"Proclamation - The Meaning of Christmas" Luke 2:8-21

Prayer & Intro

(Pray…)

“On New Year’s Day, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made the final announcement of his famous Emancipation Proclamation. This proclamation granted freedom to all slaves in Confederate states. The Proclamation was a firm demonstration of the President’s executive war powers.

But word didn’t reach African-American slaves right away. For example, slaves in Galveston, Texas, did not hear the news until June 19, 1865, when a force of two thousand Union soldiers arrived and informed them of their freedom. The slaves in Galveston did not know they were free until two and a half years later.

Although news indeed did travel slowly in those days, two and a half years is a long time; historians suspect Texas slaveholders knew of the proclamation and chose not to free their slaves until they were forced to.

They were indeed free...since 1863, but their lives would tell a different story during that interim. For two and a half years, the evil forces of ignorance kept their God-given freedom from truly exhibiting itself in their lives. For two and a half years, they were theoretically free, but they were simply unaware of their freedom. They were unaware of the President’s proclamation.”

In an obscure region of the world - outside of an insignificant town - in the darkness, and stillness of night - out in the middle of a field -

The God of the universe made his own proclamation

Speaking first through one angel - and to a group of lowly shepherds in the middle of the night - as they were tending to their flock of sheep -

[Silent Night]

One angel of the Lord stood in their midst

What happened is documented for us in detail in the Gospel of Luke - Chapter 2

That these lowly shepherds - who were minding their own business - watching over their sleeping flock of sheep

That these shepherds were the chosen ones of God to receive his proclamation

At this time in history, there would not be a lower class of human beings - dirty, smelly, uneducated, unsophisticated, unreliable, etc

Back then, shepherds were held under suspicion, even as thieves - as they sometimes stole sheep and livestock

They were not to be trusted

These lowly shepherds not only had the filthy job of keeping after sheep, but they were the ones who kept the flock on the night shift -

making sure no predator would come and attack the flock while they slept

And suddenly an angel of the Lord appears to them

If they were struggling to keep awake - that went away immediately -

Because the Bible tells us that “the glory of the Lord shone around them”

Ladies and gentlemen, none of us in this room can completely know what that means

In Ex 33, we read where Moses is having a conversation with the Lord

The conversation goes back and forth

And then Moses demands, “Please show me your glory”

But God tells him that he cannot see his face - “if you don’t want to die, you can’t see my face”

And then God comes up with a way for Moses to experience his glory

Exodus 33:21–23 (ESV)

“Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

This is how serious and wonderful and amazing God’s glory is

We have little idea what that experience was for those shepherds as the angel of the Lord appeared to them

If they were falling asleep five minutes earlier - their adrenaline is now pumping through their veins

The glory of the Lord shone around them

The Bible says, “and they were filled with great fear”

It was through this angel - and later, a multitude of angels - that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob came and gave the greatest proclamation ever

Almighty God - Yahweh - The God who created everything and who brought his people out of slavery

This God, gave humanity his good news proclamation

Verse 10 -

Luke 2:10–12 ESV

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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

This baby who is Savior, Christ and Lord

This is the Son of God who came as Baby Jesus

Think about what God did for us

Think about how significant this is

The whole world was walking in sin and in the flesh

God’s own people, the Israelites struggled to be faithful - over and over

If you sinned, a priest could make you right through ritual and through animal sacrifice

And God’s people, again and again, needed animal sacrifices to make themselves right with God

But God sent his Son - first as a baby - and later to grow up - and eventually to die for our sins

When God declares that something is good news, and it is of great joy - believe it

God sent a Messiah of all messiahs, a Prophet of all prophets, a Savior of all saviors -

And no one knew it until after the fact...a Sacrifice of all sacrifices

Jesus was born - not just to live a perfect life - not just to teach the world -

Jesus was born to die - to die for our sins

We don’t even know their names - but these nobody shepherds just heard the greatest proclamation

God has come to rescue the world!

[Joy to the World]

And as the shepherds were standing there after hearing this proclamation, this happened

Verse 13 -

Luke 2:13–14 ESV

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 among those with whom he is pleased!”

This wonderful host of angels -

A multitude of angels, praising their own King

The King of angels who has come to earth

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

[Hark! The Herald Angels Sing]

Imagine all of this happening

What did the shepherds do?

This is exactly what they did

Verse 15 -

Luke 2:15–17 ESV

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. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

[Away in a Manger]

This is the message for us during Christmas

That in a sense we too, go over to Bethlehem with the shepherds - that we see and acknowledge the baby lying in a manger

That we say “Amen!” because this is good news!

It’s good news because God declares it!

It means - God and sinners reconciled

That we too have great joy

God poured out his mercy and grace to us when Jesus came

But like the story I read earlier,

Let us not be ignorant of God’s proclamation

Let us not ignore what God has said through his angels

God has given us his own proclamation - and we have been set free from the slavery of sin

And know this - the verse doesn’t say, “and on earth peace among everyone”

The verse says, “and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased”

Well, how do I please God?

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Friends, the only way to please God is to have faith in Jesus Christ

The announcement was made

Christ came to earth - to die for our sins

That if we turn to Christ - we will have peace with God

For unto us - a Savior, who is Christ the Lord was born for us

He came to us in flesh - Immanuel, God with us

He came and died for our sins

And we have faith in him and trust in him

This Christmas season - let us, in our hearts, and in our minds, come to Bethlehem

Let us come and behold him

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem

O come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

[O Come, All Ye Faithful]

Thank you for being here this morning

Merry Christmas

I’m going to dismiss everyone, but a quick announcement

Hollis and I - will be with family over the holidays

We will not be here next Sunday

We will return in two Sundays - Jan 5 2025

We will resume our series in Matthew - and have communion

(Prayer)

Merry Christmas - Happy New Year