Luke 2:8-12 "A Kingdom of Salvation"

Introduction

The Angel of the Lord proclaimed good news of great joy on that original Christmas to those shepherds who were watching their flocks by night.

It was a simple message with profound implications for the Messiah and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

We see it right there in verse 11: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

It was simple because in a sense it was a birth announcement. Children were born all the time in that day just as they are today. The birth of a child is fairly common but this birth was profound.

I mean it is not every day that an Angel of the Lord supernaturally announces a birth followed by a multitude of heavenly host celebrating the announcement.

There are profound and unique implications regarding this birth. There are three of them mentioned in verse 11. Look back at your text:

I. The Implications (11).

Notice that the birth takes place in the city of David (11a).

This is the city of Bethlehem. And what was the big deal? I would imagine there were lots of babies born in Bethlehem during this time period. There may have even been babies being born on that same exact night.

But the historical context of this specific time was during a Roman census that was decreed by Cesar Augustus and everyone had to return to their own town of origin. So Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem and the implication is that they were from David’s line.

Cesar Augustus issued the decree while being totally oblivious to God’s eternal decree coming to pass in fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to David about a 1,000 years earlier.

Notice that this child is a Savior (11b.)

Remember that this was why the Angel of the Lord told Joseph that he was to name the child Jesus, which is the Greek form for Joshua, because He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

The Hebrew name is Yashua and it is compounded from two other Hebrew terms. Yaweh, meaning Lord and Shua meaning salvation.

In the compounded sense the meaning is Yaweh saves or Yaweh is salvation.

The implication is that He will be the agency by which God will work His salvation and deliverance for His covenant people.

Then we see this child is Christ the Lord (11c).

He is God’s anointed. This is what the reference to Christ refers to. He is the Messiah who the Scriptures have spoken of for centuries.

We have seen many of these Old Testament references throughout Advent. And make no mistake the New Testament understands these OT references being fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ into the world.

Remember the Angel Gabriel’s declaration to Mary in Luke 1:32-33 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.””

If we just took this statement it is easy to see the definite reality of Jesus Christ being the fulfillment.

These are profound implications, it is safe to say there has never been a birth like this one in the whole of the history of mankind.

God’s Messiah King has come into the world to bring a Kingdom of salvation to men on whom His favor rest. But how were these shepherds to know? What would be the confirmation? Look back to your text to verse 12:

II. The Confirmation (12).

The Angel of the Lord doesn’t just give them the news he also gives them the “sign” of confirmation.

This term “sign” denotes the idea of a miraculous event contrary to the usual course of nature and it is intended as a pointer or means of confirmation (Friberg).

The Angel provides confirmation that a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord and the confirmation of that will be that you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

A baby born in a stable and using an animals feeding trough as a bed was not that common even in ancient times.

But for those shepherds on that original Christmas finding that baby in that stable lying in a manger would be the confirmation that the implications of that child’s identity and purpose were valid.

III. Application

That is what happens when a supernatural declaration connects to the revelation of the Scriptures. It manifest in that original Christmas and we are still celebrating it today.

We have been singing about it this very evening and tomorrow here at Crete Church we will be singing about it again.

Because our Messiah King has come and He has worked salvation for us as the covenant people of God.

He has brought us into a Kingdom of Salvation. It is our prayer this evening that everyone here knows the reality of the salvation that God’s Messiah King has brought to us.

Believe the gospel and trust in His finished work on the Cross for your salvation. This is truly the greatest gift of Christmas. Let’s Pray!