2018 Carol and Candlelight Service

The Shepherds Visit Jesus

The Shepherds

Nativity Play

We should not think Shepherding was a glamorous job.

The Shepherds Visit Jesus

Introduction and Acknowledgements

My name is Mark and I am the Pastor here.

Introduction

It is an honour to welcome you all again at this special time of year.

Thank-you children and thank-you to all who have taken part in this special Christmas celebration today.

Thank-you also to all those who have decorated the church. It is lovely.

Bethlehem

(Same Slide as Nativity Play)

Bethlehem was not the biggest place.

The picture portrays its smallness well.

There was only one Inn.

And on that night, on that so special night, Bethlehem was full to the brim.

Everybody had come home

Literally.

Not home for the holidays.

There was only one Inn.

But home for the Roman censor, to be registered and counted.

It was full too.

It was the modern equivalent of the election role, but without the elections

It was mostly for

Not a room left, even at inflated prices.

That part has not changed.

Mary and Joseph

(Slide)

Mary and Joseph were tired and they desperately needed rest.

They had traveled about 70 Miles over a few days.

It had been a long journey.

From Nazareth in the North, which lies in the region of the Sea of Galilee, traveling south, as the River Jordan flows south, passed Jerusalem, and then on to Bethlehem.

The journey was made even more difficult as Mary was nearing her time to give birth.

Who would have wanted to make this journey at such a time.

But what a nine months it had been for Mary.

Since the visit of the Angel Gabriel.

The one who stands in the very presence of God.

To tell her that the power of the most high will come upon her and she will conceive and have a son.

A son who will change everything.

Mary reflected and treasured all these things in her heart.

With that deep and radiant joy of an expectant mum.

They made it.

No Room in the Inn

(Slide)

They finally arrived at Bethlehem!

The “Are we there yet” were over.

But there was no room in the Inn.

We read it earlier in Luke’s account.

Luke 2:7 NKJV

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

That is Inn, singular.

One Inn.

Of-course, It was full.

Not a room left, even at inflated prices.

They eventually found somewhere to stay

It was not glamorous, it would not even get a 1 star rating today.

The Shepherds

(Slide)

The Shepherds were nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

We should not think of Shepherding as glamorous job.

It was not!

When you thought about careers for your son in first century Israel, shepherding was low on that list.

You know how parents talk about the achievements of their children.

Shepherding was spoken of in a low and soft tone.

What is your son doing these days? Low tone… “Oh, he is a shepherd”, Higher tone “BUT the flock of sheep is very large”

There were no Land-Rovers or John Deere Tractors or all terrain vehicles.

It was not the case in 1st century Israel when Jesus was born.

(Pause)

It was a clear and starry night.

The fire was lit.

The shepherds were watching over their flocks.

It was just like any other night of shepherding.

Or was it?

The Birth Announcement

(Slide)

Jesus had been born.

There had been no earthy fanfare.

No baby shower.

No party.

No releasing of coloured balons to announce the sex of the baby.

The Saviour of the World had been born. Unnoticed by mankind.

(Pause)

But now something was going to happen!

Heaven could not just keep quiet over such an event.

so much better was about to happen.

Heaven was about to put on the best possible birth announcement of all

A company of Angels were sent to bring the glad tidings.

To those Shepherds, watching their flocks at night.

We read it earlier in Luke’s account,

Luke 2:9–14 NKJV

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 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!”

What about that for a birth announcement!

But why to Shepherds?

But why to Shepherds?

The Good Shepherd

Yes during his ministry Jesus would liken himself to a shepherd, the good shepherd.

Those were the same lambs that would be sold to be used in the temple in Jerusalem for , only some 5 miles away for slaughter.

And Jesus is the very best of shepherds.

He protects, He cares, He feeds and He tends all who will come to Him and follow Him.

The Lamb of God

But there is something else here, something more...

Why the birth announcement went first to the Shepherds.

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, said it when announcing the ministry of Jesus’ earthly ministry,

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Christmas, it really happened

The New King James Version Chapter 1

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The story of Christmas is that God came to this world

Not as a visitor, but He became like us in all ways.

God became flesh.

It is a mystery and it is wonderful!

He was born into this world, named Jesus and grew up to show everyone what God is really like.

Simply put, Jesus shows us what God is really like.

Jesus was born in obscurity and poverty, he was dedicated 8 days later at the temple in Jerusalem and began his ministry as an adult at about the age of 30.

“The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

“Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

The Shepherds will come and visit the Lamb of God.

Repeat.

This is no accident!

The Temple

Jesus came into this World

Bethlehem was only 5 miles south of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, the home of the Temple, the very center of worship in first century Israel.

The place where every day lambs were taken from flocks from the surrounding countryside to be slaughtered.

Foreshadowing what will eventually happen to Jesus on the cross.

It is likely that some of the flock those shepherds were caring for would end up at the temple!

So how appropriate that the Angels should announce the birth of our saviour to Shepherds, tending those flocks, at night.

And then the Shepherds go and see the very lamb of God.

We can only understand Christmas, in the light of Jesus’ death on the cross at Easter.

We can only understand Christmas in the light of “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”

And We can only understand Christmas in the light of Jesus soon return

Not as a baby, but this time as King.

Because one day soon, those same angels, will come again, with Jesus

For it says in Revelations 5,

Revelation 5:11–12 NKJV

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Worthy is the lamb that was slain.

Revelation 5:12 NKJV

saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

rev 5:12

Past tense, was slain, because now He lives, and because he lives we can live)

Revelation 5:13 NKJV

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

So again I say, how appropriate that the birth announcement of our saviour first went to shepherds watching their flocks at night.

The Christmas story, it really happened!

God became flesh. Hi name was Jesus. And He lived for a while among us.

Fully God and fully man.

God became a tiny and dependent baby, to two earthy parents, one not even in her twenties.

Who would have written that script?

Jesus came not to a human fanfare, but mostly in obscurity and poverty.

The shepherds came to see the lamb of God.

The wise men came to one wiser than anyone before or after.

But the world did not embrace Jesus.

Jesus’ honesty met mostly with rejection.

Many fled the mirror Jesus held up with his words of truth.

The religious leaders of the day missed the point.

They missed God incarnate completely.

Jesus did not met their expectations of a Messiah.

Just as today Jesus does not meet many people’s expectation of God.

The few that recognised the image of God in Christ faced hard times.

Their lives were characterised from that day on by dependence not independence.

His own disciples mostly misunderstood his words until after his death.

And they all deserted Jesus in the end.

Eventually Jesus was nailed to the cross and left to die in what appeared as utter failure of His mission.

(Pause)

Who would have written such a script?

And yet this is how the Lord choose to work out His Plan of Rescue for mankind.

To overcome sin, and to overcome the final enemy of all, Death.

God came to bridge that impossible divide that mankind had erected In their folly and sin.

And God made a highway, or a motorway, for salvation for all who will embrace Jesus by Faith.

(Pause)

Jesus walks into our troubles, into our problems and into our sin and mess and says, “Fear not, it is I; be not afraid.”

That is what Christmas is all about

Fear Not

Jesus walks into our troubles, into our problems, into our sicknesses , into our joys, into our sadness, into our best of times , into our worst of times, into our sins and into our mess, and says, “Fear not, it is I; be not afraid.”

Beloved, can you discern his voice in your heart

Faith alone can open our eyes

Jesus bids us “Come, Follow Me”.

That is what Christmas is all about.

Jesus is the Light of the World

The Apostle John says,

Christmas, it really happened

(light Candle)

John 8:12 NKJV

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

(light Candle)

(Light Candle)

Jesus is the light of the World (light Candle)

Jesus says “I am the light of the World”

“He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life, even unto eternal life.”

Christmas, It really happened, and it is wonderful.

Daily Help December 17

See him risen, crowned, glorified! Bow before him as the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the mighty God, for only thus will your love to him be what it should.

Is Christmas really happening for you this year

Jesus is the Lamb of God, now risen from death, crowned and gloried.

He is Wonderful, He is Counsellor and He is Mighty God.

And that same Jesus still whispers consolation and comfort to each one of us.

What will be your response this Christmas?

(pause)

Daily Help December 13

God says to you, “Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Believer grasp the divine word with a personal, appropriating faith. Think that you hear Jesus say, “I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” Think you see him walking on the waters of thy trouble, for he is there, and he is saying, “Fear not, it is I; be not afraid.” Oh, those sweet words of Christ! May the Holy Ghost make you feel them as spoken to you; forget others for a while—accept the voice of Jesus as addressed to you, and say, “Jesus whispers consolation; I cannot refuse it; I will sit under his shadow with great delight.”

Charity Collection

(Slide)

We are going to take up a Charity collection tonight for the East Coast Hospice

On the screen is an artist rendering of this new local Hospice that is still in the fundraising and planning phase.

They need all the donations they can get to build this end of life hospice facility, that will provide peace and dignity for patients and family.

Thank-you for your generous donations.

During the collection we will also give out LED Candles.

Lets us all light up our candles in response to Jesus, in response to local needs such as the new Hospice and for the singing of our final carol.

Let us all now light up our Candle now in response to Jesus

And as we sing our final carol, “Once in David’s City”

Bethlehem

It is not the biggest place

There is only one Inn.