The Song of the Angels Luke 2:8-20

The Song of the Angels

Luke 2:14

©Copyright December 15, 2019 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

One of the most familiar texts in Scripture is this text from Luke chapter 2. It is read every Christmas in churches and may be most familiar because it is the text that is read by Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

This morning we are going to continue our study of what we are calling the "Songs of Christmas" with the refrain or the song of the angels. I would guess most of you already know the words of the song. We like the idea of peace on earth and good will to men. however, you may not fully understand the significance of what is being said. Before we get to the song let's establish the context.

The account begins with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Out in the fields that night some Shepherds were "minding their own business." I imagine they were talking around a campfire. Suddenly, they were blinded by a great intensely bright light. (Think about how blinded you are when you turn on a light after you have been in the dark for a while). I suspect, out of instinct the men covered their eyes. They were terrified.

the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:10-11)

An angel told them the long-awaited Messiah had come and they were instructed to go see the child. They were given the location and assured they would be able to find the newborn. The Shepherds did not view this as simply an announcement. They understood it to be an assignment.

Notice something important before we get to the song: this message came to the shepherds! Shepherds were on one of the lowest rings of the social ladder. I believe God chose them to make a point: the Messiah was coming for ALL the people. Both the Shepherds and the Magi were summoned to pay tribute to the King. The shepherds were Jews and the Magi were Gentiles. Jesus was born to the poor rather than to a King in a castle. This is important because it means Jesus came for YOU!

In Romans 5 Paul reflects on the fact that we might be tempted to give our lives for someone who was important in our lives. However, few of us would give up our life to benefit an antagonist, enemy, or even someone perceived to be in a lower economic class from us. But, says Paul.

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (Romans 5:8-11)

The Christmas story the is for ALL PEOPLE.

What follows is the appearance of the Heavenly choir.

13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

From these words we deduce certain truths.

The Christmas Story is About Much More than the Birth of a Baby

The birth of a child is one of the greatest events in a life. We celebrate it, we talk about it, we have lots of pictures of our newborn to show everyone, at times we just sit and stare at the wonder of the baby in our arms or laying in a crib. They are so peaceful and trusting, it melts our heart.

I am sure the birth of Jesus was equally special, but we do not gather this Christmas season to merely celebrate the birthday of Jesus. This is far more . . . this is a celebration of God's dynamic rescue plan. The Creator of the Universe entered the world as a man for the express purpose of giving up His life to pay for our sin! Hear that again . . . HIS LIFE for OUR sin.

The remarkable thing about Christmas is not just that Christ was born in humble circumstances just as it had been predicted. The remarkable thing about Christmas is the WHY of his coming.

The angels gave glory to God in the highest because this was an incredible, merciful, and gracious plan. The second thing we learn from the song of the angels is:

His Birth Makes it Possible for us to Find Peace

We live in a day when we are told peace will come if we: have better weapons than our enemy. Others say we should lead by example and set our arms down. Some look for personal peace in a bottle, or with drugs, through bed-hopping or even service to others. Others feel peace will come if they achieve a certain goal or make enough money.

The Bible tells us real peace must start within. Most people are in turmoil on the inside. We know we don't measure up to who WE want us to be, much less to what God commands us to be. We are searching for purpose and meaning in our lives. Our souls are in a state of unrest.

All of this is due to our own sinfulness.

We are alienated from God

We have lost sight of God's plan for our lives

We are apprehensive and afraid of the future because we know we have rebelled against a Holy God.

We are unsettled because we do not know where we stand with the Lord.

Most of our turmoil with other people is either because we are spiritually lost, or they are.

What the gospel does is address each of those issues. Romans 5 says,

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (Romans 5:1-2)

We are made right with God. We are forgiven, we are known, and we are given a destiny that allows us to move forward confidently. Once we have peace within, we can learn to know peace in every area of our lives.

We are more patient with friends and family

We view trials in light of God's promise to work good in all things

We take the churning and release it to the Lord

We banish fear by focusing on the superior greatness of the Lord

Even death loses its power because we know the glory that awaits after death.

If enough people knew this peace "that surpasses understanding" we might even see nations drop their weapons and cooperate with each other. And who knows, we might even see Congress start to get along!

The Limits of the Promise - those on whom His favor rests

We are used to the translation: "goodwill toward men." What we understand this to mean is God wants us all to be content and happy. But that is not what the words really mean. Modern translations work to get the nuance of the wording,

The NIV says, "and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The ESV and NASB translate it, "on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

The question is: Who are the people with whom He is pleased? The answer is: those who come to Him by faith and embrace the Savior He has sent. In other words, the angels limit the scope of God's promise and blessing. It is not a universal promise, it is a specific promise. Simply put, as long as you keep playing at faith; as long as you insist on relying on your own goodness; as long as you think you are “good enough” to go to Heaven, you will not, and cannot, know this peace that transforms human hearts and the eternal life that is before us. You can attend church, you can serve on committees, you can go on mission trips, and people can look on you as one who is a “true believer”, but until you surrender all your weapons, justifications, and excuses; until you give up all hope of saving yourself and turn fully to Jesus as your rescuer; your Savior, you will not know His favor.

So, the question this Christmas should be: How do I experience the favor of God that brings me peace with God and then floods into the rest of my life? We talk about this a great deal. And we will continue talking about it because this is essential stuff. Without a true relationship with God, none of the other stuff matters. None of the promises can apply!

There are two basic requirements. First, recognize and confess that you do not have peace now because you are a sinful person. Face the reality of sin in your life. Stop making excuses or arguing for mitigating circumstances. Face the truth that you are hopelessly lost apart from Jesus. Admit the fact that even some of the best deeds you do have been for wrong motives (to look good, fulfill an obligation, or to gain credit.

Second believe in the real Jesus. It is not enough to “believe in Jesus”. You must believe in the TRUE Jesus. This is not some imaginary construction or mythical creature. This is the Jesus who was born in Bethlehem; who was fully God and fully man; who lived a perfect life and surrendered that flawless life for our sin. This Jesus lived, died and was literally and historically raised from the dead. Once you have seen Him for who He is, you must run to Him and put all your hope in Him. You must trust His promise and embrace Him as Lord and Savior of your life.

By prayer we express to the Lord our trust and desire to know and follow Him. The words are much less important than the attitude of your heart. You can do this right now by simply saying, "Lord, I know I am a sinful person. I turn to Jesus as my hope and my salvation. I open myself to the filling of your spirit and ask you to lead and guide my life from this day forward."

Once you turn to Him, peace takes hold in your life. Even in the toughest of times there is still a calm in the soul. This peace is due to that baby born in Bethlehem announced to the Shepherds.

The Shepherds Respond

The Shepherds become the model of how to respond to the birth of Jesus. First, they went and saw Him. They did not merely talk about how wonderful is was . . . they came to see Jesus in person. In much the same way, we must come to Jesus personally.

Second, once they saw Christ in person, they told others. This was a big deal if you were a Shepherd. You didn't talk to a lot of people. You spent all your time around sheep and other shepherds. However, these guys were so moved and impressed by their encounter with Christ, they could not help talking about it to others.

When we are really excited about something, we can't help ourselves from seeking every opportunity to talk about it. It may have been a great victory in sports, a moving book you read, a birth in your family, being hired in your dream job . . . whatever it is, you talk about it every chance you get. We should be doing the same thing with Jesus. What is more exciting and life-changing than being forgiven our sin and entering into an intimate relationship with God? If we truly understand what Christmas is, you should be sharing the good news with everyone who will listen!

Third, the Shepherds praised God. Do you see the natural progression? If you really come to Jesus and enter into a relationship with God, you have to tell others. But you also should be blown away by the grace and mercy of God. Every time you think about the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb, you should be stunned and led to worship God.

TAKEAWAYS

Let's takeaway some thoughts from our examination of the angels song.

First, we should celebrate Christmas differently from the rest of the world. While everyone else is focusing on presents, parties and decorations, we should be focusing (and encouraging others to focus) on Jesus. This is our time not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but to recount to people why that birth is so significant.

Look for ways to point your family and others to Christ. Perhaps you can

give a gift that points to Christ

read through the Christmas story with your family

take extra time with God leading up to Christmas

use this time to invite someone to worship with you because "after all, the celebration is about Jesus."

make a donation to someone or to an organization as a gift to the Savior

Be creative! The point is to do something that honors an draws attention to Him.

Second, We should be counter-cultural in our approach to the rush of life. The madness of Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier. Thanksgiving is just an interruption in the Christmas season now! Instead of being swept up in the frantic pace and buying frenzy of the season, deliberately take a step back. Carve out some quiet time. Sit in the dark in front of the Christmas tree and ponder Christmas. Turn on some Christmas music (the Christ-centered kind) and concentrate on the words. Let the words of Christmas sweep you into the presence of God. Feel the wonder once again.

Try to focus on ways to give this Christmas rather than on getting. Look for someone you can help. Volunteer someplace. Give a year-end gift to a ministry or other outreach.

Third, we should make sure we and all our family are among those "on whom His favor rests". Examine your own heart. It is possible to go to church all your life and still never enter into a true relationship with Christ. It is possible to know all about Him and never surrender and turn to Him. If you think this might be you, reach out to Christ right now. (I told you we would keep emphasizing this.)

Helping family members come to Christ is more difficult. The first thing we must do is pray. There are no arguments or words to bring someone to faith. The Holy Spirit must do this. So, the first step anytime you know or suspect someone is outside of the faith, is to pray. Ask God to work in that person's heart and KEEP PRAYING!

Second, look for opportunities to have spiritual conversations. Conversations involve listening as well as talking. Listen prayerfully and respond as God's Spirit guides you. Don't get discouraged if the conversation doesn't seem to lead anywhere. Keep having those conversations looking for God to open a door. Share from your heart. God can use even the simplest testimony. Remember, it is God who saves, not us.

It was quite a night for those Shepherds. I'd love to know how it changed them. Did they keep track of the progress of the baby? Were they still alive when Jesus' began his ministry? Did they go to hear Him teach? Obviously, one of the Shepherds told their story to someone, otherwise we wouldn't have it.

We will not get the answers to these questions until we are in Heaven (when it likely won't matter). But we must answer the question posed to us: "What will you do in response to the Good News?"