Joy to the Nations

Christmas 2024-Come and See

Joy to the Nations

Luke 2:8-15

When we, having taken up the things of yourself to tell you of our desire to praise you and to extol your marvelous grace, we come to these moments when in our study of the Bible, we continue to worship you by the declaring of your mighty deeds. So grant to us, then, worshipping hearts as we preach and listen and seek to understand and obey. For Jesus’ sake we ask it. Amen.

I. Introduction

A. In our culture many parents send out an announcement of the birth of their precious newborn child.

1) Sometimes it is simply done via email, letter, or a phone call.

2) Or, many choose to send out more elaborate email-grams or cards.

B. Pastor John MacArthur notes that “if the announcement of Jesus’ birth had been part of a humanly planned public relations campaign, it would have been handled very differently. The announcement would have targeted the powerful and influential in Israel: the high priest, the members of the Sanhedrin, the priests, Levites, scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees. Instead God chose to reveal this glorious truth first of all to members of a lowly, despised group.” God first announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds.

1) So, God came not to a princess but to a lowly maiden;

2) not to the home of a high-ranking officer but to the home of the village carpenter; and

3) not, as we now see, to the halls of learning but to the fields of shepherds and to a group of individuals who, as a class, were actually despised by those who were religiously orthodox in their day.

C. This message can help Christians understand that God's message of hope and joy is for everyone, regardless of their social status or background. It invites believers to embrace the call to share this good news with others, especially those who feel overlooked or forgotten.

D. The shepherds were not anywhere close to the top of the social spectrum.

1) And in religious terms, they didn’t fare much better.

2) Because of their duties, they missed far too many of the services, and they tended to wash their hands a little less than they were supposed to in relationship to the ceremonial and judicial law.

E. And yet despite that, when God dispatches his angelic host, it is to the fields he sends them.

1) And it is, as we have seen, directly to this group of shepherds.

2) The one of whom the angels sing their message to the shepherds is one who, in the years of his manhood, is going to stand upon the stage of human history and take to himself as one of the descriptions of his person nothing other than that of a shepherd.

3) It will be this one of whom the angels are singing that will stand and say, “I am the good shepherd; [and] I know my sheep and [they] know me.”

F. Christmas as a great opportunity for people to come to faith,

1) Christmas also is a unique time for men and women to affirm themselves in their unbelief—for them to be reinforced in the confusion which grips them.

2) So, they’re coming out of a year in which they’ve paid largely little attention to the issues of the Bible or to Jesus at all.

3) Because of the passage of time and because of the events of the calendar, they find themselves swept in amongst the worshipping crowd.

4) Many of them have very little clue what’s going on.

5) They’re not sure; they can’t tell the difference between a Christmas carol and a folk song.

6) And so, whether they’re singing “Ding-dong merrily on high or “[We] saw three ships come sailing in on Christmas Day in the morning,” they frankly haven’t got a clue whether they should be sailing in a ship, ringing the bell, or just exactly what they ought to be doing.

7) And before ever they have time to work it out, it’s the first of January, and they’ll have to wait for another twelve months to get back and consider the subject all over again.

8) And in part we contribute to that by surrounding our events in a form of sentimentalism and by trying at the same time to doctor up Christmas so as to make it just a little more jazzy for the people and help them over the bitter pill of having to read the Christmas story itself.

G. God often chooses the unexpected to reveal His glory and that humility can be a vessel for receiving divine truth and joy. It also underscores the importance of spreading the message of Jesus' birth.

H. God's joyful announcement of Christ's birth challenges us to recognize and share His love across all societal boundaries.

I. Mary and Joseph, of course, have moved from the locality in which they are most known, best known, and have found themselves now in at least marginal obscurity in a different place altogether.

1) And so the likelihood of the people from the community showing up at the door of this particular dwelling is not very high.

2) And so God arranges his own celebration and sends the heavenly minstrels to fill the night sky and to sing the songs of celebration at the birth of this child.

J. Now, we read from Hebrews chapter 1 in order that we might be clear that the Bible in every place, and not least of all in Hebrews 1, establishes the superiority of Christ to these angels

1) Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

2) And we noted, I think, in our reading verse “And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’” And if we might think reverently and correctly about the scene in heaven,

3) Father dispatches the angelic host at a precise moment in time, saying to them, “Now, I want you to go to the fields around Bethlehem, I want you to greet this particular group of shepherds, and I want you to magnify and glorify my Son, who has now been born.”

K. It’s a quite remarkable thought that the covenant of redemption into which the Father and the Son and the Spirit had entered in all of eternity now comes to birth in the experience of the incarnation, and the Father is still judicially involved in it all and dispatching these angels at his behest.

II. Shepherds in the Spotlight

Luke 2:8-9 (The Shepherds and the Angels)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

A. Luke said that in the same region where Jesus was born, which was Bethlehem, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night (2:8).

B. These shepherds were simply going about their regular work. They watched the flock of sheep by night. It was probably a night just like every other night of the many thousands of nights that they watched the flock.

C. And so, as we noted this morning, they come to these shepherds not, you will note, when they were involved in peculiar acts of devotion but when they were simply going through the routine of their lives.

1) We don’t want to pause there unduly, except for a moment to note what I’m saying: that

2) God came to them not because they were particularly pious (they weren’t),

3) not because they were uniquely religious (they were not),

4) not because somehow they had a standing and a status amongst others in their day (they didn’t).

5) Indeed, in one sense, they had nothing going for them at all, these fellows on the night shift on the Judean hillsides.

6) And God comes not to reward their devotion but to meet them in their place of business.

D. So why did God first announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds? Commentator Phil Ryken says that various explanations have been offered.

1) Some say that the shepherds make a connection with King David, the royal ancestor of Jesus, who was also a shepherd.

2) Others note that there is a prophecy in Jeremiah that God would send the Savior when shepherds were watching their flocks in the region where Jesus was born.

3) Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 33:13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.

4) Jeremiah 33:15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD is our righteousness.’

5) But there is another reason why God first announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. And the reason is that the gospel is for everyone, even those who might be considered lowest on the social ladder.

E. Luke said that an angel of the Lord appeared to them (2:9a). We don’t know the name of this angel but many commentators believe that it was Gabriel, who had previously visited Zechariah and Mary.

F. Adding to the shock of the sudden appearance of an angel, the glory of the Lord shone around them with blazing brilliance (2:9b).

1) Glory- {dox'-ah} Strong's {1391}Definitions: from the base of Greek ; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, object or subject): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship

G. Understandably, the shepherds were filled with great fear (2:9c).

1) In the Bible, fear was the normal response whenever anyone encountered either an angel (cf. Daniel 8:15-18; 10:7-9, 16-17; Matthew 28:2-4; Luke 1:12, 26-30) or the glory of the Lord (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5; Ezekiel 1:28; 3:23; Matthew 17:5-6; Mark 4:41; 5:33; Acts 9:4; Revelation 1:17).

2) Afraid- {fob-eh'-o} Strong's {5399}Definitions: from (5401) ; to frighten, i.e. (passive) to be alarmed; by analogy to be in awe of, i.e. revere: - be (+ sore) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence.

III. Joyful proclamation for all

Luke 2:10-11

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

A. The shepherds were so terrified by the sudden appearance of the angel and also by the glory of the Lord that the first thing that the angel said to them was, “Fear not” (2:10a). The shepherds had nothing to fear.

B. Let me briefly unpack the statement of the angel.

1) The angel had come to bring good news to the shepherds. The Greek word for good news is the word from which we get “gospel.” And so the “gospel” is good news.

2) The message of the gospel brings great joy to all who believe it.

C. The angel also said that the good news is for all the people.

1) At first it may seem that this applies to all people everywhere. However, that is not the meaning of this phrase.

2) The angel did not say, “for all people,” but “for all the people.” The definite article (the) distinguishes these people from all the rest.

3) So, to which people was the angel referring?

4) Commentator Robert Stein says, “Luke envisioned the gospel as being for all people, including the Gentiles (Acts 15:1-29; 18:10); but here, as in 3:21; 7:29; 8:47, the people of Israel were primarily in Luke’s mind.

5) The singular ‘people’ refers everywhere else in Luke to the people of Israel.”

6) The good news is not just for the Jews. It is indeed also for Gentiles.

7) But the angel gave the good news to the Jews first.

8) As Scripture says, the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

9) God's joyful announcement of Christ's birth challenges us to recognize and share His love across all societal boundaries.

10) The two volumes of Luke–Acts tell the story of how Jesus, the Savior, Lord and Christ, brought salvation to all people regardless of nationality. They need only turn to him (Acts 10:34–43)

i. Acts 10:34-43 (Gentiles Hear the Good News)

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

D. Then the angel gave the baby three titles that identified him: “A Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (2:11c).

1) Commentator Darrell Bock says, “Savior points to his role as deliverer; Christ points to his office in terms of the promised Anointed One of God; and Lord indicates his sovereign authority.”

2) Isaiah 9:6 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.

E. To help the shepherds believe what was being said to them, the angel gave them a sign to confirm his promise, much like the signs that had been given to Zechariah and Mary.

IV. Glory in the humble

Luke 2:12-15

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

A. He said in verse 12, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” The sign was not what Jesus was wearing, because most newborn babies wore swaddling cloths, but rather that that he would be lying in a manger.

B. Before the shepherds could respond to the statement of the angel, suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (2:13a).

C. A multitude of the heavenly host refers to “a very large group of angels from heaven.” Sometimes Christmas cards will have a picture of the sky lit up with thousands and thousands of angels. However, it is likely that the single angel was standing on the ground, and then this vast army of angels joined the angel on the ground too. I think that is more likely since there is no report that other people saw the angels.

D. Their praise included two thoughts. They proclaimed the glory of God in the highest heaven.

1) The birth announcement brought adoration to the One who was the source of the great news.

2) The King James Version renders the latter half of the multitude’s praise as “on earth peace, good will toward men.”

E. A multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God.

1) Their song, known generally today by the title, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, (Latin for “glory to God in the highest”) catches up the full significance of the birth of the Baby.

2) His life and ministry would bring glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth, good will toward men, or perhaps to men in whom He is well-pleased.

3) The men in whom God is well-pleased are those who repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior

F. What did the shepherds do in response to their experience with the angel and the heavenly host?

G. you’ll notice their decision, in verse 15: “When the angels had … gone…” Incidentally, there is in the Greek text here an indication of the way in which they both came and left.

1) Further up in the text, where it says that the angel “appeared,” and later on, when the “great company of the heavenly host appeared

2) And here, in the departure, there’s no notion of them splitting as suddenly as they came.

3) Indeed, the very notion is that they left in a kind of undramatic and gradual fashion.

4) And as the shepherds were there within the context of the sheep, they watched as the angels, one by one, began to dissipate—not into nowhere but, we’re told, “into heaven.”

H. And then their decision, halfway through the verse: “Let’s go,” they said, “to Bethlehem.” “Let’s go to Bethlehem.” If someone had said, “Let’s go!” I doubt anybody would have said, “Where?” There wasn’t a question: “We’re on our way to Bethlehem. Why are we going?” Well, “let’s go … and see this thing that has happened.”

I. Luke tells us that when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger (2:15-16).

J. The shepherds heard the good news, they believed it, and they acted on their faith. Luke doesn’t tell us what they did with the sheep. Perhaps one of them stayed behind. Or perhaps they closed the sheep pen, and prayed that no one would come and steal the sheep while they were gone.

V. Conclusion

The shepherds heard the revelation of God from the angel. They believed what they heard. And they then responded by telling others about Jesus, and worshiping God.

The shepherds understood that, and it changed them. “I love to tell the story,” they would have been saying to one another,

of unseen things above: Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love. I love to tell the story, because I know [it’s] true. It satisfies my longings [like] nothing else [can] do. (Kate Hankey, “I Love to Tell the Story” (1866))

We’ve a story to tell to the nations That will turn their hearts to the right, A story of peace and gladness, A story of love and light.

For the darkness shall turn to the dawning And the dawning to noonday bright, And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth, A kingdom of love and light. (H. Ernest Nichol, “We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations” (1896))

If you have never put your faith in Jesus, I invite you to do so today. Jesus came to save everyone. No matter your situation, Jesus will be good news for you if you trust him to pay the penalty for your sin. Do so now.

Gracious Father, grant, then, that we may follow the example of these shepherds; that we may pay careful attention to all that by your Spirit we have seen and heard of your grace and goodness; that you will make us both witnesses and worshippers; that people will not be amazed at us but may be amazed at the story they hear us tell from such an unlikely source, with such an incredible ending, and with such an uncompromising challenge.

Thank you for the birth of Jesus. Thank you for this fantastic announcement that you sent by the angels’ song. Thank you for the reaction of the shepherds and all who heard. And thank you for giving us the opportunity this morning to react as well. We bless you in Christ’s name. Amen.