Lessons from the Christmas Story: Angels, Shepherds, and Wise Men

Introduction

Well, good evening…Merry Christmas!

If you’ve got a Bible with you—and I hope that you do—go ahead and open it up with me to the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2. We’ve been reading from that tonight but what I wanna do is finish that story as we continue to celebrate this season together as God’s people.

Now of course, we all know the big moments in the Christmas story. There’s a baby in a manger…there’s a young couple, Mary and Joseph…there’s a bright star, a long road to Bethlehem…and then you’ve got angels showing up, shepherds running into town, wise men traveling from far-off places. But listen, have you ever just slowed down long enough to ask, “Why these people? Like why did God choose them to be a part of announcing the birth of His Son?”

I mean think about that—God could’ve revealed Jesus’ birth to kings, or world leaders, or the religious elites. He could’ve filled the sky with an army of angels over Jerusalem itself. But instead, God brings together this unlikely group—angels, shepherds, wise men—to help us understand something about what Christmas really is.

And so tonight, as we reflect on this story, I just wanna look at these two groups and I want us to see what God might be trying to show us through these people.

Because the angels…they remind us of the message of Christmas—good news of great joy. And the shepherds…they model the response to Christmas—simple, humble faith that runs toward Jesus.

Understanding Christmas…understanding its significance…it means paying attention to the way God revealed His Son to the world.

And so with all that in mind, let’s jump into this first picture together.

I. The Angels - Bringing Good News (vv. 8-14)

We see the angels here…bringing good news of great joy, right?

Look with me at verse 8. Luke writes, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.”

Now, before we go any further, just picture this for a moment. It’s the middle of the night, the town’s quiet, the fields are dark, and these shepherds—they’re just doing their everyday job. Nothing special about them. Nothing impressive. They’re not priests, they’re not scholars, they’re not kings. They’re just ordinary people going about an ordinary night.

And yet here…to these men…God sends the very first birth announcement of His Son.

Verse 10 says, “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.’”

Listen, that right there—that’s the heart of Christmas. Before anyone else speaks, before anyone else moves, before anyone else even knows what’s happening, God sends a messenger to declare what this night is all about. And the message isn’t complicated. It’s not political. It’s not philosophical. It’s not even a list of instructions.

It’s good news. It’s great joy. And it’s for all people.

The angels here remind us that Christmas begins with God making the first move toward us. He doesn’t wait for humanity to figure it out. He doesn’t wait until we clean ourselves up or prove ourselves worthy. He breaks into the darkness with a message of hope. The very first sound of Christmas is God proclaiming that He has come near.

And listen, the angels didn’t come with a suggestion—they came with an announcement: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

That’s a Kingly proclamation. That’s Heaven declaring that the long-awaited Redeemer has arrived. God’s not sending a helper…He’s sending a Savior. He’s not offering advice…He’s offering Himself.

And then verse 13 says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God…”

Guys, think about that: Heaven couldn’t keep quiet. The birth of Jesus unleashed praise. The skies filled with glory. This wasn’t just another night—this was the moment God began His rescue mission in the world. And Heaven responded the only way Heaven can—by worshiping the One who came to redeem.

But here’s what I don’t want us to miss: the angels give us the message of Christmas, yes, but they also give us the model of Christmas. Christmas starts with worship. Christmas begins with glory directed toward God. Before the shepherds run, before the wise men travel, before Mary and Joseph do anything else—Heaven stops to praise.

And guys, that’s our calling too. In the middle of the busyness…and the noise…and the shopping…the travel…the traditions…the angels remind us to pause and lift up our eyes. To hear the good news again. To let joy replace fear. To worship the Savior who came to us when we couldn’t come to Him.

Christmas starts with a message—God has come. And it begins with a sound—Glory to God in the highest.

That’s the message the angels brought…and that’s the message we’re still called to proclaim today.

Which moves into the part we see here.

II. The Shepherds - Responding in Faith (vv. 15-20)

We see shepherds responding in faith.

After the angels deliver this incredible announcement, look at how the shepherds respond. Verse 15 says, “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.’”

Now think about that for just a second. These men didn’t debate it. They didn’t form a committee. They didn’t say, “Well…maybe in the morning.” Luke says they went with haste. They ran. They hurried. The moment God spoke, they moved.

And listen, that’s the beauty of the shepherds. They show us what a genuine response to the message of Christmas looks like. When God invites…you don’t wait. When God reveals…you don’t hesitate. You go.

These men weren’t theologians. They weren’t religious insiders. They weren’t polished. But what they had was hearts ready to respond when God called. And that’s something every one of us can learn from.

Verse 16 says, “And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.”

Just imagine that. They walk into this humble, quiet place…a stable…a feeding trough…and in the middle of it all, they find the Savior of the world wrapped in swaddling cloths. Nothing about the scene looked royal. Nothing looked powerful. Nothing looked impressive.

But they believed the Word of God over what their eyes could see.

Listen, that’s faith. That’s trust. That’s what responding to Christmas looks like.

Verse 17 continues, “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.”

Do you see the pattern? They hear the message… They run to Jesus… And then they share what they’ve seen.

The first evangelists in all the New Testament, it wasn’t pastors or prophets—they were shepherds. Ordinary people changed by an extraordinary Savior. And what God wants us to see is this: the good news of Christmas is never meant to stop with us. When you truly encounter Jesus, you can’t keep Jesus to yourself.

And then look at how it all ends in verse 20: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…”

They went back to the very same fields, the same job, the same routine—but they weren’t the same people anymore. Meeting Jesus didn’t change their circumstances…it changed them.

Guys, that’s what Christmas is meant to do. It meets us right where we are—in our normal rhythms, our responsibilities, our everyday lives—but it doesn’t leave us untouched. The shepherds show us that a right response to Christmas is simple, humble faith that moves toward Jesus and goes back into the world with a heart full of praise.

You may not feel important…you may not feel qualified…you may not feel like you have much to offer. But neither did they. And yet God chose them. He spoke to them. He sent them. And He uses us the same way—ordinary people who simply say “yes” when He calls.

The shepherds remind us that when God speaks, we go. When God invites, we come. And when God saves, we praise.

Closing

And so tonight, as we stand here in the glow of the Christmas season, I want us to hold these two pictures together—the angels and the shepherds—because together they show us the heart of what God’s doing at Christmas.

The angels remind us that Christmas begins with God. It begins with His initiative…His message…His pursuit of us. Before we ever looked for Him, He came looking for us. Before we ever reached toward Heaven, Heaven broke open and reached for us. The good news of great joy didn’t originate in a stable—it originated in the heart of God, who loves His people enough to step into our darkness with light.

And the shepherds remind us how to respond. Simple. Humble. Willing. Not perfect…not polished…just ready to move when God speaks. They didn’t have all the answers, but they had enough faith to run toward Jesus. And that’s all God asks of us—to come and see the Savior who came for us.

And listen—here’s why Christmas had to happen at all. Here’s the gospel in its simplest form.

The bad news is that every single one of us, we’ve been separated from God by our sin. We don’t just need a little guidance…we don’t just need a spiritual tune-up…we need saving. We can’t fix ourselves. We can’t work our way to God. And without a Savior, our sin leads straight to death.

But the good news—the good news the angels sang about—is that God didn’t wait for us to climb up to Him. He came down to us. Jesus was born to live the life we couldn’t live, to die the death we deserved, to rise again so that anyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven, and restored, and made new. That’s the hope wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger.

And so the question for us tonight is simple: How will you respond to the message of Christmas?

Maybe for you, it’s stopping long enough to worship again—to let the angels’ song cut straight through the noise and remind you that God’s worthy of your praise.

Maybe it’s taking a step of faith—like the shepherds—running toward the One who’s been calling your name.

Maybe it’s sharing what you’ve seen God do, carrying the good news back into the same routines, the same workplace, the same family gatherings, but with a heart transformed by grace.

Whatever it is, hear this: Christmas, its not just a story to admire; it’s a Savior to receive. It’s not just a moment to remember; it’s an invitation to respond.

Because the God who sent angels into the night and called shepherds from their fields is the same God who’s calling you tonight. And He still offers the same message:

“Fear not. I bring you good news of great joy.”

Good news that forgiveness has come. Good news that hope has a name. Good news that God’s with us—and God’s for us—because Christ the Lord has been born.

So may we worship like the angels. May we respond like the shepherds. And may we leave this place tonight glorifying and praising God for all we’ve heard and seen.

Merry Christmas—and may Christ be born in us anew.

[Prayer]