The Glory of Christmas--Shepherds

God’s gift is for everyone

One of the best parts of the Christmas story is that God’s gift is for everyone. Throughout history there have been millions of men and women who’ve been very good at looking very holy and yet God didn’t just send Jesus, Pastors, Priests, Monks, and Nuns.

God didn’t send Jesus to set up a kingdom and rule with rich and powerful people.

God didn’t send Jesus just for people who had their lives together, who were in great shape, looked good and were successful.

God sent His Son, born in Bethlehem to be the Savior for all the people. God is just as interested in the man begging on 41 as He is in you. God is just as interested in the tribesman in Africa as He is in your crazy uncle. God care for the least of these, the most of these, and every one of these in the middle.

Let’s take another look at the message the angel brought in Luke chapter 2 when God sent an angel to shepherds.

Luke 2:8–15 ESV

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.”

All means all, all the time. It means everyone! This good news to be shared.

God wanted no one to be left out of the Christmas celebration.

Do you remember last week when we were talking about “precedents” from God? Precedents are normal ways that God likes to work. For example, God likes to work through normal people to do abnormal stuff. God likes to work through outcasts to cast His grand vision.

In the same way God throughout History has been relentless about bringing His message to all people, not just the rulers and those in authority.

If you think about it, every person is created in the very image of God and God loves you very much.

The shepherds were like our character in the story. They didn’t bathe very much. Other people looked down on shepherds as if they were people who couldn’t hold down better jobs.

God wanted the shepherds to be among the first to hear the good news that was coming for everyone. God wanted to bring good news to every man, woman, and child.

That means you, your neighbor, your doctor, your childhood friends, and more.

Remember what Paul wrote in one of his letters to Timothy?

1 Timothy 2:1–6 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

God desires all people to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth!

Or what about this verse that Peter wrote?

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God is patient towards you. Have you stopped and marvelled? have you stopped and thanked God for His patience towards you?

Or what about this marvelous passage?

John 3:16–18 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

God loved the world so much that He was willing to give His son so that we could be saved. God didn’t send Jesus into the world to point out all the ways we’ve failed God. God sent Him to save the world. We are saved not by being better than the person beside us, we are saved by believing in Jesus.

I love the line that Dan the shepherds in the video said,

“God asked me to be the keeper of the most important message that’s ever been kept.”

I love this! I love that God wanted the message to start with the shepherds but definitely not end with the shepherds. God’s message to the shepherds was only the starting place of getting the word out.

In fact moments before Jesus left the earth He told His disciples to spread the news. We call it a commission because Jesus gave his disciples a job to do. We call this commission great because it involved all the people on earth.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God wanted all nations to experience this good news. God wanted all ethnicities and people hear about His son. All nations are meant to hear the Good news and not only that, each person in all nations are called to be part of sharing the Good news about Jesus with others. This is a message that needs to keep going and not just stop with us.

I love what Paul wrote.

2 Corinthians 5:14–21 ESV

14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This means that the amazing message of Christmas has been entrusted to shepherds in the first century, method actors in the 21st century and every person who has put their trust in Jesus. Everyone who has responded to the faith, love, hope and more found in Jesus are also commissioned as ambassadors for Jesus.

God considers you and I capable, able people to carry His message to a hurting world in need. And we certainly have a world full of anger, pain, and sadness. God wants you to carry hope.

Everyone deserves to hear the good news of Jesus.

Dan in the video said, “God sent the greatest gift ever, the prince of Peace.”

Can you imagine what this would be like? Peace with God?! God wants you to know and experience a life of peace. Jesus came and won this peace through His life, death, and resurrection.

We’ve been talking about the glory and the weight of Christmas. This is what the glory of Christmas leads to, it leads to peace for everybody who puts their hope in Jesus.

How will you respond to the glory of Christmas?

Who will you share the glory of Christmas with today?