The Heavenly Message
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Luke 2 shows us that God can bring peace to all who seek Him. In the middle of a difficult time in human history, when taxes were rising, poverty was widespread, and it seemed that God was silent. He sent His only Son to be the good news and glad tidings the world needed.
The Lord Jesus was presented in a humble manger in a stable of Bethlehem, and God chose ordinary working men—a group of shepherds- to proclaim the news of His Son's birth to the world.
I. The Messenger - Hear the Heavenly Announcement (vv. 8-14)
The scene in Luke 2 is an ordinary night of work for a group of ordinary shepherds.
LUKE 2:8
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
They were simply going about their business, doing what they did every other night, when something amazing happened:
LUKE 2:9
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
These shepherds suddenly heard a heavenly announcement.
A. From a special messenger
The angel who appeared to the shepherds was no "regular" angel, although the sight of a "regular" angel would have been shocking and striking enough.
1. Gabriel's Role in Luke's Gospel
Gabriel’s Earlier Appearances in Luke:
Gabriel is named earlier in the Gospel of Luke (1:19, 1:26–27) as the angel who announces:
The birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah.
The birth of Jesus to Mary.
Given Gabriel's prominent role in delivering key messages about Jesus’ birth, it is logical to assume he may also be the angel delivering the news to the shepherds.
2. Gabriel’s Role as a Messenger in Scripture
In Daniel, Gabriel is the angel who delivers significant messages regarding God's plans (Daniel 8:16, 9:21).
His association with prophecies and the coming of the Messiah in Daniel makes him a likely candidate for announcing the fulfillment of those prophecies in Luke.
This was the same angel that appeared to Joseph just a short time earlier in his time of questioning and pondering:
Matthew 1:20
KJV 1900
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
The focus of the passage is less on the identity of the angel and more on the message of joy and salvation brought to the shepherds and the world.
In the Bible, the prophet Daniel records a prophecy that reveals in a very detailed and fantastic way the exact time of the coming of the Messiah. But something in this prophecy bothered the Sages so much that they wrote in the Mishna that the book of Daniel is so holy it defiles the readers' hands. Therefore, the average Jew must not even come close to this book. Daniel Chapter 9 contains one of the most important prophecies in the Bible.
Why? It's because this prophecy foresees the exact time of the coming of the Messiah. And not least importantly, what would happen to him?
Babylon, 538 BC. King Darius is on the throne.
The head of his courtiers, Daniel the prophet, turns to God after he reads in the book of Jeremiah that the Babylonian Exile would last 70 years. Since the Babylonian Exile began in 605 BC, that would mean it was about to end. Therefore, Daniel comes before God, praying, repenting, and fasting.
He confesses the sins of the people of Israel and pleads with God to forgive them and bring his people back to Israel. He pleads for the restoration of Jerusalem's glory and, of course, for rebuilding the destroyed temple. Since the 70th year of Exile was drawing close, and Israel was still in Babylon, Daniel began to make intercession for his people. Responding to his prayer, God sends the angel Gabriel with an answer.
Daniel 9:24–26
KJV 1900
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The physical exile of the people of Israel away from the land of Israel was always connected to the spiritual exile of Israel from the God of Israel. God sent the angel Gabriel to confirm a reversal of the exile and, more good news, the hope for a Messiah. When will that happen?
In 7 weeks and 62 weeks... In other words, another 483 years.
The counting of those 483 years was to start when the command went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. According to the angel Gabriel, Jerusalem would be " ...built again with streets and a trench.."
(Daniel 9:25
"Streets"',
during the time of the Scriptures, is what today would be called a "city gate": the protected space of the city, the center of life. The wall and gates were part of that protected area, as described in 2 Chronicles 32.
"A trench"
refers to a moat that is a part of the protection system of a city. In ancient times, digging a deep moat around the city walls was a standard protection method. Thus, because of the mention of "street and trench,” it is understood that the starting point for prophetic timing was when the order was given to rebuild the city of Jerusalem as a whole.
That command was sent out in 445 BC when the King of Persia, Artaxerxes, gave Nehemiah the required order to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple (Nehemiah 2:1-8). Therefore, according to the prophecy in Daniel, 483 years after the year 445 BC, the Messiah would come.
WHAT WOULD THE MESSIAH COME TO DO?
To solve the problem of sin and iniquity.
That's just the introduction. Now, things are starting to heat up a little... The biblical term "the Messiah the Prince" is similar to "King Messiah.” Gabriel says that from the issuing of the command until the coming of the Messiah Prince, 69 "weeks of years" will pass. That means 483 years.
DEAR READER,
PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.
So, according to the book of Daniel, the Messiah has to appear no later than 483 years after the year 445 BC. And what will his mission be? "
... to end sin, and to atone for iniquity." In other words, to solve the problem of mankind's sin once and for all. It's important to remember that During Daniel's prophecy, one year equaled 360 days. Thus, 483 years after the issuing of Artaxerxes' command is the year 32 AD.
Whoever takes the Bible seriously needs to understand that the deadline for the Messiah's coming ended almost 2000 years ago.
The Messiah must die a violent death. In verse 26, Gabriel says, “The anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing." The term "cut off" describes his execution. Earlier, he was described as a "Messiah Prince,” i.e. "Messiah King", but now he is defined as a Messiah with nothing.
That means his royal status will be taken from him:
Instead of the glory of a King, he would endure unprecedented humiliation. Instead of ruling, he would be despised as a tortured slave.
After these events, the Angel Gabriel points out that: "The city and the sanctuary will be destroyed" (Daniel 9:27). This means that the city of Jerusalem and the temple will be demolished. And indeed, after the Messiah was humiliated, beaten, and cut off in the year 70 AD, that's precisely what happened. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was a deep trauma for the Jewish people.
So... which famous Jew walked the land in the year 32 AD, was humiliated, killed, and believed to be the Messiah - all before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD?
Back on the day of Jesus' crucifixion, a fascinating series of events took place, and they were recorded in the New Testament. Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. Pilate gave the order that this would be written on his cross: "Yeshua from Nazareth, King of the Jews."
The historian Luke writes in his gospel, "It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two." (Luke 23:44-45).
To sum up, according to the prophecy in Daniel 9, the coming and the violent death of the Messiah King is calculated to the year 32 AD - before the temple’s destruction. The Messiah King had to be rejected, suffer, and die because of mankind's sins - the death of the Messiah King was a sacrifice and atonement.
In this instance the Bible says the angel
"came upon" the shepherds, which gives us the idea of the angelic being overshadowing or hovering above the shepherds as they worked in the field. That in itself would have been intimidating and a cause for worry. But this angel was not alone.
The Bible tells us there were a multitude of angels present.
LUKE 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The word used for host comes from a Greek word that means "army." So we have a picture of a great many angels, perhaps spread
Revelation 5:11
KJV 1900
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Revelation 5:12
KJV 1900
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Hebrews 1:6
KJV 1900
6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
What a thought that Jesus is surrounded by an angelic host praising His name. But they also had an important message for the shepherds.
B. With a special message
LUKE 2:10-12
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
This was a message of assurance. First, the message was "Fear not"-literally, "Stop being afraid." The word translated fear is from the Greek word phobeo, which carries the connotation of being "put to flight by terrifying," or "to be scared away." The angel told the shepherds not to fear because they were afraid. They were not just a little afraid; the Bible says they were "sore afraid" —an expression that implies "mega phobia." These men were terrified. They had no idea what was happening to them; they were shocked by the sight of the angel of the Lord and the heavenly host. Perhaps they wondered what crime they had committed or believed they were witnessing the end of the world.
But with two words-"Fear not" —the angel of the Lord sought to bring assurance that there was no reason to be terrified. God did not want them to be frightened, but calm, because His message was not one of doom and destruction. Rather, His message was that God had come to be "with us." This was a message of acceptance. In verse 10 the angel followed up the instruction to "Fear not" by saying he brought something that was the opposite of fear: "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." The word translated "good tidings" is the Greek euaggelizo, which means "good news" and is the same word from which we get the word gospel.
This good news proclaimed by the angels is for everyone. God in His love accepts all who come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith.
JOHN 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
ISAIAH 45:22
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
People who are saved rejoice in the fact that salvation is not only for those who are members of some exclusive club. Everyone can experience the forgiveness of sins and assurance of eternal security. It matters not where we come from or what dark sins are in our past; the Good News is available to all who will believe.
This was a message of anticipation.
LUKE 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The angels' message promised peace to the earth because of the birth of Jesus. No doubt there was already peace on that first Christmas in the hearts of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Since that time there has also been peace in the hearts of those who know God. The promise concerning His peace was not limited to the day of His coming, but to the future when Jesus Christ comes again as the Prince of Peace, King of kings, and Lord of lords.
John 14:1–3
KJV 1900
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Jesus Christ promises peace to those who believe Him now, but peace will also come to all the earth as He establishes His kingdom in the future. For every Old Testament prophesy about the first coming of Christ there are eight about his second coming. Consider this one from Isaiah:
Isaiah 9:6–7
KJV 1900
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
We may not know the day or the hour, but we believe the Word of God; soon Jesus will return as the Prince who will bring peace to the earth, fulfilling his promise.
Illustration
One last-minute Christmas shopper learned about the obligation of a promise when she bought fifty Christmas cards for her circle of friends without stopping to read them first.
Quickly she rushed straight to the nearest post office, addressed forty-nine of the fifty, and sent them off.
Things had quieted down a few days later, and on Christmas Day she happened to come across the leftover card from the batch she'd mailed. She opened it and was surprised to read this cheery holiday message: "This is just a little card to say, A Christmas gift is on its way!" With a sinking heart she realized that forty-nine of her friends would now be waiting for a gift she'd never intended to give.
When God makes a promise, He delivers.
He promised peace on earth, and it is a fact that those who know Him know peace that passes all understanding.
PHILIPPIANS 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
It is also a fact that He will bring peace to the world for all of eternity.
II. The Manger - See the Heavenly Arrival (vv. 15-16, 20)
After hearing this wonderful news, the shepherds determined to discover for themselves if what God had told them through the angels was true. And they did not take their time about it; they made haste to the Bethlehem stable where Jesus lay.
LUKE 2:15-16
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
A. The place of His arrival
We have already learned that the word Bethlehem means "house of bread," but consider a few more details about this place where our Saviour was born.
The town of Bethlehem was located about six miles south of Jerusalem, in a district known as Ephratah, a region known for its fertile hills and valleys.
Bethlehem was the ancestral home of several well-known Biblical characters. Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, was buried there (Genesis 35:19). It was the original home of Naomi, mother-in-law to Ruth, and was the setting for much of the Book of Ruth. But perhaps the most important person to have come from Bethlehem before Jesus Christ was David (1 Samuel 17:12). It was in Bethlehem that the prophet Samuel anointed David as successor to King Saul. It seems amazing that with such a rich history Bethlehem was still a common, ordinary town, but the Bible indicates this was the case:
MICAH 5:2
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
B. The Person who arrived
Although the town was ordinary and the stable and manger were common for the day, there was nothing at all common or ordinary about the Person the shepherds saw lying in the manger: they saw the only begotten Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
In an ecumenical era when society increasingly emphasizes a multitude of pathways to heaven and people are increasingly tolerant to all religions and gods except for Jesus Christ, we cannot emphasize enough that Jesus Christ is the Son of the One true God, born of a virgin, and He lived a perfectly sinless life and died on Calvary's tree for our sins.
ROMANS 1:1-4
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
MATTHEW 1:22-23
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his
people from their sins.
name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.
Many religious celebrations of the Christmas holiday leave out this most important reason for joy in the season. They take offense at the truth that Jesus Christ is Em-manuel, "God with us," but their feelings make it no less fact. "God with us" is what we celebrate; "God with us" is what Christmas is all about.
Jesus is the Son of God, but He also came to be the Saviour the world needed:
MATTHEW 1:20-21
20 But while he thought on these things, be-hold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
Every man, woman, boy, and girl on the planet needs a Saviour because we all fall short of the glory of God.
ROMANS 3:10-12
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
We all understand that we are far from per-fect, but when we rationalize and compare ourselves to others, we can convince ourselves we are better than we truly are. But compared to God's standard ., even the best
of us are miserably lacking. None of us are worthy of the Gift of God. This is why we all need what Jesus offers: God's forgiveness and eternal peace.
III. The Marvel - Share the Heavenly Amazement (vv. 17-18)
Put yourself for a moment in the shepherds' shoes. How must they have felt to have seen these angelic beings and then to have been witnesses to the birth of Jesus? They may have wondered, "Why did God pick us, of all people, to see this amazing sight?" or even better, "So what do we do now?"
Having seen and heard the news, they told everyone. The miracle of Jesus' birth was never supposed to have been an isolated discovery— the world needed to know. Their call to see this miracle was also a call to share it with others.
Just as God had a bigger purpose for the shepherds, He did not place you on earth just to work a job or to make a name for yourself. He has a specific purpose, a holy calling for your life: to make Him known in the world.
A. A call to worried men
Remember how the angels told the shepherds, "Fear not"? These men were worried.
But God wanted them to know He could still use them.
Many Christians are gripped by fear at the thought of sharing their faith. But the good news is that God can use our worry and our weakness if we'll let Him.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in Don't let fear stop you from sharing the gospel with others. Instead, determine to let God use you even in your weakness. He will be faithful to strengthen you and bless the sharing of His message.
B. A call to working men
Being a shepherd was not a glorious life calling in those days. Some theologians have noted shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean and were not allowed into the temple. Further, their word was considered untrustworthy, so that they were not allowed to serve as witnesses in legal matters.
Whether or not this was commonly known, what would've been certain is that shepherds were lower class citizens. They were poor and dirty men with calloused hands and clothes that likely smelled of the sheep they spent their days and nights tending. Yet God chose them to proclaim to the world that His son had been born.
Some of the greatest preachers of the gospel and some of the most faithful Christians to share the gospel have not been men or women born of especially high pedigree or who had a life or education the world would consider impressive. Instead, what set them apart is that they had hearts yielded to God.
C. A call to willing men
God will use any humble servant who is surrendered to Him and who will do whatever God asks. The willingness of these men is seen in their actions; as soon as they had seen Jesus, they quickly went out to tell others.
The psalmist wrote,
PSALM 111:2
2 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
The world is full of people that want to be involved in the great works of God
"someday." "Someday" when they know the Scriptures better, they'll witness to a person they know is lost and headed to Hell; "some-day" when they receive a financial wind-fall, they'll make a commitment to worship God through their tithes and offerings as we are commanded; "someday" when they have more free time, they'll serve the Lord by getting involved in some aspect of ministry. But “someday" never comes.
God will not overwhelm us with responsibility if we surrender ourselves to His will. If he calls us to do something, he'll give us grace to do it. But we must be faithful to "make haste" and do what He puts on our hearts.
Don't wait to do something great for God.
Make "someday" today.
D. A call to witnessing men
When the shepherds realized what they'd seen they couldn't help but to tell others.
LUKE 2:17-18
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
When we truly realize what God has done for us through salvation-paying our sin debt and securing heaven as our eternal home-we should not be able to keep silent about it but be eager to share.
PSALM 66:16
16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Knowing Jesus as Saviour is the greatest thing that can happen in a person's life, and he should want to tell others about it. In fact, it is our obligation and great privilege to do so.
Accompany the instruction to proclaim the Gospel with practical tips for how to share their faith with others. Start with whatever resources your local church has on the topic, then be sure to include tips from your own
experiences. Reassure your class that witnessing does not require that they be theologians; they just must be willing to share what God has done for them. As they are faithful and obedient, God will give them the grace needed to be powerful witnesses for Him.
Conclusion
The reason we know about secluded places like the Christmas Islands is because explorers encountered them in their travels and made known these discoveries to the world. And God's plan
THAT'S A REAL KING.
He is a king willing to humble himself and leave his heavenly throne, not to be served by man but to serve man. He is not a king hiding in his palace, behind soldiers who protect him with their lives, but a king who gives his life, not only for his beloved ones, his covenant people, and even his haters.
THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD.
He is a loving king willing to reveal himself to mankind, coming in the likeness of men. He lived the perfect life and still allowed us to reject him, humiliate him, and take on himself the punishment that all mankind deserved.
THIS IS REAL LOVE.
This is a king who is worthy to be followed. Or, as Jesus himself said: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12-13).
By the way, it's interesting to see that although it is forbidden to come close to the book of Daniel, Rashi did connect verse 27 to the days of the Messiah King: "And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator." However, Rashi disconnected it entirely from the rest of the chapter and the timetable laid out in it. Why?
For the same reason, the sages accused Daniel of being wrong in his calculation:
"So the Rabbi said: Daniel erred in his calculation." (Scroll 12, 71). By now, it should be clear to the reader why the Sages did not want the People of the Book to come into contact with the book of Daniel. Rambam adds that it is forbidden to try and calculate the coming of the Messiah: "A person should never busy himself with the Aggadot...one should not calculate the ends."
They expend all this effort to hide the reality that Daniel's prophecy talks about Yeshua the Mes-siah. God's truth can stand against any test, so it makes sense for seekers of truth to research, read the Bible for themselves, and take back the key to knowledge that was taken away from you.
