The Shepherds and the Angels

Luke 2:8-21

The Savior has Arrived

Introduction-

Point 1- We are to be humble

Luke 2 :8 “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

Region is just a field, very similar to what Donovan described the setting of Jesus’s birth to look like last week. The importance of the shepherds shows a few things. God had the ability if he wanted to open up the sky and announce the birth of His son. But he doesn’t he goes to the low of the lows. He brings Jesus into the world through Mary, who is of low status, his adoptive father Joseph was a carpenter. He is born and put into a manger. Now the story of Jesus continues through who the savior is going to be announced by, and that is the shepherds.

Talk about how gross.

has anyone been in a field?

My backyard growing up.

Luke 2:9 “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.”

The shepherds were out herding their flock, and next thing they see is the angel of Lord. Some considered this to be the angel Gabriel. The glory of God is being shown to these men, and they immediately fall in fear. God did this as if he is talking to them directly?

Why do they? God is too glorious to be seen fully.

Exodus 33 and 34. we see that Moses could not see the face of God.

Isaiah 6 he speaks of being a man of unclean lips.

Luke 2:10 “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.”

This angel that is fully showing God’s glory, is now going to say, “fear not” is showing that these men are to have reverence for God and his majesty. Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”

The angel is saying I know you’re spooked, but i need you to listen. What is the angel about to do? God doesn’t want these men to die, he rather wants them to see His mercy come in full circle and the last part of that circle is about to begin.

The part is the good news.

What is the good news? The gospel, it is at hand with Jesus.

Why is it a great joy that the savior is here? He is coming to save the world. Not just a select few, but the savior is here for everyone.

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

When is this savior supposed to he here? It’s go time baby.

Where is he?

The city of David .

Importance of lineage, and also is prophesied in Micah 5:2-4 “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.”

This is the city where it starts where we can see God’s work at hand apart from the garden

Yes, God works, but this is the beginning of God’s plan for salvation begins to where we can see it.

This verse is also fulfilling Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Also Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Luke 2:12 “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.””

The angel is prophesying what the shepherds will find in Bethlehem.

The reason for Jesus being put in the manger was because there being no space in the Inn. verse 7.

Point 2- We are to praise God.

Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!””

A large amount of angels now appear and they begin to praise.

Paint picture of what they see.

The multitude is defined as 2 things. With the Greek word being “Plethos”

a great number, of men or things

the whole number, the whole multitude, the assemblage, the multitude of the people.

We don’t have a for sure number of angels, other uses if the word “multitude” come to be tens of thousands, but the greek word for those is “ Murias”

Shepherds now have lets say minimum 100 angles now surrounding them praising God.

And here is what they say

Luke 2:14 ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!””

The beginning of this praise starts with thanksgiving. “Glory to God in the highest”

We should always be thankful. For the angles, this savior was not for them. Yet, they are still praising and beginning with thanksgiving of this praise

Psalm 148:1 “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!”

The Angels now get specific with their praise. “On Earth Peace”

Is Earth apart from God peaceful? Absolutely not.

Ephesians 2:3 “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

GIve examples of brokenness.

War, Politics,

Personal- Anxiety, hatred, anger, lust, jealousy.

What does God bring with this birth of Jesus?

2 Corinthians 5:19 “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.”

2 Things, One literal, one fact.

The Gospel, which brings who?

The Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

The Holy Spirit enables us to have peace, and experience the overcoming of sin.

Who does this peace go to?

It goes to those who accept the gospel. We can’t have peace apart from Christ. The gospel is offered to everyone, but not everyone will accept the gospel.

In what areas of your life do you need to praise God? (Be specific for person)

Point 3- We are to be obedient Luke 2:15-21

Luke 2:15 “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.””

The command for them was not a normal command. It was almost passive aggressive. Of you need to go see this baby and make known to everyone what you have seen.

They want to go check out what the angles just told them. It was an immediate obedient. They didn’t just stand around and take a deep breath, take a nap, or contemplate. They just did what they Lord had told them to do.

Are we always that quick to be obedient?

Absolutely not.

What is something that you are being slow to being obedient? How can you change that?

Sharing the gospel, Loving a neighbor?

The significance of them saying what the Lord has made known to us, is they know what they just experienced was not from man, rather from God and God alone.

John Calvin compares to the obedience to the shpeherds and how we are to be the same.

“In the same manner, every one of us, according to the measure of his faith and understanding, ought to be prepared to follow wheresoever God calls

Luke 2:16 “And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.”

Haste, they were moving moving. Because of that obedience.

The shepherds traveled about 90 miles on foot.

Thanks to apple maps, I tried to put things in perspective. From here to Clarksville is 94 miles away. How long do you think it would take to walk if you did not stop?

1 day and 19 hours.

Circle back to the quick obedience.

When they finally got there they saw all that the angel prophesied.

Calvin breaks down the potential interaction of the shepherds and Jesus in a manger.

This was a revolting sight, and was sufficient of itself to produce an aversion to Christ. For what could be more improbable than to believe that he was the King of the whole people, who was deemed unworthy to be ranked with the lowest of the multitude? or to expect the restoration of the kingdom and salvation from him, whose poverty and want were such, that he was thrown into a stable? Yet Luke writes, that none of these things prevented the shepherds from admiring and praising God. The glory of God was so fully before their eyes, and reverence for his Word was so deeply impressed upon their minds, that the elevation of their faith easily rose above all that appeared mean or despicable in Christ.

Luke 2:17 “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.”

What had been made know to them?

It’s the savior, he is here to deliver all people from their brokenness. This is the Lord. Went and told as many as they could.

Does anyone think the shepherds thought they were worthy?

Do we think we are worthy?

Not all time, but we are commanded to go.

How can you share today? Tomorrow?

Luke 2:18 “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.”

God used these men. The people didn’t look down on them, rather they listened, and listened well. They talked about it.

God Could be preparing you to be this obedient?

Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

Imagine being in her shoes. Virgin child. Everything we have talked about for the past several weeks. The birth finally happens. And approximately 2-4 days later, 3 rough men show up to where you are. And they tell of this amazing story which we just heard. Mary takes all these things, and is grateful. And is thankful, strengthening her faith.

Luke 2:20 “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

Shepherds continue to praise God and share the testimony. Faith compared to pre death, and post death. Talk about it.

Luke 2:21 “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

This had to happen for Christ to be the full redeemer of the people.

He was called Jesus, recalls the obedience of Mary and Joseph to follow through what God had commanded them to do.