God is great enough for Glory
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Text: Luke 2.8-20
Intro:
We imagine from our perch in the 2023 West and look back at the accounts of Scripture with their promise of “peace on earth good will toward men” and imagine that this is in reference to some semblance of calm in the culture. But since we are setting up here in the calm of our extravagence we really don’t need peace.
This peace was the peace of two parties at odds.
Opening: The TEXT from Luke chapter 2 is a very familiar passage. Even people who never crack open the Bible had a chance to hear it in the Charley Brown Christmas Special where Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas by reading those verses.
Main Point of the Text:
God is worthy of Glory
- “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace Good will toward men.”
God Deserves Glory for his Position
God Deserves Glory for his Peace
God Deserves Glory for his Person
Intro “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
The tune for this classic song was written by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840. The words were written by Charles Wesley. Charles and his brother John Wesley were pioneers in the Methodist Church. In his life time Charles Wesley wrote over 6,500 hymns. This text, is considered to be the finest hymn lyrics Wesley wrote.
And, in fact, HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING has sometimes been named the most popular hymn in the English language.
I. God’s glory is seen in the Peace in the Turmoil.
It is fitting that this most important birth was proclaimed by Supernatural Beings.
To the Shepherds, it must have been an astounding sight.
But to the Angels may have felt like this BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT was vastly understated.
After all, this was the most significant event in all of human history.
The Angels must have wondered why this Great News was not proclaimed to all Nations of the World. Why didn’t God accompany the announcement with world-wide spectacles like thunder and lightening, meteor showers --- maybe a lunar eclipse and a few erupting volcanoes … anything to make the whole world take notice!
God the Father sent an enormous Heavenly Choir to announce the BIRTH of HIS SON to a few shepherds in an obscure little field. No one does things that way!
So, who were these Shepherds to deserve such an honor? Well, they were your average, everyday, blue-collar working folks. And they did NOTHING to deserve the honor. In fact, that was the whole point.
Jesus came to save ordinary, average, everyday people. We can identify with those Shepherds because they were just like you and me. None of us deserve the Peace on Earth that Jesus offers. We are sinners who do not deserve to be reconciled to God. But it is to US --- regular old average “Joe’s” --- that this Good News is proclaimed.
But the night the shepherds mundane small existence was shattered it was shattered with a vital message. "Glory to God” (believe that if there is one core idea that will keep our ministries, preaching and daily lives from the mundane it will be the message burning in our heart "Glory to God”.
No Peace for Jerusalem
Can I remind you that this is all taking place inside the occupation of the Roman Empire. This is all is beautiful and wonderful but the land that Jesus was born on did not belong to the Jews it belonged to Rome.
Jesus was not born in a peaceful time. In two years Herod will order the killing of every boy 2 years and younger and event so horrible when spoken about it is generational.
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
III. God’s glory is seen in Blessings in the Dark
Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.”
• Jesus brings LIGHT and LIFE: Light and life to all He brings… John 1:4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
• Jesus brings HEALING: Risen with healing in His wings. I Peter 2:24 explains:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
• Jesus brings VICTORY OVER DEATH: Mild he lays his Glory by, born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.” - Ralph Stockman
CONCLUSION: