The Angels’ Song of Good News

Luke 2:8-20

            If you brought your bibles turn with me over to the gospel of Luke chapter two. The gospel of Luke chapter two, and in a moment, we are going to read verses 8-20 of the gospel of Luke chapter two. The tittle of the message this morning is The Angels’ Song of Good News.

We are walking through a Christmas series on the poetic literature from the first two chapters of Luke, and this is week three of our series. In the first week we talked about Mary’s song of Joy, last week we looked at Zachariah’s song of praise and this week we are going to see the Angels’ song of good news.

A wife recently said to her husband, “Do you want to watch the six o’clock news and get indigestion or wait for the eleven o’clock news and have insomnia?” One person put it like this, “The evening news is the only place where they begin with ‘Good evening’--and then tell you all of the reasons why it isn’t.”

We live in a world of bad news, because there is so much anger, so much hatred, and so much violence. If there’s anything this hurting world desperately needs, it is good news. Not only the world in general, but us as individuals, we need good news because our lives are surrounded by suffering and sorrow.

The Christmas story is not only good news, but it is the best news ever: The angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”

In this message we are not only going to learn what the good news is, but who it is for, and how we should respond to it in a way that will transform our lives. So, if you need to hear good news today, pay close attention because, I am going to give you three reasons why the song of the angels’ is not only good news, but it is the best news ever!! (Read Luke 2:8-20)

    8      In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

    9      And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

  10      But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.

  11      for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

  12      “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

  13      And suddenly there appeared 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 men with whom He is pleased.”

  15      When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds begansaying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

  16      So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

  17      When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

  18      And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

  19      But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

  20      The shepherds went back, glorifying, and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. (Pray)

              I want to begin by setting the stage for you. The year is 4 or 5 B.C. There is a young teenage couple Mary, and Joseph, who have travelled from Galilee down to Bethlehem, to register for a census that was required by Caesar Augustus. Mary is pregnant in this moment and as they arrive in Bethlehem, they discover that all of the rooms, and all of the places where anyone might be able to sleep have been taken.

            Now it is important we understand this is all taking place according to the sovereign plan of God. For the time has come for Mary to give birth to the Lord Jesus Christ. But because there is no room in the inn, they must go out back, and sleep in the barn, where the animals are kept. There, they find a manger which is just a feeding trough for the animals, and it is there Mary will give birth to the Son of God.

            What we have before us is the beginning of the celebration of Christmas. This is the beginning of the good news of great joy for all the world. But this would be more than good news, it would be the best news ever.

            The first reason this is the best news ever is because of The Recipients of the News, Vs. 8-9. The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it was first announced to lowly shepherds. These men were simple, everyday ordinary people, who probably couldn’t read or write, they weren’t leadership material for your business or church, but yet, the love of God was extended to them first.

Look at Vs. 8-9, “In the same region (talking about the region of Bethlehem) there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.” (I bet that they were it is not every day that you come into the presence of an angel of the Lord.)

I want you to notice what this text doesn’t say, It doesn’t say, “Now there were in that same region some scribes and Pharisees, keeping watch over their scrolls and religious rituals.” Notice it doesn’t say that night, “there were Kings and Princes who were keeping watch over the palace.” No, God choose to reveal the birth of the Savior of the world to simple shepherds. To men who were just doing their job, out in the field at night, watching over their sheep.

Now if you and I were the public relations director for God we would have a real problem with this. I mean somebody needs to be fired. If I am in charge of introducing Christ to the world this is not where I am going to start. I am going to the political and religious leaders of the nation. I’m using Facebook and the internet, so the important people of the world know what is going on. But that is not the way God approaches this. But why?

First of all, it is important we understand there is nothing wrong with being a shepherd. There was nothing immoral about it at all, and shepherds have a rich history in the nation of Israel. But by the time Jesus is born, shepherds were just not very highly thought of.

They couldn’t take part in any of the religious rituals the Jewish leaders put in place. The nature of their job made them dirty and unclean. They couldn’t properly recognize the Sabbath because their work required them to watch their sheep seven days a week. They were not very highly thought of.

So, when the angel comes to the shepherds we are talking about social outcasts. They were men who lived outside of the community. It’s not that anything was wrong with what they did, but they were just ordinary simple people. That is where God chooses to begin, why?

Because the gospel is for the simple and not the sophisticated. The gospel is for those who know they need a Savior. This is a principle we find throughout the bible. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 9:12, “those who are well don’t need a physician but those who are sick.” The gospel is for everyone, but it is received by the humble and not the proud. It’s accepted by the weak and not the strong.

The good news of the grace of God is He puts His cookies on the bottom shelf where anyone can reach them. But it is the humble, the despised, and the rejected of the world have easy access. Meanwhile, the powerful, the important, and the proud are less likely to stoop down and discover them.

That’s what the Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Cor. 1:26-27, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.”

So, the good news of a Savior being born is good news to who? Those who know they need a Savior. Sadly, in the days of Jesus that wasn’t the religious leaders. It wasn’t the ones who believed they were more righteous than everyone else. But it was the simple shepherds, the outcasts, those who were abandoned by men and thought they were forgotten by God. Those who know they need Jesus are the ones who receive Jesus.

Every time I think about this truth, I am reminded of my brother Mikey. Mikey was severely mentally challenged. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t learn, he couldn’t function in this world we live in. But Mikey knew Jesus. You say, “well how do you know that?” Because every time Mikey would get sick, he would find my dad and he would ask him to pray for him through his gestures. After my dad would pray Mikey would raise his hands to the heavens and he would praise the Lord.

Mikey couldn’t even understand the gospel. He never once spoke the name of Jesus with his mouth. Yet he did more than that, he confessed Christ with his life through his display of faith. I have no doubt he believed and was saved. That is who the good news is for.

After John the Baptist was put in prison, he sent messengers to Jesus just to make sure he got it right. He said, “are you the one or should we look for another.” And in Luke 7:22-23 gives us His response. Jesus says, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard; the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he who does not take offense in me.”

So, the first reason the song of the angels is the best news ever is because it is for ordinary everyday people like you and me. It is for the weak and forgotten of the world, the rejected and despised among men. God’s good news comes to the less fortunate first.

The second reason the song of the angels’ is the best news ever is because of The Content of the News, Vs. 10-14. What we see here is the gospel message in its purest form. Look at Vs. 10, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” There are several things to notice here.

At the very beginning of this announcement the angel comforts the shepherds because they were terrified. He says, “Do not be afraid.” They had no idea why the angel would appear to them. They must have thought to themselves that judgment day had arrived. But this is not a message of judgment. This is a message of deliverance. This is a message of forgiveness.

Notice it says, “This is good news of great joy.” This news from the angel is meant to be celebrated. In fact, just by way of application, this is one of the ways we know we are truly saved. It produces great joy in your life, because if you have been forgiven and made right with God, your heart should be full of joy. There is no better news than that.

Notice this news comes with a universal promise. Vs. 10 says, “This is good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” Everyone in the world experiences the grace of God through Jesus Christ, the wealthy the poor, the weak and the strong. This is good news for everyone. Christ has come into the world. This is a universal celebration, but this is the best news ever, for those who recognize they need a Savior.

Notice this good news is about a person, Vs. 11, “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The angel is emphasizing both the humanity and deity of Jesus. He has been born for you, He is a baby, but He is also Christ the Lord.

It is important we understand, when we are sharing the gospel, we are sharing the good news about a person. It is all about Jesus. We are not trying to tell people how to clean up their life and turn over a new leaf. We are not trying to teach people about church or Christian values. It is all about Jesus; He was an actual historical person who lived. The city of David is a real place called Bethlehem and it’s about 7000 miles from here.

We want to share the good news of Jesus. “He came to seek and to save that which was lost.” He said, “He came to lay down His life for the sheep.” He is not only a mere man, (although He was a man) but He is Christ the Lord, and this is a tittle for God.

He is Yahweh, the sovereign God in human flesh who came to save the world from their sins and that is not only good news, that is the best news ever. It is a reason for great joy.

Next, the shepherds are given a sign, so they can go and find this good news for themselves. Vs. 12, “This will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Now the sign here is not a baby wrapped in cloths, that was customary. The sign is a baby lying in a manger, that was unusual.

The Son of God had come into the world, and they were going to find Him in a place where they feed animals. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s would be born in a barn because the world didn’t have any room for Him. But the good news is He did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. And the very way He was born would be an indication of His life.

Also notice this announcement sets off a spectacular celebration, Vs. 13-14. “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’ It is as though the dimensions of heaven are torn open and this heavenly choir could not be contained as they burst forth in praise.

They announce peace. They announce reconciliation, good will between man and God. God’s favor has entered the world and it rests on those in whom He is pleased. The Savior has come to gather the sheep into the fold, and if you know Christ today, He has come for you. He has come to save you.

The third reason the song of the angels’ is the best news ever is The Response to the News, Vs. 15-20. The shepherds received the good news and now Luke records for us their response. Their response is a picture of the way people respond today when they are saved.

First, notice the faith. Vs. 15 says, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.” The shepherds responded in faith. They obviously believed the words of the angel because they left their sheep and went right to Bethlehem. They realize they have been given this great revelation from God and they go seek out what God has told them. What a picture of faith.

Next, notice the priority in Vs. 16, “They came in a hurry.’ They didn’t wait. They didn’t say, well we’ve got better things to do. They came in a hurry and naturally they found it exactly the way the angel told them they would. They found the long-awaited Messiah, Christ the King as a baby lying in a manger.

Notice the testimony, Vs. 17. “When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this child.’ The phrase ‘they made known’ means they spread this news abroad. They told everyone they could tell what they had seen and heard. They became the world’s first evangelists. They told everyone a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord.

Look at the contrast in Vs. 18- 19. The people of the world wondered at the news they heard, but Mary treasured them in her heart. This is the difference in saving grace. We can be amazed by the gospel message, and yet never find Him or look for Him ourselves. Or we can be like Mary. We can consider all this means for our life. We can treasure in our heart the privilege of having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

But, what about the shepherds? What did they do? Look at Vs. 20, “The shepherds went back.” Imagine that, how do you do that? How do you go back to a normal life after an encounter with God like this? They were eyewitnesses of the glory of God for the salvation of the world, and now what do they do? They go back to their sheep.

That is the way life is. We have an amazing experience with God that transforms us and changes the direction of our life and then we go back. Back to the world, back to school, back to life, because that is where we walk by faith and not by sight. That’s where we share our experience with others. So, we return, but we will never be the same.

Notice what they did, they went back glorifying and praising God. This is an example of what it means to respond to Christ and be saved. What we learn from this passage is; God doesn’t call us to constantly live in the spectacular. He calls us to believe in a Savior. Then He sends us back into the routine. Where we learn to rejoice in Him.

Conclusion

I heard a story this week about a man who traveled a great distance to interview a distinguished scholar. He was ushered into the man’s study, where he said, “Doctor, I noticed the walls of your study are lined with books from top to bottom. No doubt, you have read them all. I know you have written many of them yourself. You have traveled extensively, and I have no doubt you have had the privilege of talking to some of the world’s wisest men. I’ve come a long way to ask you just one question. Tell, me, of all you’ve learned, what is the one thing most worth knowing?”

Putting his hand on his guest’s shoulder, the scholar replied with emotion in his voice, “My dear sir, of all the things I have learned, only two are really worth knowing. The first is, I am a great sinner, and the second, Jesus Christ is a great Savior!”

If you know those two things personally, you know the best news ever. Do you know Jesus Christ today? Are your sins forgiven? I want you to know a Savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord!