The Greatest Gift of All

INTRO:

Last week recap -

Ecclesiastes - God is better than anything else, everything is vanity

Seasons for different things

A new season we enter....The Christmas season

When we were given the greatest gift of all

An Angel Appears

Backstory of the Christmas story

shepherds in the field

Luke 2:8-

Luke 2:8–9 ESV

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.

Why were the shepherds filled with fear?

The glory of the Lord

glory - essentially the weight of

The weight of God’s holiness presses into these men

Why does this impact them so?

Shepherds considered:

dirty

untrustworthy

testimony not admissable in court

Their sinfulness exposed under the weight of God and it shatters them

The Good News Proclaimed

Luke 2:10-

Luke 2:10–11 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.

What is the Good News?

that a Savior was born for all people

Why is this Good News?

The shame and guilt the shepherds felt at the glory of God is redeemed in the Savior

The same condemnation we have in sin is broken due to Christ