Luke 2:8-20
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator;
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist;
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist;
If our greatest need had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer;
But our greatest need was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Savior.
The past two weeks we have studied Mary’s response to
God’s grace and her song of praise. Today we are going
to take a look at the shepherds’ response to the Good
News that the angels brought to them.
Let’s pray and ask God to speak to us this morning and
teach us His truth. Let’s ask Him to remove any
distractions or thoughts that might hinder us from
hearing from Him today.
Luke 2:8-14
Appearance of the Angel
I imagine the appearance of the angel took the
shepherds by surprise. It was the middle of the night,
under the stars in a field not far from Bethlehem. Their
job is to protect the sheep from predators like wolves or
coyotes or other wild animals.
Also, the Bible says the glory of the Lord shone around
the angel when he appeared to the shepherds.
The shepherds respond how most everyone who sees an
angel responds: filled with great fear.
The angel begins by telling the shepherds Fear not.
Then the angel gets to the purpose of his visit.
Announcement of the Angel
The angel says he is bringing good news of great joy for
all the people.
The angel has revealed the grace of God toward all
mankind.
He has sent His only Son to become flesh and dwell
among men.
The word Luke uses here is the Greek word euangelion,
which is most often translated as good news and it refers
to the salvation available through faith in Jesus
Christ.
The angel says that the good news is for all people.
Jesus’ coming is good news for all people!
The angel continues to explain the good news by telling
the shepherds that today in the city of David (Bethlehem)
a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord.
The angel adds a sign for the shepherds to look for to
know when they have found this newborn baby who will
save the people from their sins.
He will be wrapped in swaddling cloths.
He will be lying in a manger.
What started with one angel appearing to the lowly
shepherds turned into a huge gathering of angels who
came to praise God for sending His only Son.
Adoration by the Angels
Notice it was the angels who started the praise to God for
sending a savior.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among
those with whom he is pleased!
Heaven’s choir came down to sing
When heaven’s King came down to save.
Author unknown
The familiar hymn Gloria in Excelsis Deo is Latin for Glory
to God in the highest!
Also the angels speak of peace on earth.
Only those who know Jesus will know true peace.
Without Jesus we are missing the peace with God that we
so desperately need.
Luke 2:15-20
When the angels went back to heaven the Shepherds;
Searched for the Word (Jesus)
They said to each other, let’s go and see this thing the
angels have just told us about. Let’s go find the Savior in
the manger.
So they found babysitters for their sheep and took off
with haste. They didn’t waste any time.
Once they arrived in Bethlehem they began looking in
every stable for a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manager.
When they found them they told them what had
happened back in the field with the one angel then the
whole multitude of heavenly host.
Not only did they tell Mary and Joseph about what
happened, they spread the word with everyone they saw.
Spread the Word (Good News)
Verse 18 says all who heard it wondered at what the
shepherds told them.
When you have good news you want to share it with as
many people as you can. When you have experienced
God in an incredible way you can’t hold it in.
You have to share it.
This is what the shepherds did on that very first
Christmsas night. They shared the Good News with as
many people as they could
It’s what we should be doing all year long.
Christmas is about the birth of the Savior.
Without the Savior there is no hope.
The shepherds went back to their sheep but all the while
they;
Sang Praises for the Word (Jesus)
Verse 20 says they returned glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen.
What an appropriate response to God for choosing the
lowly shepherds to be the first ones to hear about the
birth of Jesus.
This is exactly how God does things isn’t it?
The complete opposite of how we might think He might
act.
Shepherds were not well respected and they were not
allowed to give testimony in a court of law.
But God used them as a witness and accepted their
testimony about what He had shown them to take the
good news to the world about the birth of the Savior!!
APPLICATION
How should we respond to today’s Scripture?
Wonder and Worship
Paul wrote these words to Timothy about Christ.
I Timothy 3:16 “Great indeed, we confess, is the
mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the
flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.”
Jesus became flesh. God became man.
It’s something that causes us to wonder.
How…
Why…
We should never lose our sense of wonder at the mystery
of Christ becoming man.
And we should also respond to Him with worship.
He alone is worthy of our worship.
I Chronicles 16:23-31