Luke 2:8-14 | The Angels' Song

Intro. There are only 8 days until Xmas. (7 if you are Mexican)

How many of you are ready for Xmas?

Perhaps some of you can relate to Charlie Brown (A Charlie Brown Christmas).

Charlie Brown: I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I was supposed to feel. I just don't understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I'm still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed. Linus: Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy's right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest.

Towards the end of the movie , a frustrated Charlie Brown asks, “Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Linus answers, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” As the house lights dim and the spotlight shines on Linus, he proceeds to quote Luke 2:8-14.

We are focusing on the lyrics of the Angels’ Song:

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

[Slide] The Angels’ song is commonly known by its first words in Latin: Gloria In Excelsis Deo

What makes this song different from the others is that unlike the Song of Mary, the Song of Zachariah, and the Song of Simeon (next week); the Angels song is not a song that rises up from the earth, but a song that comes down from heaven.

[Slide] It is an anthem of praise sung not by one single angel, but with a multitude of the heavenly host.

It is hard to know the number of angels present the night when Jesus was born.

God has an innumerable amount of angels.

Hebrews 12:22 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,”

Countless (NLT)

Myriads (CSB)

Thousands upon thousands (NVI)

Revelation 5:11 “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,” (thousands & millions, NLT).

Myriads denotes either, “ten thousand,” or “indefinitely, a myriad, a numberless host.”

Psalm 68:17 “The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands.”

David, cannot come up with a number. It’s a bazillion, gazillion angels.

The birth of the long awaited Savior of the world is a big deal in God’s plan of redemption. We don’t know how many were present that night at Bethlehem, but all the angels joined in worshiping and celebrating.

Hebrews 1:6 “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

[Slide] The angels announce, “Peace on earth.”

Everybody loves the idea of having “peace on earth.”

What type of peace are the angels talking about?

I find it interesting that at this point in history the Pax Romana taking place at this time in world history. This was a period of peace throughout the Roman Empire when everything was supposedly stable and calm

The famous stoic philosopher Epictetus—a contemporary of Luke—observed that

“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.” Epictetus

Epictetus is on to something. There is a type of peace that humans long for. The Bible holds the answer to this ancient riddle.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is shalom, and in the New Testament the Greek word is eirene.

[Slide] Shalom: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace (BDB Lexicon)

It would be used to describe a wall with no cracks (soundness).

All things were marked by shalom in Genesis 1-2 (Garden of Eden)

Adam & Eve walked with God

Healthy bodies

Hearts with no sin

Healthy relationship

W/ God

W/Each other

W/Oneself

W/ Creation

Unfortunately, shalom came into a screeching halt because in their rebellion, they turned away from God. They rejected the kingdom of God, sin entered the world and shalom was lost.

The prophets speak about a time when shalom will be completely restored in the whole world through the coming of a king.

Isaiah 9:6–7 “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Also

Zechariah 9:9–10 “9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Good news: the angels announce to the shepherds that the newborn baby is the one who brings true peace to earth (Luke 2:14)

Here’s the shocking, life changing truth: Until we have peace with God, we cannot have any true peace at all.

[Slide] Our greatest problem is our sin that separates us from God and his peace. Jesus is the long awaited Prince of Peace who restores this peace.

How? The same prophet who prophesied about the coming of the Prince of Peace also wrote,

Isaiah 53:5 “5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the [punishment] that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Jesus would have to go from the manger to the cross.

Philippians 2:8 “8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Colossians 1:19–20 “19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Jesus restores shalom:

Peace with God

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Until we have peace with God, we cannot have any true peace at all.

Colossians 1:19–22 “19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”

Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the new-born king Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled" (Charles Wesley)

What an amazing reality: Jesus came down from heaven and took on flesh so that he could go to the cross and die in our place in order to reconcile us back to God. As a result we have peace with God instead of being enemies of God.

1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Peace with others.

Our peace with and from God is our source to foster forgiveness and unity in our relationships.

Colossians 3:13–15 “13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.”

Ephesians 4:2–3 “2 [live a life ] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Dream with me for a minute… What would your relationships look like if you were at peace with God and then out of that peace it overflowed into your relationships? Think about the power of God’s peace to bring healing and restoration?

Healing and restoration after betrayal, trauma, abuse, neglect.

Peace within oneself.

A peace that is not based on circumstances. A peace that protects our hearts and minds.

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Before Jesus died.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

After the resurrection he continually says to his disciples:

John 20:21 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

There is a lot of turmoil, but Jesus wants to fill his church with his peace and then be sent into the world.

Conclusion: Have you received this peace?

[Slide] Our greatest problem is our sin that separates us from God and his peace. Jesus is the long awaited Prince of Peace who restores this peace.

The message of peace is available to all people, but not everyone receives it.

God’s peace is a gift that must be received. The angels sing, “peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

The NIV translates it this way, “peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

“But this peace is not for all people everywhere; it belongs only to those who are the recipients of God’s gracious and kind pleasure.” Thomas Schreiner

That is, those with whom God is pleased are those who have received God’s underserved favor or grace through Christ.

Luke 1:53 “[God] has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”

The first step is by admitting that you are at war with God. You can only receive a gift if you admit you need it.

Diet gift

Hair gift

You can only receive God’s gift of peace if you admit your need for it.