Glory to God for His Goodness to Men

Luke 2:8–20 NIV84

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Introduction

Last week, we had the wonderful joy of considering the birth of Jesus Christ into the world. And what a striking account it was - the Almighty Saviour, God himself entering into humanity, but in the lowliest of manner.

This is the grand picture that will be carried through in the Gospel of Luke. It is the picture of God’s grace and kindness to those who are undeserving. It is a picture of the wonderful condescension and humility of the the omnipotent God.

This picture is certainly going to be evident through our passage this morning.

We will be considering together the announcement of the birth of the Saviour, and the responses that follow that announcement.

Notice firstly with me...

1. The Appearance of Angels (vv.8-9)

We are no strangers to the appearance of angels is we work our way through this Lukan gospel text. Once again, angels are going to appear in order to make a pronouncement that would bring great joy.

As we consider this appearance, and the announcement that will come, there are some important points to take note of.

Firstly, we need to take note of the fact that the angel appeared to shepherds.

1.1. Appearance to Shepherds (v.8)

Verse 8 tells us...

Luke 2:8 NIV84

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

It is to these shepherds, who were out in the fields and hills surrounding Judea, that the Angel from the Lord appeared.

It was not to rulers and kings that the angel appeared. It was not to the priests, or the pharisees, or any religious rulers that the angel appeared to make this stunning announcement.

Rather, it was to the shepherds who were tasked with looking after the sheep out in the field by night.

What should strike us in this account is that God chose shepherds to be the first real hearers of this good news. There have been a number of reasons put forward as to why this is the case.

In one sense, there is a connection here to King David. You will recall that as we were reading last week in the account of David being anointed as king by Samuel, he was out in the fields at the time, while all the other brothers were being brought before Samuel as the potential king.

With David being a shepherd of sheep, and having then ascended by God’s grace to the position of king, it seems fitting that it was to shepherds that the angel would make this announcement.

But we must take this a step further, and see how this ties in with the overall humility with which this Gospel message is ushered into the world.

Shepherds were not the elite of society. In fact in many cultures, in the very early biblical days, shepherds were somewhat despised. You will recall the account of Joseph and his slavery in Egypt, and how he then rose to power. When his family, with his father, moved to Egypt in order to survive the famine, you will recall what he said to his family that they should tell Pharaoh with respect to their occupation...

Genesis 46:33–34 NIV84

33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

Now this wasn’t initially the case with the Israelites themselves, because that was what they were - shepherds. But as they entered into the promised land, and developed in agriculture and other things, shepherding became lower and lower on the ladder of esteemed jobs.

But certainly, shepherding was considered to be a more lowly or menial occupation.

But it is to these lowly shepherds that the angel appears. It was to the lowly that God sent His angel.

1.2. Appearance in Glory (v.9)

We see further, considering this appearance of the angels, that their appearance was in glory.

Read verse 9 with me...

Luke 2:9 NIV84

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

This all happened in dramatic fashion. One moment, the shepherds were out in the stillness and quietness of the night. It was simply the quiet sounds of the night. The next moment, and angel of the Lord appeared right before them, and the brilliant light of the glory of Almighty God shone on them.

Here was a manifestation of the glory, power and presence of God Almighty before them.

The shepherds were terrified!!

But the terror was soon to be transformed into great wonder, awe and joyful exhuberance as the angel pronounced it’s message.

We see secondly...

2. The Proclamation of the Angels (vv.10-14)

The first thing that the angel does is to bring them a word of comfort. “Do not be afraid.”

But the message that follows is that which is so profound, and which deserves our careful attention. It is the glorious Gospel message that drives us as the church, as we see a world around us crumbling under the weight of sin.

2.1. Good News (v.10)

Firstly, this is “Good News”....

Recall last week, we considered the account of Augustus Caesar who was said to be the one that brought good news (Euangelion), because was seen to be a powerful ruler.

Well, here is the arrival of the truly Good News. This is the Gospel message of the All-powerful, true Messiah that was coming into the world, rather than a weak, feeble, human deliverer.

This is the good news of a Saviour who would bring reconciliation between man and God. This is the good news of a Messiah who would live a humble life, in service of a needy people. He would live the perfect life on behalf of those who were utterly incapable.

Later on in the Gospel of Luke, we read the words of Christ himself as he read the scroll of Isaiah before all gathered in the synagogue, and proclaimed to them their fulfillment:

Luke 4:18–19 NIV84

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Dear friends, the coming of Jesus Christ is Good News. It is the most wonderful and encouraging news that can be told in a world that is lost in darkness and without hope. Good News!

Notice further, that this is good news...

2.2. Of Great Joy (v.10)

The message that is Good News will bring great joy to those who have come to understand. It is an intrinsic quality of the Gospel message that it will produce joy in the heart of the one who hears and understands it.

The Gospel message is one of God’s grace and favour towards men. It speaks of His mercy and compassion for those who are undeserving. It is the message of deep kindness, bringing man into a glorious union with God through Christ.

A full understanding of this must surely lead to great joy.

But not only is there joy in the knowledge of reconciliation with God, but there is a deep joy as one considers the hope that this Gospel refers to. A certain hope that will last unto eternity.

Romans 12:12 NIV84

12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit...

Galatians 5:22 NIV84

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Paul tells the Thessalonian believers...

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV84

16 Be joyful always;

Are we those who live with great joy in the knowledge of this glorious Gospel message?! God has come to redeem and save us. He has come to make us his own. This is a cause for celebration!

And we look forward to that becoming a reality, where our joy will be complete in the presence of the Saviour!

“How divinely full of glory and pleasure shall that hour be when all the millions of mankind that have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God shall meet together and stand around Him, with every tongue and every heart full of joy and praise! How astonishing will be the glory and the joy of that day when all the saints shall join together in one common song of gratitude and love, and of everlasting thankfulness to this Redeemer! With that unknown delight, and inexpressible satisfaction, shall all that are saved from the ruins of sin and hell address the Lamb that was slain, and rejoice in His presence!” (Isaac Watts)

2.3. For All People (v.10)

Thirdly, we see that this Good News of Great Joy is “For All People.”

That is, it is no longer specifically directed and centered on a particular people group. It is not only the Jews that will have this good news of a Messiah for them, but rather it is the message that will bring joy to people from every tribe, nation, language and tongue.

There is no distinction on race, social standing, or any other quality. The Gospel message of great joy is a message that is to be proclaimed to every single living person, no matter where they come from, or what their background is.

Even those who have been murderers and thieves, are to have this message proclaimed to them, so that they too can receive the message of joy because of the forgiveness of their sins.

In the words of that great hymn...

“The vilest offender who truly believes,

that moment from Jesus a pardon receives...”

Jesus Christ would eventually tell his disciples...

Matthew 28:18–19 NIV84

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This is a Gospel message for all people. And dear friends, how many thousands aren’t there around us that need this message?

2.4. The Saviour (v.11)

What is this good news of great joy for all people?

It is the fact that a Saviour has been born.

Luke 2:11 NIV84

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Again, there is a link to the town of David. We’ve considered this last week, and so I won’t go into it again.

But the true joy lies in the fact that the Saviour is born.

This is the Saviour that had been promised long ages before, and which was now eventually coming to pass. The Shepherds were being told in no uncertain terms that the long-awaited Saviour had finally arrived. On this very day - a Saviour has been born to you.

John 3:16–17 NIV84

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Notice the further description concerning this Saviour.

Firstly, He is Christ. The word Christ literally refers to Him being the Messiah. He is the anointed One. Recall Luke 4:18 - God has anointed me to preach good news...

Further to this, He is Lord. He is the one to whom people are to bow the knee in reverence and honour.

We need to recognise that the title Lord was one that would often be used of an esteemed person in general, or a person who was shown honour. It was not necessarily a title of divinity.

But there were times where the title was indeed used in the sense of deity.

Polycarp was a second-century bishop of Smyrna. He was a disciple of the Apostle John. When he was 86 years old, he was brought before Caesar, and told to declare that Caesar was lord. This went beyond a mere showing of respect - it would have been a declaration that Caesar was divine. Polycarp understood this, and so refused to do this, and was murdered as a result of this.

As the shepherds heard the words of the angel, they may not have had a full sense of the title Lord, but that title would indeed come to demonstrate the divinity of Jesus in time.

One of the great evidences that this title for Jesus went beyond merely a title of respect is found in Psalm 110:1…

Psalm 110:1 NIV84

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

In Luke 20, Jesus uses that verse to ask the very pertinent question, how is it that David can refer to him as Lord. Clearly, this king David, held Jesus in high honour. Jesus was not merely another lord.

He would indeed come to be recognised as God.

John 20:28 NIV84

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Acts 2:36 NIV84

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Romans 10:9 NIV84

9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The angel declared in this moment that the Lord of all creation had arrived.

2.5. The Sign (v.12)

At this point, the angel gives them the sign that what he is declaring to them is the truth.

Luke 2:12 NIV84

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

The angel prompts them, as it were, to go and see the child. This is very similar to the account of the angel appearing to Mary, where the sign given was that Elizabeth her relative was pregnant. Simply the mention of that fact was sufficient to have Mary travel that long distance to see for herself if what the angel had said was true.

Notice that the sign in this case is not simply a baby wrapped in cloths. there may well have been other babies there at the same time. The key distinguishing mark was that this baby would be lying in a manger.

3. The Responses to the Message (vv.13-20)

As we consider this wonderful message of the Saviour come into the world, there are a number of responses that we find in our text.

Firstly in terms of the responses, we find...

3.1. Response from Angels (vv.13-14)

Luke 2:13–14 NIV84

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

If the original appearance of the one angel with the surrounding glorious presence of God wasn’t startling enough for the shepherds, then this certainly would have struck them with a deep sense of awe.

Suddenly there is an entire army of angels - a great company of them, praising God. What a glorious scene this must have been to behold. The entire scene set for us in the world, around Bethlehem, was one of humility and lowliness. But here, breaking into that scene of lowliness were the glorious angelic hosts, praising God.

These were heavenly beings who knew the Saviour. They knew of His place in glory. They were fully aware that this was the second person of the Triune Godhead. They knew that it was by this second person of the Trinity, that all things had been created.

They also knew about the fall of man, the desperate place that man was in when it came to their relationship with God, and that apart from God’s grace, there was no hope for them.

And they enter into this place and scene to bring praise and honour to God.

Notice that they sing: “Glory to God in the Highest.”

At its root and core, this is a message of glory to the Almighty God. The reason for Christ coming into the world was so that God may receive all the glory and honour.

Salvation is from the Lord...

Psalm 3:8 NIV84

8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

Revelation 7:10 NIV84

10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Salvation is from God!!! Thus to him be glory!

But the message of salvation is also the cause for peace to men. Such is the kindness and mercy of God, that man receives this great benefit of the wonderful peace of God coming to them.

Notice that the message here is “… on earth, peace to men on whom his favour rests...”

Peace comes to those on whom God’s favour rests.

While the Gospel message of great joy is for all people - in other words it is to be proclaimed to all men throughout the world, the peace of God only comes to those on whom His favour rests. Those who will turn from their sin in repentance and faith, and trust in God for their salvation.

Isaiah 26:3 NIV84

3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 32:17 NIV84

17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

Those whose trust is in the Saviour given are those who live in peace.

Romans 5:1 NIV84

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 2:14 NIV84

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

Ephesians 2:17 NIV84

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

Dear friends, is your life marked with peace? Do you know peace with God through Jesus Christ?

3.2. Response from Men (vv.15-20)

The first response from men we find is...

3.2.1 Resolute Hearts (vv.15-16)

This is on the part of the shepherds...

Luke 2:15–16 NIV84

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

As soon as the angels had left, the shepherds spring into action. Verse 16 suggests that they wasted no time. There is no delay, but rather a resolute response to go and see these things that have been declared to them.

They go to see if these things are true.

One commentator applies this to the response of those listening to a sermon being preached:

Luke 2:8–21 Shepherds and Angels

What the shepherds should do had been clearly implied. Will they do it? The minister has delivered his sermon. Will the listeners (including himself) take it to heart? The doctor has prescribed medication. Will the patient follow his prescription?

Friends, God’s word has come to us. Perhaps not in such dramatic fashion as what it was given to the Shepherds, but it has come nonetheless. And the message deserves our urgent response. Will we take the message to heart and seek he Saviour!?

The second response that we find is...

3.2.2. Evangelistic Hearts (vv.17-18)

As the shepherds go off to see the child, they do not simply visit and keep this news and information to themselves...

Luke 2:17–18 NIV84

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

With such glorious truths concerning such a Saviour, born into the world, having been revealed to these shepherds, they cannot but go out and proclaim this news.

They spread the word. They took the Good News of Great Joy and spread the word. Here is an evangelistic zeal.

In 2 Kings 7, there was the account of the four lepers of Samaria. The Arameans had besieged Samaria, and there was great famine in the city. They couldn’t get out of the city walls, because they would have been destroyed. Eventually these four lepers decide that they’re going to go over to the Arameans and surrender themselves, because they’re going to die anyway. And as they arrive there the Arameans are nowhere to be found. They had fled as God had caused a great panic to come over them.

And so these four lepers arrived and started helping themselves to the spoil. But then we read in...

2 Kings 7:9 NIV84

9 Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”

The lepers realised that they had wonderful news to tell, and they could do nothing other but to spread the word.

The shepherds realized the glorious truths that they had been told could not be kept to themselves - they spread the word.

And as we hear the Gospel message that brings freedom to us, so too, we must take the word to the world that is in darkness. They don’t know this glorious message of peace with God. They are suffering in sin and darkness. We know the message of hope.

May God give us a zeal for evangelism. The church must never be a body that simply looks inward, and cares about us here and now. We must be a people who are taking the message to the world!

The third response that we see is...

3.2.3. A Thinking Heart (v.19)

This refers to the response of Mary...

Luke 2:19 NIV84

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Mary was carefully thinking through all that was happening. This would have included the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to her. It would include what the angel had told Joseph. The experience with Elizabeth. Their experience upon arriving in Bethlehem. And now the arrival of the shepherds, and all that they would have recounted to her concerning the appearance of angels to them.

Mary was carefully pondering them in her heart.

Imagine this mother of Jesus developing a faith in her own son. She would become a disciple

Acts 1:14 NIV84

14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Mary was pondering all these things, her faith in Christ growing as she considered all these things.

The fourth and final response we find is...

3.2.4. Worshiping Hearts (v.20)

This again is on the part of the shepherds...

Luke 2:20 NIV84

20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

What a fitting response to heart that has truly understood the work of God. They bring glory to God, and the praise Him for the work that has been done.

Application / Conclusion

As we close, let me encourage each one of you to once again consider the glorious reality of the Saviour that entered into the world in order to save sinners.

This Gospel message is the good news that we have received concerning our own relationship with God. Without a Saviour, we would have been destined to eternal blackness, separated