The Twofold message of Christmas Luke 2_13

Luke 2:8-20 (11-14) “The two fold message of Christmas

Intro: Today marks 6 days until Christmas mooring, by now there are most likely Christmas gifts wrapped under the tree and anticipation in the hearts of all to tear off the wrapping paper and get to the gift. This morning I want to talk about Christmas presents, I love Christmas presents and I hope I get a ton of them this year. But, there has never been a present given by man that can equate to the gift given to us by the hands of the almighty God. This gift isn’t wrapped nicely and neatly and placed under a tree but it is a gift given to all mankind in the form of a message.

A little over two thousand years ago an angel visited lowly shepherds who guarded their flocks in the Judean pasture side; the angel delivered a message that brings hope to all mankind still today. The angel spoke “Good Tidings” or as more modern translations read “I bring you good news” – euangelizō = (Verb) tell the good news. The root of this word is euangelion which we translate the Gospel. The angel literally came preaching the gospel.

This Greek term is one that everyone in the Roman world would understand; in the context of that culture a runner was sent forth to inform people of great military victories or to announce the news of a new king or emperor. We find in Luke’s account of the birth narrative of Jesus a message of victory over sin and the birth of the rightful King of Israel, Jesus.

This message flooded the halls of heaven bringing Glory to God in the highest place and reassured mankind of God’s promise to deliver him from sin and its wages.

CPS: The two fold message of Christmas is one that brings glory to God in heaven and peace to man on earth.

The message of Christmas gives Glory to God in Heaven 14A

Can you imagine… in the eternal halls of heaven The Message of Christmas ringing loudly throughout the highest heaven, God the Son, SAVIOR OF HUMANITY has been born in Bethlehem this very day!

How amazed the angels must have been when they saw the Creator born as a creature, the Word coming as a speechless baby!

Verse fourteen is the climax of the Birth Narrative of Jesus and in this first section the Key Word is Glory – Doxa = splendor, greatness, the state of being wonderful.

There in that night pasture a glimpse of heaven is given to us and the Shechinah of God returned to earth materialized in one of its most familiar Old Testament manifestations, that of light. In the starry skies above the radiance of God is seen among lowly shepherds and they become terribly afraid. They probably thought the Judgment of God had fallen upon them but then an unnamed angel settles their hearts by encouraging them to fear not then tells the shepherds the best news in time and eternity… for unto YOU (Personally) a Savior is Born who is Christ the Lord.

The word Savior is sōtēr = (Noun) rescuer, one who delivers or saves… this is a term any Jew would understand and would cast his mind to the things his parents taught him as a child, how Israel was captive in the land of Egypt for 400 years but God brought about a deliverer, Moses who is a type of Christ himself. During the period of Judges God brought forth many delivers, Gideon, Sampson, Debra…. Just to name a few who delivered them from oppression of the enemy nations around them. During the opening days of the monarchy, God gave the nation a deliverer in King David. But this deliverer is quite different, look at how the angel describes Him, it gives Him two more titles…. Christ the Lord.

Christ – Christos = Greek for Messiah, the anointed one of God, God’s special choice. God had a choice in mankind’s salvation, He could have chose to leave fallen man in his state as sinners, unreconciled to Him without any hope in this world, as He had left the fallen angels. But before the foundation of the world He chose to take upon Himself deliverance for His fallen creation.

The Angel goes on to call Him the Lord… kyrios = supernatural master over all! Then among the single angel a multitude of Angels appeared, praising God in the night sky. Luke tells us a multitude of heavenly host appeared. The word host (stratias) is a military term for a band of soldiers. Here the army of heaven announces peace.

Their praise was “Glory to God in the Highest” this highest is not highest in honor which He is, but in the highest heaven! Yes this was glorious news even in the domain of God.

Glory In Heaven… for His love

What great love He showed us by allowing us to sons of God (1 John 3:1) (John 3:16)

Glory in heaven… for His mercy

What great mercy He showed by making a way for us to be delivered from what we deserve

Glory in heaven… for His grace

What great grace He showed by making a way for us to receive what we do not deserve

Application: I can imagine the conversations being had in Heaven…. Have you heard what God has done, He has carried out His promise, He sent Jesus to become a man and this very day He was born a baby in Bethlehem. Isn’t God’s love toward man wonderful, He gave them what He would not give our counterparts…. the angels who had fallen, mercy and Grace.

Today would you glorify God who is in heaven for given us a gift so precious and costly, a gift expressed by His love, mercy, and grace.

The message of Christmas gives PEACE to man on earth. 14B

Can you imagine… that star filled night out in the pasture side? The Message of Christmas ringing loudly to peasant shepherds, God the Son, SAVIOR OF HUMANITY has been born in Bethlehem!

For the first time in centuries, the glory of God returned to earth! The angel of the Lord announced to those peasant shepherds “Unto YOU a Savior is born this day in Bethlehem!

In this second section of verse 14 we see that the message given by the angel to the obscure shepherds is one which brings peace to all man who God favors. Peace is what the Messiah brings to man by faith. The Key Word is Peace – eirēnē= harmony, tranquility

The Roman World had known much war, but when Augustus came to power he put an end to the Civil Wars that plagued the Empire. This period is known as the “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace). During the time Jesus was born the Roman World had known peace for about 24 years but the absence of war does not guarantee the presence of peace. While the Emperor was able to give peace from war on land and sea, he was unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy. He could not give peace of heart, which man yearns for. But the peace which the Angels proclaims is much the needed peace with God. (Romans 5:1) The Bible teaches us that those whom Jesus forgives through faith have peace and can go in peace.

The fact that this message of peace first came to shepherds is wondrous, to think that the first people to hear the good news of the Savior come to earth were the lowest of society. In the Old Testament a Shepherd was held in high regard, Moses was shepherd, David was a Shepherd, but by this time shepherds were viewed quite differently. They were social and religious rejects. They were seen as unclean and undeserving but that God’s way, He came for the lowly and the lost.

These Shepherds displayed great faith; they took the angel at its word and hurried to see this thing which had taken place.

What they Saw

Prophecy Fulfilled

a. Mic. 5:2

b. Is. 7:14

c. 2 Sam. 7:8-17

Grace Revealed (2 Cor. 8:9) Though Rich He became Poor!

A feeding trough for a bed

Burial rags for clothes. Not uncommon but this foreshadows His death. Babies are born to live but this baby was born to die!

What they Said

Made Known

Praised God

Application: Christmas is celebrated as a time that God intervened and sovereignty arranged for His Son to be born into this world as Savior to bridge the gap that spanned between God and men as a result of sin. This is great news for all humanity and the fact that God first made this known to the lowest of society is assurance that He is the Savior of all men. Like these shepherds who received the angel’s message by faith then went looking for Jesus we too are to receive the gospel by faith and spend our lives looking for Jesus! Perhaps the application we need most as a church is the response that we see in verse 16, they made in known abroad and went away glorifying and praising God. Perhaps the reason the world is in the shape that it is in is because the Christian doesn’t glorify God properly, making the Gospel known abroad.

Today ponder on the significance of this gift which God has given us, God loved us with so great a love that He would offer us peace by personally intervening on our behalf to bring deliverance from our just due.

I have read and studied a lot of history, especially history of wars and warfare but I have never read in our history books about a victor offering His life in order to save the lives of his enemy. But this is His Story and the gift which He gave to us in the form a message. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.