Sermon Tone Analysis

Bringing Christmas into the New Year

Introduction

Lose weight.

Volunteer more.

Get fit.

Manage debt.

Become organized.

What are all of these things I’ve just mentioned?

New Year Resolutions!

This is the cusp of a new year, so resolutions are on our mind.

We’ve moved past Silent Night and on to Auld Lang Syne (whatever that means.)

Resolutions are an admission that not all is well with us.

Resolutions reflect the reality that our lives aren’t right.

As much as we want to deny it, something is amiss in our world.

It’s a New Year, which brings hope that things can change, that we can change, we can have peace and joy in our lives here on earth.

That’s our hope each year.

But before we move headlong into the New Year, I want us to head back to the time right after the birth of Christ.

Let’s not be so hasty that we miss what God recorded as the response to Christ’s birth.

This was a moment that changed history, and it’s easy to celebrate that, but miss how it changes us, how it gives us true hope.

Many people had a reaction to the birth of Christ, but only one group had a response recorded in scripture.

So it’s important.

It’s important enough that we should pause, look at it again, and see in it how God would have us respond to Christ’s coming, how Christ’s coming changes us, which is how we can bring Christmas into the New Year.

Let’s turn to a well-worn section of scripture and listen to it with new ears to hear how the recorded response to Christ’s birth changes our New Year.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 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.

10 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.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was 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 those with whom he is pleased!”

15 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.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

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

18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

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

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

[1]

The One who made us can be pleased with us.

Originally I was going to title this message “Hear, Fear, and get it in Gear.”

But not only am I unable to pull that off, as I studied this text, it’s clear that’s not the message.

The message of how the birth of Jesus Christ changes us comes out in the response of the shepherds, in three ways.

It’s so well-known it’s easy to miss it, forget it, move on from it.

The shepherds hear

The shepherds trust

The shepherds return…knowing the Father is pleased with them.

And this changes everything in their life, and can change ours as well.

The Shepherds Hear

If you were with us on December 15th, you heard lots of songs about the shepherds, and angels.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 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.

10 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.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

There is something very telling about the appearance of angels in Scripture.

Whenever they show up, we fear.

How do we know this?

Because the first words out of angels mouth almost every time is “do not be afraid!”

We are afraid of angels and the glory of God.

Why?

Because we have something to be afraid of.

Our flesh – all of us – is in a state of rebellion towards God.

We act like we’re righteous, and maybe we are compared with other people.

But when the angel shows up, we are suddenly confronted with actual holiness…and our vain attempts are shown as shadow and vapor.

But the shepherds – seeing the glory of God and greatly fearing – heard news that brought them great joy.

Through the graciousness of God they got a message.

The message was not “peace to all people, everywhere.”

The message for the shepherds is “peace among those with whom He is pleased.”

And this message is for us as well.

And it is a message of great joy.

It is a bit unfair.

As Tim Keller says “The shepherds got angels.

We get shepherds!”

How hard would it be for them to believe angels?

It’s hard to believe shepherds!

We are in the same situation as the shepherds, though.

He is giving us a message…through His Word.

It’s a message that most respond to in great fear – the Bible is God’s Word, and in it we see His holiness and tremble – but it is a message of great joy.

The Shepherds Trust

Let’s continue.

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

The shepherds heard the message of great joy…and they trusted.

They did not stay in their fear, but went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

Let’s back up for a moment.

Why shepherds?

And how did they know where to go?

Most of us have heard various theories about the shepherds – they are the poor, the outcasts, the lowly, they weren’t to be trusted.

All this may be true.

But still does not answer the question “Why shepherds?”

and how did they know where to go?

Bethlehem has a fascinating history in Israel.

As little as it was, its shepherds had an important job.

The same Rabbis which Herod consulted concerning the birth of the Messiah recorded that the shepherds in Bethlehem kept special sheep, in one flock.

Sheep for the Temple in Jerusalem, destined for sacrifice.

When it was time for these sheep to be born, they were taken to one place, a stall, and if the lamb was perfect and without blemish it would be wrapped in swaddling cloths.

Let’s go back to the angels.

Why did they tell the shepherds “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”?

They told the shepherds this because the shepherds would see the significance.

They would see the Messiah come as the perfect Lamb of God – the ultimate and once-for-all sacrifice.

Their trust of what the angels told them allowed them to see the Father’s love for His people.

We hear the message; our trust allows us to see God’s wonder.

So what happened next?

What was their reaction to beholding the lamb of God, who came to take away the sin of the world?