The Christmas Story: Four Perspectives (4)
The Christmas Story: Four Perspectives • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 52:13
0 ratings
· 18 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
The Perspective of the Shepherds
The Perspective of the Shepherds
" A Lesson in Grace and Mercy”
" A Lesson in Grace and Mercy”
Scripture Reference: Luke 2:8-20.
Over the past few weeks we have been looking at the Christmas Story from different perspectives and have learned so far that Joseph Learned obedience (talk a little about that)
and Mary learned how to fully surrender to God ( talk a little about that).
I pray that they have been a real help so far in getting us to see how we are to be obedient to God’s call and fully surrender our lives to Him.
Today I want to see the Christmas Story from the perspective of Multiple individuals.
Tradition has it that there were two shepherds but we are not told that in the text or anywhere else.
all we know is that there were more than one.
I want us to learn about two important words:
Grace and Mercy
Grace is receiving what we dont deserve
Mercy is Not Receiving what we do deserve
I want us to learn from these shepherds what it is like to be nobody’s and become somebody’s all because of the grace and mercy of God.
I want us that are saved, born again, to remember what it was like when we had an encounter with the savior
I want those that are lost to learn what it is like to have an encounter with the savior.
I pray this message will speak to the saved and lost alike this morning.
So let's look at The perspective of the Shepherds, as we get a lesson in Grace and Mercy.
I. The Shepherds’ Startling Encounter (Luke 2:8-9)
I. The Shepherds’ Startling Encounter (Luke 2:8-9)
Grace Revealed to the Lowly
In these verses, the message of Jesus' birth comes first to the humble shepherds
—an unexpected audience for such a monumental announcement.
Shepherds were considered lowly, even outcasts, in Jewish society. Yet, God’s grace chose to reveal the good news to them first, demonstrating that His grace is not reserved for the high and mighty, but for the humble and needy.
Imagine yourself as one of these shepherds: You are just minding your own business maybe counting the stars when all of a sudden, a great light shines all around you. I think any one would be startled, but especially these shepherds. Why?
They were startled because of
A. Their Profession
They were shepherds.
It was not the most glamours job
It was a dirty and thankless job.
It was long hours
no friends except fellow shepherds.
They were amazed because things like this does not happen to men in their line of work.
God’s Grace Reaches the Margins
The shepherds were on the margins of society, but God’s grace reached them there.
This reminds us that no one is too far from the reach of God’s Grace.
Supporting Verse: Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
A. Their Profession
B. Their Position
This announcement came to
shepherds not to priest or rulers,
to shepherds not to scribes and Pharisees.
The social status of a shepherd was very low.
Even though they were needed they weren't trusted because most men that did these jobs were of the lower end of the social totum pole .
They were not even allowed to be a witness in a court of law.
This reminds us that it does not matter your postion in society God’s Grace is Available to All
The angel’s announcement is a reminder that grace knows no social boundaries.
God’s Grace extends to all people, regardless of status, wealth, or reputation.
Supporting Verse: Romans 10:12
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
A. Their Profession
B. Their Position
C. Their Panic (sore afraid)
Being startled in the middle of the night causes panic.
I am sure they had heard the accounts of men having encounters with angels and not surviving
They probably thought they were dead men.
I dont know maybe the light from the angels reveled some terrifying things in the field
or maybe the light allowed them to see their true nature.
(lost man having his sinfulness reveled by the light of the gospel.)
Do you remember when fear came over you?
Can you remember the amazement you felt when the Lord came to you, drawing you to Christ?
II. The Shepherds Scandalous Invitation
II. The Shepherds Scandalous Invitation
The Gospel is scandalous: Think about it, The almighty, holy soverign, creator, God, created man just to have his creation turn on Him. Then He sends His Son in the flesh born of a virgin to a people that despised and rejected Him. Then that same Son would willing go to the cross to die for the sins of the very ones that hated Him, just to have His own father turn away from Him in His hour of need.
If that was not enough, His invitation is to all that would call on Him in faith and believe.
What a Scandalous Gospel.
So that first thing we see about this scandalous invitation is….
A) It was Public (to all people) v.10
This was a Scandalous invitation because this invitation was given with all mankind in mind.
Things like this never happened to the lowest of society
Not only that Im sure they werent the only ones that saw the light.
Could you imagine the talk that would take place the next day?
You remember when you got saved and how people talked?
Becasue you cant hide something as big as God.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
A) It was Public (to all people) v.10
B) It was a Personal (unto you) V.11a
The angel said, “unto you is born this day...”
The message from Heaven is that God is interested in the individual.
He cares about you!
When the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, He came as the Savior of the world, but He also came to be your Savior.
Praise God! I rejoice when I think of Him dying for the sins of many, but I almost lose control when I think that He died for me!
Galatians 2:20 (KJV 1900)
..... I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
A) It was Public (to all people) v.10
B) It was a Personal (unto you) V.11a
C) It was a Powerful V.11b
The angel speaks to them about a baby.
Not just any baby, but a special baby.
A baby that is identified by three special names.
The titles given to him by the angel declare His uniqueness.
1. Savior :
He is the One Who would give His life for the sins of His people.
He is the One Who robed His deity in humanity and came into this world to die on the cross, Phil. 2:5-8.
He is the One came to do what all the sacrifices and blood shed in the tabernacle and the temple could never do.
Ill. Heb. 10:11-14,
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Thank God, He is the Savior of all who will believe the Gospel! 1 Tim. 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
2. Christ : This word tells us that He is the “Anointed One; the Messiah.”
He is the One promised from the beginning, Gen. 3:15.
He is the One prefigured in all the sacrifices and all the Old Testament prophecies.
He is the One God said would come.
He is the One the Jews anticipated every time they offered a sacrifice and kept a feast.
He is the One for Whom the world waited.
3. Lord: This title identifies Him as Sovereign God.
This little baby was the One Who spoke the universe into existence.
He is the One Who formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
He is the One Who controls the paths of the planets and the galaxies.
He is the One Who permits the movement of the most minute piece of dust.
He is the Lord of all!
Yet, He lies in Bethlehem, in the person of a helpless baby!
What condensation!
What grace! What love! What glory!
To think that Almighty God would humble Himself to come into this world as a helpless child, so that we might be saved!
A) It was Public (to all people) v.10
B) It was a Personal (unto you) V.11a
C) It was a Powerful V.11b
D) It was Precise V.12-14
They were told who it was they were to look for, where to go and what they would find.
They not only told them precisely what they were to look for.
They confirmed it with an army of heavenly host.
verse 13 says, “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, goodwill toward men!’”
There was a heavenly flash and then angels surround the shepherds, who are already bewildered! The words “a multitude”, do not refer to 50, or to 150, or to 1,500 but to a number that was beyond counting. It is amazing to consider that heavenly host stretched from horizon to horizon to witness the most amazing event in the history of the universe.
They made sure that the shepherds knew the importance of the announcement.
Remind you of when you heard the Good news.
Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
III. The Shepherds’ Surprising Response
III. The Shepherds’ Surprising Response
(Luke 2:15-16)
When the shepherds received the message of grace, they didn’t hesitate
The shepherds hear the message and responded.
How they responded altered the course of their lives forever.
Notice some things they could have done:
1. They could have Debated it (Sat down and analyzed)
2. They could have Rejected it (Not for me)
3. They could have Dissected it (To Far)
4. They could have Doubted it (It can’t be)
The shepherds did none of these things they did the thing that mattered, they believed it. (“Let us go”)
—they immediately set out to see the newborn King.
Their quick response is an example of how we should embrace the mercy of God when it’s offered to us.
A) They Recognized their Need v.15
“Hath made known unto us”
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
A) They Recognized their Need
B) They Responded with Urgency v.16
“They came with haste”
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
When you realize what you are and that you have been offered grace and mercy and you accept it by faith it calls for for Immediate Response
Just as the shepherds responded quickly to the call of the angels, so must we respond without delay to the mercy of God.
When we hear the good news of Jesus, it demands a response.
The shepherds didn't argue or question the angel's message; they obeyed in faith and went with haste.
It is not enough to hear about Jesus
It is not enough to look into the manger and say, “Oh how nice. This touching scene gives me good feelings.”
But the truth is that if Jesus were born in Bethlehem a thousand times and not within you, you will still be eternally lost.
You can get all sentimental at Christmas, and have a warm fuzzy feeling but if Christ is not born into your heart, it is a mockery of the reason that he came.
What they actually did is what changed their lives, v. 15-16.
They simply took the message at face value and went to Bethlehem to see the Christ child.
That is the only response to God’s invitation that will bring salvation to the soul.
When the message comes to a lost sinner, it is a crucial moment.
Either that sinner will heed the message and go to Christ, or that sinner will reject the message and continue in their sins.
What they do with the message of the Gospel determines how they will live out the remainder of the earthly lives ,and where they will go when this earthly life is over.
Ill. John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
To receive the message of the Gospel means a changed life in this world for the believer, 2 Cor. 5:17.
It also means a change of eternity for them when this life is over, John 14:1-6.
IV. The Shepherds’ Spectacular Promotion (Luke 2:17-20)
IV. The Shepherds’ Spectacular Promotion (Luke 2:17-20)
The shepherds hear the invitation, and they respond to it and head to Bethlehem.
V. 17 says, “...and when they had seen it.”
Hearing about Jesus is one thing, but seeing Him for yourself makes all the difference in life.
When they met Him for themselves, they wanted others to know about Him, v. 17.
A. They Went from General Managers to Godly Messengers
v.17-18
When the shepherds met Jesus, they were promoted to evangelists.
God took these rough, course shepherds and sent them out with the message of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the first evangelists of the New Testament era, they did not emphasize what it was like to see an angel, or to hear the angelic choir.
Nor did they dwell on how frightened they were.
Their main interest was in reporting that “which was told them concerning this Child.”
On the way back to their flocks, they told everyone they met about the baby that had changed their lives, and about the message the angel had given to them.
When we meet Jesus for ourselves, we want others to meet Him too. There is a desire birthed within us to see our friends, family and acquaintances brought to faith in Christ.
I wonder how many of the people they met in verse 18 wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
I like to think that maybe some of those people walked into that manger and humbled themselves before the Lamb of God.
We never know who will respond in faith the the Gospel message. Our duty is to tell them; it’s God’s business to save them. Someone told me, and I had to see it for myself. That is why I am here today!
A. They Went from General Managers to Godly Messengers
B. They Went from Ruined Sinners to Rejoicing Saints
v.20
Let’s remember who these shepherds are, they are real men, they were crude, and tough, and you probably wouldn’t want your sister or your daughter to date one.
The celebrating that these shepherds were doing was not the artistic praise spoken by the cultured, nor the quiet reflection of the scholar.
When the Bible says that they were “glorifying and praising God,” v.20; it is likely that is the only kind of praising and glorifying they knew was loud, boisterous and excited, and I think it brought a smile to God’s face.
They met the Lord and it filled their hearts with excitement.
The same is true with us. Meeting Him, fills the soul with His praise and His glory.
As the shepherds returned to their flocks, they didn’t just go back to their ordinary lives; they glorified and praised God for what they had seen and heard.
The merciful gift of salvation
Mercy Brings Us to Worship
The shepherds, after seeing the Savior, responded in worship.
Mercy isn’t just meant to be acknowledged—it should stir in us a heart of gratitude and worship.
Supporting Verse: Psalm 100:4 - "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!"
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
From the perspective of the shepherds, we see a beautiful picture of grace and mercy at work.
God’s grace reached the lowly, the humble, and the needy.
His mercy called for a response of obedience, which was then followed by praise and testimony.
As we reflect on this passage, let us remember that God’s grace is for all, His mercy invites us to respond, and His grace and mercy should transform our lives, leading us to worship and to share the good news with the world.
Let us follow the example of the shepherds and embrace the lesson of grace and mercy, knowing that in Christ, we too have been offered a gift that transforms us forever.
