Fear into Joy

Minding their own business… tending to the flock and minding their own business. That’s what they were doing.

They were doing what they had always done. They were where they were supposed to be. It was a lonely job… isolated from civilization, but the sheep were not going to watch themselves. Someone had to care for them. Someone had o protect them and watch over them

They… were shepherds. They were often forgotten and out of sight. They had an important job to do, but it was a dirty job. No one paid them much attention unless they perhaps failed to do what they were supposed to do.

Most nights were uneventful. If anything, they had to watch for the predators who might come in to do damage to the flock.

It was quiet. A night then would not be like a night today.

No road noise from the highway. No lights from the street lights in a distant town. No airline traffic above or railway roars from the tracks. Just… silence. Just the stillness of the wilderness and the sounds of a sleeping herd.

That was the scene. Can you imagine it? That was the setting… an unlikely place for such a great announcement to be made, yet that is exactly what God does next.

Jesus had been born! Our Savior had arrived! And unlike today, there existed no digital means of getting the word out.

Today, what happens when a child is born? We send out pictures in text messages, in Facebook posts, in emails and the like. We tell family and friends and celebrate the arrival of this new life!

Think about it, church, with one click of a button we can send that information around the world in a matter of seconds! But email wasn’t a thing and Instagram was more like camel-gram. Facebook posts and text messages weren’t possible and even photographs… images of the event were but mental images saved in the minds of those who were there.

But would that stop God from announcing to the world that His Son had arrived? Absolutely not! God would get the word out and He would use an unlikely group of guys to do so. The shepherds were faithful in carrying out their duties… They would also proves faithful in telling the world that Jesus was here.

But before there was telling, there was terror. Before there was was joy, there was fear. Before the shepherds became messengers, they had to step out from the usual… and into the unusual.

Awe-Struck Wonder

Let’s look at the encounter of the shepherds and the angels in Luke 2:8-15.

The New International Version Chapter 2

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 that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, 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 heaven,

and on earth peace to those 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.”

First off, if you have been with us on Sunday mornings, you will see those four words that provided the topic for our Christmas series - Do not be afraid.

Afraid? Why on earth would the shepherds be afraid? I mean, they were hanging out in the field and out of nowhere, an angel of the Lord appeared.

There were no footsteps, there was no rustling of the grass or the hay. The animals gave no alert or any other sign that someone was coming. This angel simply appeared.

The angel was accompanied by what? Scripture says the “glory of the Lord shone around them.” Now, what do we know of the visible glory of God?

In Exodus 33, when Moses asked to see the glory of God, God placed moses in the cleft of a rock and covered Moses with His hand as He passed by. Moses was only allowed to see His back for God had said in verse 20, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” God’s glory was just too powerful.

In Exodus 34, When Moses went back to the people after his meeting with God, what unique new feature did the people notice about him? Moses’ face was radiant… literally glowing because he had spoken with God! And what was the initial response of Aaron and the people? THEY WERE AFRAID TO GO NEAR HIM!

Church, the glory of God is more powerful and awesome than any of us can imagine! When the Shepherds saw the angel AND the glory of the Lord… well that was enough to terrify this group of backwoods guys.

The angel had not come to scare these guys… he came to tell them what? Good news of great joy for all the people. They came with a message and… to recruit messengers.

And once they laid out the details to the shepherds… they had a choice to make. They had just witnessed a heavenly concert in the sky like no other! When it was all over… would they choose to believe and go see this child or, would their fear keep them where they were.

The shepherds go. And in their going they step out from where they were into the new reality the angel had announced.

Shepherds were NOT supposed to leave! Yet, the One the angels sang about was the one they had been waiting for. They heard the word, and in their awe-struck wonder and belief, they journeyed to see Jesus.

Just as God Promised

And lo and behold, what do they find? They find the scene just as God had promised it would be through the angel’s message. Luke 2:16-20

The New International Version Chapter 2

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.

It was EXACTLY how the angel said it would be! They had found Jesus! And in their delight, they do something worth taking note of: They tell everyone about it.

Verse 17 said they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. Let’s look at that list again.

He was born in the town of David, in Bethlehem, just as prophecy said He would be.

He is the Savior

He is the Messiah, the One they had been waiting for.

He was lying in the manger and wrapped in cloths just as the angel said He would be.

When the message lined up with the moment, the shepherds knew that everything the angel had said was true! This is the One they had been waiting for!

And now, they would tell the world about His arrival.

God choose the forgotten to tell the unforgettable. God used the common to tell of the uncommon event. God used the shepherds to tell of the Great Shepherd’s arrival.

And perhaps that last line was the point. The shepherds knew all too well the responsibilities that came with caring for those under their watch. Jesus came to watch for all. Hebrews 13:20 identifies Christ as

The New International Version Chapter 13

our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

The shepherds could identify with the work Christ came to do. And even thought that title had not yet been given to Christ, His identity as Savior and Messiah had already been established.

The shepherds could not wait to tell… but all of this could have been missed had they remained fearful and where they were when the angel found them.

And imagine the surprise of the town as they witnessed the men of the field running down the streets, knocking on the doors announcing that Jesus had come!

Jesus Has Come

The Lord is here! Our Savior has been born! Jesus has come!

it is a message that had been ringing throughout the land since the day the shepherds began telling of His arrival!

And like the shepherds, we too have a choice. We too have a decision to make. Will we choose to go and be a part of what Christ is doing… or will we remain where we are… in that well-known comfort zone… maybe afraid of what lies ahead?

God not only wants us to spread the word… but He desires for us to know the Word - the Word that is Jesus! The great shepherd has come to watch over those under His care. He has come to forgive and to redeem those who will call upon His name.

He has come to deliver us from all fear. he has come to fill us with His joy. He has come to give us life in place of the death that our sins deserve. But it’s not enough for us to hear the announcement… we’ve got to be willing to get up and to experience what the Lord has told us about!

The shepherds went to see a manger… the shepherds went to see a baby. Today, we move to see a cross. Today we see a sacrificial Lamb.

Jesus was born to die. Christmas is for Easter. And as great as His birth announcement was, God has announced through His Son that redemption has come through the blood of the Lamb.

But similar to the shepherds, we’ve got to get up to see what this is all about. We have to move from where we are, and draw close to Jesus.

Christmas moves us from the normal routine of the year into a special season of reflection and remembrance. Christ is the greatest gift a person could ever receive… and God has offered Him to us all. The question is… will you receive?

VIDEO - Silence and Fury

Until all we see… do you see Him tonight? Through all that is going on in this world, through all the busyness and brokenness… do you see Jesus? Will you receive… Jesus? Will you receive His forgiveness? Will you receive His redemption? Will you receive His victory, His freedom, and his eternal life?

PRAYER - Salvation

Lastly, we want to do as the shepherds did. We want to celebrate not only the arrival of our Savior, but also the work that Christ did for us on the cross. Tonight, we receive communion together in remembrance of what He has done and then we light the candles… a symbolic gesture of allowing His new light within us… to shine wherever we go.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The New International Version Chapter 11

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.