whom he encountered that he had become a Christian. The soldier went home. Almost immediately--in fact, while he was still on the platform of the suburban station at the end of his return trip--he met a girl whom he had known socially. She was delighted to see him and asked how he was doing. He told her, "The greatest thing that could possibly happen to me has happened." "You're engaged to be married," she exclaimed. "No," he told her. "It's even better than that. I've taken the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior." The girls' expression froze. She mumbled a few polite words and went on her way. A short time later the new Christian met a young man whom he had known before going into the service. "It's good to see you back," he declared. "We'll have some great parties now that you've returned." "I've just become a Christian," the soldier said. He was thinking, That's two! Again it was a case of a frozen smile and a quick change of conversation. After this the same circumstances were repeated with a young couple and with two more old friends. By this time word had got around, and soon some of his friends stopped seeing him. He had become peculiar, religious, and -- who knows! -- they may even have called him crazy! What had he done? Nothing but confess Christ. The same confession that had aligned him with Christ had separated him from those who did not want Jesus Christ as Savior and who, in fact, did not even want to hear about Him. (J.M Boice, Christ's Call To Discipleship, Moody, 1986, p. 122-23.)

You may suffer a little for this belief but the savior suffered far worse than we will. He gave it all so we could gain it all, will you tonight believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so you too can have this amazing peace that is offered to all who will believe?