The Shepherd’s first on the scene!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro:
Intro:
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
The Theme for this Christmas Season at MBC is “You have been cordially invited”
RSVP is an abbreviation for the French phrase répondez s'il vous plaît, which translates to "please respond". It's used on invitations to request confirmation of attendance for an event.
RSVP is often used for formal events, weddings, and birthday parties, but can also appear on casual invitations. The host uses RSVPs to plan for the event, such as by deciding how many handouts to print or how big of a room to reserve.
RSVP require an action on your part. It requires a decision. There is no middle ground there is no compromise. You are either coming or not.
The Theme for this Christmas Season at MBC is “You have been cordially invited”
The most natural question is “What have I been invited too?”
You have been invited into the birthing room of our Lord
the invitation of God is to a feast as joyous as a wedding feast. His invitation is to joy.
William Barclay (New Testament Scholar)
To be close enough to to someone to invited to their inner sanctum to see their child is a huge honor. Most folks just don’t let anyone into the birthing room.
Our Lord in his infinite wisdom and mercy a chosen a very interesting group of people to his inner sanctuary.
Our Theme Scripture for this month comes out of John 10:10
10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Our Lord is ultimately inviting you to a relationship with him that is beyond your wildest imagination.
Our Narrative today starts with the recipients of an RSVP to the birthing scene: The Shepherds.
When I read this story I am captivated that the Most High God would deliver such an important message to a bunch of Shepherds. Shepherds spent all day outside cleaning up Sheep Poop, Cutting Sheep Hair, Protecting Sheep from Danger. No one knew their names either, they provided a necessary service to all of Israel, but they never got a good morning, they weren’t able to go to the Temple and Worship. Ask Moses and David what it was like to take care of sheep. It was a necessary job but thankless. They were like modern day garbage men. Garbage men perform a very necessary service. If they stop collecting garbage for a month everyone in this room would be affected and mad. But on a daily basis we don’t even know what they look like even though its been the same set of men collecting garbage in front of my house for the last 5 years.
-I can’t help but think to myself!!
IF THIS BABY IS KING WHY WOULD HIS BIRTH BE ANNOUNCED TO A BUNCH OF LOWLY SHEPHERDS? THIS IS DIRECTLY OPPOSED TO HOW A FUTURE KING WOULD BE ANNOUNCED. WHEN A NEW PRINCE WAS BORN IT WOULD BE REVEALED TO KINGS ROYAL COURT AND THEN ANNOUNCED TO ALL OF THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE KINGDOM. THIS IS STRANGE TO ME THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE WOULD BE SENT THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM IN THE HANDS OF THESE 1ST CENTURY GARBAGEMEN.
I. The Shepherd’s Call
I. The Shepherd’s Call
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
(EXP)(v.8) On the surface these shepherds seem like regular shepherd’s in the field. But they were not. Bethlehem was 3 miles from Jerusalem. These Shepherd’s were Levitical Shepherds, meaning they were trained to certify Passover Sheep meant for sacrifice. The fields of Bethlehem were owned by the Religious leaders stationed at the Temple, so the Sheep from this field were the ones that were sacrificed at the temple. At the temple they sacrificed 1 sheep in the morning and 1 at night. Then at Passover roughly 250,000 Lamb were sacrificed. So this elite group of Shepherds spent all day watching and birthing Passover Lambs.
Luke 2:9-10
9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
At this point the Angel most likely Gabriel has appeared to: Zechariah(Elizabeth Wife), Joseph & Mary now these lowly Shepherds. Like anytime when a human is in the presence of a Supernatural being there is fear and awe, but the Angels comforted them and told them “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all people”
a. Good news-Euagelion-euagelizomai-Is the verb form of “The Good News” Luke uses the verb form exclusively, in both Luke and Acts.
Essentially Luke talks about the Gospel as something that needs to shared. As a message not as a noun(which is a person, place or thing).
Luke 2:11
11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
a. Where he was born---The City of David(Bethlehem) in direct fulfillment of prophecy.
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.
b. What he would do---Save-The name Jesus-Joshua-One who saves. Listen to Zechariah describe him
Luke 1:76-77
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
c. Who is he---Christos Kurios—Christ the Lord…Christ is his Title, Lord is his Rank.
12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
(v.12) “This will be a sign for you” The commentary’s explanation of this phrase was unsatisfactory for me. Their conclusion is the sign was just a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling cloths. Well after some research all Jewish Mother’s did this to their newborn babies to help straighten out their limbs. Bethlehem was a small city, but there would have been an influx of people coming to the city to register. So it is safe to say Mary was probably not the only pregnant woman giving birth in a city with several thousand people. The Commentary’s make it seem like this would be a general sign. But I argue that the sign would be something that Shepherds would understand that would differentiate this baby from all others.
Analogy:Pastor Hood diagnosing My Car issue. His years of service give him a keen ear to certain things. Like Pastor Hood when the Angels said
“This shall be a sign:
a. A swaddling cloths
b. Laying in a manager
-Yall that’s the kicker those two signs are critical. Yall remember that there was no room in the guest house for Mary and Joseph, so where did they end up. Wherever they ended up was a place that Animals where feed. Our Lord was laid in a trough for feeding animals, or a crib like apparatus that the Shepherds used to put the baby lambs that were going to be slaughtered.
Now lets take a look back at Luke 2:7
7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
(EXP)(7) Notice that Luke puts the disclaimer at the end “because there was no room for them in the inn” Luke knew that readers of this book would need an explanation as to why our Lord had to be birthed in a place that animals were kept.
Luke 2:12
12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
(v.12) Explain the “Tower of the Flocks”
The Tower of the Flock, also known as Migdal Eder in Hebrew, is a biblical location that was a military watchtower in ancient times. It's mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 35:21 “21 Israel set out again and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.” and Micah 4:8 “8 And you, watchtower for the flock, fortified hill of Daughter Zion, the former rule will come to you; sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”
Here are some things associated with the Tower of the Flock:
Location
The tower was located in the Shepherd's Field in Bethlehem Ephrathah, near the present-day city of Bethlehem.
History
The tower was used from the time of David and Solomon until Jesus' birth. It was where sacrificial lambs were prepared, examined, cleaned, and wrapped in swaddling cloths.
Prophecy
The prophet Micah referred to Migdal Eder as "the tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion". Some believe that the Messiah would first appear at the Tower of the Flock, where the animals reserved for sacrifices were being raised
-Let me give you a final clue
Luke 2:11
11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
(v.11) When the Angels told them about Jesus the only destination they gave them was that he was born in the City of David.
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
(v.15) The Shepherds went straight to Bethlehem
Luke 2:16
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
v.16) They came in a Hurry and Found their way to Mary and Joseph.....So did they just get lucky and the first places they went she happened to be there or Did they know exactly where Mary and Joseph were because they where in this room all the time inspecting sacrificial Lambs.
Conclusion---God Sent these Levitical Shepherds to certify the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.
II. The Shepherd’s Proclamation
II. The Shepherd’s Proclamation
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
(v.15-16) The Shepherds went expeditiously to the place where Mary and Joseph were to witness the birth scene. Then notice what they did after
Luke 2:17
17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,
(v.17) They were so impacted by the visitation of the Angel, and verifying the Angels message through research that they “they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child” These lowly Shepherds became the first Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They announced his birth even before the parents where able to. God took these lowly, funky, and disrespected Shepherds from the Valley all the way to the Mountain top. They were so impacted by this event that they learned to praise God in their circumstance.
Luke 2:20
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
(v.20) The Shepherds went back; Went back where? they went back to the field.
What did they do?
-They went back and had a praise service. Nothing physically had changed about their life. This new outlook was a Spiritual Change. The Passover Lamb is here!!!!
Can I tell you what excited them?
10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
(v.10) “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people”
a. The news is of benefit to all people of Israel, The poor, the sickness, the lowly, the oppressed, the influential, the kings, and the preachers. This is an invitation to anyone who is willing.
(EXP)(v.11) “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior”
b. The Good News is that I am sending a Savior to deal with your sin problem so that the relationship between man and God can be reconciled. And I am using this little baby boy to do it!!!
(v.12) “This will be sign for you”
c. God will no longer just reveal himself through a few select people(prophets) He will now reveal himself to people from all walks of life the poor, the broken, to women, the beat up and the sinners.
Jesus says it best in a prayer to his father:
21 At that time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.
The invitations of the Gospel are invitations to happiness. In delivering God’s message, we do not ask men to come to a funeral, but to a wedding feast!
“Marvelous Things”, Volume 54, Sermon #3086 - Psalm 98:1, 2
Charles Spurgeon
