God With Us in Our Joy (Luke 2:10–11)

Main Proposition: The birth of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of joy because it fulfills God’s promise of salvation, reveals His glory, and invites us into eternal fellowship with Him.

Introduction

We have an incredibly generous church. Thank you for giving to the Preschool Staff Appreciation campaign. Because of your generosity, we blessed and honored the preschool teachers with a Christmas gift. Many of you know Joe Ann. She has an incredible heart and passion for preschoolers. Your gifts led to us giving her a $1,000 grant to help her start a preschool.

We give because we believe in a God who provides for us. God’s provision for us ultimately came in Jesus Christ, who came as a baby born for us. God’s provision of Jesus for his people is a reason for great joy. God is with us, and he is with us in our joy.

This is a season of giving. By Wednesday morning, many kids will be sitting by a Christmas tree opening presents. They’ll all be nice and covered in Christmas gift wrap unless you’re like me, where there will be Amazon boxes under the tree. The gift already comes wrapped in a nice cardboard box.

Today, people send each other links to things they want. There used to be a time when you didn’t know what was in the box, and some of us still do that. It’s fun to open a gift and receive something you were not expecting.

Christmas represents a gift we weren’t expecting. The birth of Jesus is God with us, and the gift of Jesus is joyful. But many times, we look for joy in the wrong places. What does the Bible say about finding joy? Where is real, true, lasting joy?

That’s where we’ll pick up today in Luke 2:10-11, as shepherds hear a message about joy from God. If you have your Bibles, please open them up to Luke 2.

Scripture Reading

Luke 2:10–11 CSB

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: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Pray

To set up this proclamation from the angel, I'm going to try to paint a picture for you of what's happening in Luke 2. We're out in a field near Bethlehem at night with a group of shepherds watching over their sheep.

The life of a shepherd in the first century was not easy. You lived on the outskirts of society, figuratively and literally. Shepherds were not people who were looked up to in society.

They were viewed as unclean because they weren't able to observe many of the ceremonial laws that were required for Jewish life. They didn't have a high reputation. They were looked at with suspicion and scorn. Because of their societal position, they were not viewed as being quality witnesses.

“A third-century rabbi commenting on Ps 23, said, 'There is no more despised occupation in the world than that of shepherds.' Along with gamblers and tax collectors, herdsmen were regularly listed among despised trades by Mishnah and Talmud.” (1)

Being a shepherd was a tough life. You spend many hours among dirty animals, and sheep aren't easy to care for. They tend to wander away and get in trouble. You have to keep a close eye on them constantly.

Who were shepherds? Shepherds were humble, ordinary people who often went unnoticed and were not valued. Amazingly, God chooses to announce the birth of God with us, Emmanuel, to a group of humble, ordinary people who often go unnoticed and are not valued.

What's beautiful is that God's values are not the world’s. He loves you regardless of societal position. He made you in his image, and he loves you.

This group of ordinary shepherds are witnesses to an extraordinary message from God.

Imagine if you were one of those shepherds. You're doing the same thing you've done every night since childhood. Your work is hard. You've got calluses on your hands. You know each one of these sheep.

It's just another night of the way life has been. You're not expecting anything special. But then, in this moment, God changes the ordinary into the extraordinary. It’s amazing how God can reach you in a moment and meet you where you are.

On an ordinary night, suddenly, you look, and the angel of the Lord is standing before you, the glory of the Lord is shining around you, and you hear the most extraordinary announcement.

That brings us to the first part of this message.

Transition

I. The Announcement of Joy

We’re going to look carefully at the angel’s message in Luke 2:10.

Luke 2:10 CSB

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:

It starts with the command.

A. The Command: “Don’t Be Afraid”

The angel's command to the shepherds is not to be afraid: “Don’t be afraid.” Now, why did the angels have to start with this command? Because the shepherds were terrified! You would be, too. This is not another ordinary night. The angel of the Lord is standing in front of you, and the glory of God surrounds you.

Whenever a sinful man is confronted with the holiness and the perfection of God, the natural result for that man is to be afraid. You're in fear because, in your sin, God’s holiness will convict your soul.

When we read about prophets in the Bible who wrote Scripture and spoke for the Lord, we see them as extraordinary heroes of the faith who had incredible walks with the Lord.

Yet, each of the men and women in the Bible understood that they were sinners before a holy God. The prophet Isaiah was a prophet who was confronted with the holiness of God. Angelic creatures surrounded the Lord as they cried of his holiness, saying in Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies.”

The prophet Isaiah sees this scene, and this was his response in Isaiah 6:5

Isaiah 6:5 CSB

Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.

God had to intervene with a divine touch to bring peace to Isaiah’s soul. In the same way, God had to intervene in the shepherds' lives to bring peace when the glory of the Lord was shining around them.

This is the message of Christmas: God intervened in the muck of our ordinary to bring peace to people in desperate need of peace. Because of Jesus, we don't have to be afraid. There is peace and real life in him.

The command, “Do not be afraid,” leads to the content of the message—their reason not to be afraid.

B. The Content: “Good News of Great Joy”

The angel says in Luke 2:10 “I proclaim to you good news of great joy.” Shepherds, do not be afraid because God has a good news message for you. The word translated “good news” in Luke 2:10 is the word from which we get the word gospel. To proclaim the gospel means to proclaim the good news message of God.

Now, when one gets good news, one must receive that good news. You must be willing to hear it and receive it. The gospel is a message you must be willing to hear and embrace. The shepherds standing there, watching their flock at night, were open and ready to receive the good news message from God.

I want you to see the overflow of the gospel message from this today. What happens to the hearer who receives the good news message of God? The overflow of the gospel is good news of great joy. Biblical joy is not a fleeting moment of emotion. The joy of the Lord is not something that’s here for five minutes and then gone.

Everyone wants happiness and joy. We're searching for it all over the place.

People try to find joy in new experiences, in media, through entertainment.

They try to find joy in food, relationships, or success and achievement.

They try to find joy in materialism and possessions.

Maybe they try to find joy and escape by turning to substances.

But all the attempts for joy in the world are nothing but a fleeting pursuit of the temporary. Nothing lasts. You never have enough, and you're always wanting more.

God’s message of good news brings joy from God that never goes away. You never run out of biblical joy. Joy from God is eternal because it's rooted in his promises. Isaiah 55:11-12 says,

Isaiah 55:11–12 CSB

so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

When God speaks, his promises are sure. His word will come to pass, and there is joy in his promises.

Biblical joy not only comes from his promises but it is also rooted in his presence. Psalm 16:11 says,

Psalm 16:11 CSB

You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

A life that has found salvation in Jesus Christ has great joy because he lives in the presence of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God is eternal, the joy of his presence will never go away for that man or woman saved in Jesus Christ.

Biblical joy is not found in an emotion. God’s joy is found in a person. His name is Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 15:11,

John 15:11 CSB

“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

Do you want the joy from the world that's here one minute and gone the next? Or do you want the source of true joy? The good news message of God is that you can have real joy through faith in Jesus Christ.

The angel gives the command, “Do not be afraid.” He provides the content, “Good news of great joy.” Then, he gives the scope.

C. The Scope: “For All the People”

When the angel gives the message in Luke 2:10 “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people,” the context for all the people is primarily the people of Israel. As the shepherds heard this, they considered God was bringing this message to the Jews. Indeed, that was Jesus' message during his ministry.

Jesus went all around Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem, preaching to the people of Israel, saying as he said in Mark 1:15,

Mark 1:15 CSB

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus fulfills God's promises to Israel, and God's message was sent as a proclamation of good news for all the people of Israel. But the mystery and wonder of God’s good news is that it did not stop there. Although the gospel was first sent to Israel, it is also good news for you and me. Romans 1:16 says,

Romans 1:16 CSB

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

“The Greek” means everyone else. The good news of Christmas is a message for all people. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son.

In the angel’s announcement of joy, we’ve heard the command, the content, and the scope. Then, God brings us to the second part of the message,

Transition

II. The Reason for Joy

The reason for joy is stated in Luke 2:11,

Luke 2:11 CSB

Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

We first hear about the timing.

A. The Timing: “Today”

God’s message to his people is never too late. His timing is always perfect. The Bible says in Galatians 4:4-5,

Galatians 4:4–5 CSB

When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Jesus was born at precisely the right moment in history. God is always right on time.

This is important because God will never show up too late in your life. However, some people find this difficult to understand. They go through things and wonder where God was when this happened.

We live in a world of sin and under the consequences of sin, but I can't tell you why things happened in your life. Based on the authority of the word of God, I can say that God loves you. He wants you to trust him. And he has never left you alone. He comes amid our pain, born under the law. He came at the right time to redeem us. Put your faith in Jesus today, and he will give you life.

We go from the timing to the place.

B. The Place: “In the City of David”

“Today, in the city of David.” God cares about the details. In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet was sent to a little town called Bethlehem to the house of Jesse because God had selected a king from one of his sons. His son David was that future king.

The Bible says a future king for Israel would come from David's generational line, a Messiah. It says this in Micah 5:2,

Micah 5:2 CSB

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.

God cares about the details. Not only was his timing correct, but his promises were also correct. That means you can trust in God's timing and promises. God is with us in our joy, and there is joy in knowing that his timing is perfect and his words are sure.

We've heard about the timing, and we've heard about the place. God’s good news of great joy is found at the right time. It’s found in the right place. It’s found in the identity of the right person.

C. The Identity: “A Savior… the Messiah, the Lord”

God’s message to the shepherds is this in Luke 2:11, “A Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

The Savior didn't come for extraordinary people who have it all together or seem flawless. The Savior came for shepherds. The Savior came for humble, ordinary people living their ordinary lives. The Savior came for you.

An interesting thing at this point in Luke is that the Savior has already been called God. Mary calls God her Savior in Luke 1:46-47,

Luke 1:46–47 CSB

And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

“Savior” refers to one who rescues or saves and could be translated as “Deliverer” or “Rescuer.” The baby being born for you, for ordinary people living ordinary lives, is on a rescue mission. He will be the source of salvation for you.

He is not only the Savior but also the Messiah. Messiah (Mashiach) is the Hebrew word meaning “anointed” or “anointed one.” When the word is translated into Greek, it is Christos or Christ. When you say Jesus Christ, you say his name and title: Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the Anointed One sent by God.

In the Old Testament Scriptures, there is a promise from God to the people of Israel that through the tribe of Judah, through the line of David, a future ruler is coming. Moses wrote about him in the Torah. David wrote about him in the Psalms. The prophets spoke about him. God’s promises to Israel, the Anointed One, are fulfilled in the baby in Bethlehem.

He is the Savior, the Messiah, and the Lord. By saying Lord, we mean he is the owner or the master. He is the one who is in charge by virtue of possession. He has full authority and control because he rules and reigns over everything.

Jesus never had to wait to become Messiah or Lord. Jesus was already these things at his birth. He was already Savior, Messiah, and Lord—God with us.

Jesus's identity is our reason for joy because he is God with us. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you enter into the promise and presence of God with us, and there is great joy for the Christian in being in God’s presence.

As a child, I remember waking up early on Christmas morning and looking for the presents under the Christmas tree. All these packages would be wrapped up. I would rip open the packages, and in these packages were toys for me. I got excited just by the presence of these toys.

As I got older, I did that with my boys. I would love to see them get excited. As a parent, you're excited simply by seeing the excitement of your children.

If this happens between a parent and a child, how much more of a blessing is it between God and his children? He gave his Son for you, and there is great joy in his presence. His presence is better than any earthly gift. Through Jesus, we have life, salvation, and an eternity in his presence.

We’ve heard about the announcement of joy and the reason for joy. What I want you to see now is this,

Transition

III. The Response to Joy

The shepherds' response to the message from God in Luke 2:10-11 is a lesson to us on how to respond to God's good news of great joy. When you embrace the gospel, God’s good news, the great joy that results from that will lead you to these three things.

First,

A. Joy Leads to Worship

Look at how the shepherds responded to all the incredible things that they had seen that morning.

They just received an extraordinary message from God through the angels in the field. They went straight to Bethlehem to see what had happened to investigate this good news message.

They hurry off and find Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. The baby who was born for them. The baby who at his birth is Savior, Messiah, and Lord, the gift of God to them.

As this good news message, this gospel seeped into their heart and filled their whole being, as they embraced God's good news, Luke 2:20 describes the effect of joy on the human soul.

Luke 2:20 CSB

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

When the joy of Jesus fills your heart, you will worship him. The gospel will lead you to glorify God and praise him for everything he has done. The gospel leads you to worship because his promises are true. There is life in Jesus. There is hope in Jesus. There is peace in Jesus. God’s good news of great joy will lead you to worship.

Second,

B. Joy Inspires Witness

When they experience the gospel, the shepherds can’t wait to tell others. It says in Luke 2:17-18,

Luke 2:17–18 CSB

After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

When they see the child, they run to tell as many people as possible. You can picture them saying to others, “Today, God’s promises are true! Today, God is with us. Today, there is a Savior, a Messiah, a Lord for you and me!” The good news of great joy will inspire you to tell as many people as possible.

The same is true today. When Jesus changed my life in 2006, my whole conversation changed. If you didn’t want to hear about Jesus, you didn’t want to hang around me. Jesus changed the words of my mouth because he changed my heart. The great joy of the gospel filled my heart, and the words in my mouth went from anger and depression in myself to hope and salvation in Jesus.

Great joy will inspire you to tell as many people as possible.

Third,

C. Joy Sustains Our Hope

The shepherds began that evening doing their ordinary things on an ordinary night. They didn’t expect much. It was just another ordinary day.

But when God intervenes in your life through Jesus Christ, he will fill the ordinary person with extraordinary joy.

Biblical joy isn’t present in one moment and gone in the next. God’s joy in Jesus sustains you and your hope because he is with us now and forever. The Bible says in Romans 15:13,

Romans 15:13 CSB

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Joy sustains hope. God wants to fill you with joy and peace as you believe. As you embrace the gospel, you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The world wants to tell you that joy is a product of your circumstances. If you’re not feeling joy, the world will say to change what’s around you. People leave things because they are not happy with what’s around them. They try to find joy somewhere else.

The Bible says that joy is not about what’s around you. The Bible says that joy is about what God is doing inside you. Through Jesus, God fills you with joy and peace. Joy is having God with you.

Conclusion

For the Christian, Christmas represents something that doesn’t go away. Joy in Jesus Christ sustains us because God is with us.

Joy begins when we embrace the gospel. Maybe that’s a first step for you. Perhaps you’ve been looking for joy in things around you and can’t find it. You keep chasing after the next thing, and you still see an emptiness on the inside each time.

You don’t know what it’s like to be filled with joy and peace in Jesus Christ. Today, a Savior is for you, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Today, when you put your faith in Jesus and trust him, he will change your life.

The joy of a life changed by Jesus Christ will lead you to worship him, tell others about him, and fill you with hope.

The joy of Christmas is not just for a season. The joy of Jesus Christ is with us forever because God is with us.

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2015), 74.

Sermon Reflection Questions

What is the big idea of the sermon regarding the birth of Jesus Christ?

How does the sermon describe the shepherds' societal position at the time of Jesus' birth?

What command does the angel give to the shepherds, and why is it significant?

What are the two key aspects of the joy that comes from the gospel?

What response should believers exhibit when they embrace the joy of the gospel, according to the shepherds' example?