Good News for Shepherds and Other Sinners

"Let me tell you a bit about shepherds. They were the last people you’d expect God to take notice of. First of all, they were religious outcasts. According to Jewish religious law, these men were unclean. Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar. Why? Well, somebody had to watch the sheep. When everyone else was making the trip to Jerusalem to make sacrifices at the temple, or to participate in one of the annual feasts, they were out in the fields, watching over the sheep. A modern day example might be a trucker or a shift worker, whose job keeps them from regularly attending church. It wasn’t really their fault. But they were looked down on, from a religious point of view. Whatever might have been in their hearts, they weren’t able to participate fully in the religious life of the community.

"Not only that, but shepherds were borderline social outcasts. Since they were constantly on the move to find new pasture for their flocks, they were looked on with suspicion. Kind of the way people today might look at gypsies, or carnival workers. They were often accused of being thieves. If something came up missing – it must have been those shepherds. They were not permitted to give testimony in a legal proceeding, because their word wasn’t considered trustworthy.”

Interesting, isn’t it? It was to these religious and social outcasts that the angels appeared appeared to first with such an awesome message. Let’s take a look at this cool story.

Luke 2:8–11 NKJV

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 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. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

What do we have in these verses, beside a bunch of awesome angels and a group of smelly shepherds? Well I think we see some awesome news for these shepherds and for the rest of us. Some very practical and encouraging news. Here we go...

The Angel Announced the End of Fear (v. 10)

Luke 2:10 NKJV

10 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.

Now to be contextually correct this pronouncement was given as a direct result of the angel’s awesome and frightening appearance. “Fear not” are two words spoken during many of the angelic appearances in Scripture. Now before you say, phhhhhhh, how do you think you’d react to a heavenly being just appearing right in front of you probably lighting everything up around you just like in a sci-fi movie. Yeah, you’d probably need to hear “fear not” also.

The shepherds were afraid, but this runs deeper.

A. The first evidence of fall was fear: (Gen. 3:6-8)

Genesis 3:8–10 NKJV

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

B. Fear has been stalking mankind through the centuries since

a. Abraham lying about Sarah because of fear (Gen. 12:11-13)

b. Jacob afraid of Esau (Gen. 32:6-8)

c. Moses afraid of Pharoah and of rejection (Ex. 4:1)

d. Israel afraid to enter the Promised Land (Num. 14)

C. Jesus would move through the area He travelled dispelling fear

a. The disciples and the storm

b. Blind Bartimaeus feared he would never see

c. Ten lepers feared they would never be with their families

d. Mary and Martha feared they would never see Lazarus again

D. There are many fears at Christmas

a. Health

b Family

c. World conditions

d. Finances

e. Life

E. But faith is the opposite of fear: we are saved by faith and live by faith.

Next...

The Angel Announces the Birth of Joy (v. 10)

Luke 2:10 NKJV

10 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.

A. We sing songs of joy at Christmas.

B. Why this joy?

a. Because the Savior has been born

Matthew 2:10 NKJV

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

b. Because the Scripture has been fulfilled

Isaiah 7:14 NKJV

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

c. Because Christ is Lord

We can come to Him and have joy.

John 15:11 NKJV

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

Trust Him.

The Angel Announces the Beginning of Evangelism (v. 10)

Luke 2:10 NKJV

10 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.

A. All need this Savior

a. All are sinners (Rom. 3:23)

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

b. Christ died for all (Rom. 5:8)

Romans 5:8 NKJV

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

B. He is available to all people. How did the shepherds respond?

Luke 2:15–18 NKJV

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

a. We are also to be going with the good news

b. We’re not to sit and soak on the way to heaven

Conclusion:

A. God meets us where we are

B. Come to Jesus with your sins and fears and be saved

C. Tell the Good News to all!