Offering Ps.107:1,12 Prayer of thanksgiving & intercessions Hy.81:1,2,3,7 Divine blessing

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Winifred Berry
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1 Liturgy for Sunday, December 25, 2011 AM Confession of Dependence and Divine Greeting Ps.98:1,2 Ten words of the covenant Hy.18:1,3 Prayer of confession and illumination Ministry of the Word Reading: Luk.2:1-20 Hy.21 Text: Luk.2:15-20 The shepherds teach us how to respond to the good news of Jesus birth. We ll see how the shepherds: 1. went in faith. 2. witnessed with joy. 3. worshipped in awe. Hy.20 Offering Ps.107:1,12 Prayer of thanksgiving & intercessions Hy.81:1,2,3,7 Divine blessing Songs for worship taken from the 2010 version of the Book of Praise See for pdf files of Psalms and Hymns Rev. Joe Poppe Page 1 3 January 2012

2 Singing: Ps.98:1,2; Hy.18:1,3; Hy.21; Hy.20; Ps.107:1,12; Hy.81:1,2,3,7 Reading: Luk.2:1-20 Text: Luk.2:15-20 Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Practically everyone celebrates Christmas in some way or another. Even those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are still influenced by the Christmas spirit. It is a season in which people s feeling and emotions are affected. For some Christmas is about Santa, and lights, and receiving gifts. Especially for children, the Christmas season can be very exciting. Many people enjoy some time off work around Christmas time, and so spend time with family and friends. Thus many experience the Christmas season as an enjoyable, relaxing time. Others do not experience Christmas in such a positive way. Perhaps it is because it is a time of year that brings back sad memories. Memories of good times in the past, which are gone forever. Some do not experience the Christmas season positively, because it brings home to them how sad or miserable their life has become. Instead of being the season of good cheer, Christmas for them is a gloomy, depressing time. They cannot wait for life to get back to its normal routines. As Christians, we also have feelings and emotions. At this time of year we are also affected, be it positively or negatively. For some of us, the Christmas season is a happy time, for others it can be sad. Yet it is important for us to reflect on what it is that makes us happy or sad at this time of year. We should be careful not to romanticise Christmas. It is not a celebration governed by fantasy, but by facts. Christmas is not just about our human feelings, it is a matter of faith. Today we remember the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. We may rejoice in God s gift of His dearly beloved Son. Christ came into this world to give peace to men. He came to save us from our sins. He came to give us hope in a life in which we are often confronted with suffering and sorrow. Thus today we may reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. The question facing us this morning is this: how do we react to the good tidings of great joy that the Saviour was born? Our text for this morning gives us direction in this. It tells us of the reaction of the shepherds on that first Christmas morning, some two thousand years ago. From them we learn about how also we are to respond to the glad tidings of salvation. May the good news of God s grace strengthen and encourage us to respond with faith and joy to the gospel message. I preach to you the word of God under the following theme: The shepherds teach us how to respond to the good news of Jesus birth. We ll see how the shepherds: 1. went in faith. 2. witnessed with joy. 3. worshipped in awe. Our text for this morning speaks about the reaction of the shepherds to the glad tidings of Christ s birth. To understand this reaction, it is good to consider for a moment what had happened to them. The shepherds were caring for their sheep at night, in the area surrounding Bethlehem. It was dark out; perhaps some of the shepherds were having a sleep. And then suddenly, something wondrous, even miraculous happened. An angel appeared before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The night went from black to white; from darkness to light. You can imagine how this startled the shepherds. Luke tells us that they were terrified. Their reaction is understandable. Having the glory of the Lord shine all around you would be an awesome thing to behold. Something so great, so glorious, so other-worldly that it would provoke fear in any human heart. Rev. Joe Poppe Page 2 3 January 2012

3 Exodus 24 speaks about how Moses went up on Mt. Sinai, and of how the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD settled on Mt. Sinai. It says, To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. (Exo.24:17). Do you understand, beloved, why the shepherds were so terribly frightened? The darkness of the night sky was suddenly replaced with the brightness of the glory of God. The majestic brilliance of God's glory shone all around them. Then the angel spoke. He told the shepherds not to be afraid. He said, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luk.2:10-11). The angel helps the shepherds to overcome their terrible fear by bringing a message of great joy. He announces the birth of the Lord Jesus to them. He tells them that the one on whom Israel had pinned her hope and expectation had come. The Messiah had been born! Israel's King had arrived! He was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. He had come in fulfilment of the Lord's promises made to His people Israel. The angel gave the shepherds a sign to confirm that what he said had really taken place. He told them, You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. (Luk.2:12). Luke goes on to tell us of how a multitude of angels appeared to the shepherds praising God. They said, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. (Luk.2:14). After that the angels departed. The shepherds were once more surrounded by the darkness of night. The question now is: how would they respond? Luke is good at recording the responses of various people to an angelic visitation. Zechariah response to the angel s visit in the temple was one of unbelief. He could not believe that the Lord would grant him and Elizabeth a child in their old age (Luk.1:18-20). Mary s response to the angel Gabriel s proclamation that she would bear a child through the working of the Holy Spirit was one of faith. She saw herself as the Lord s servant, and said, May it be to me as you have said. (Luk.1:38). The question is: how did these shepherds respond? The things they had seen and heard were almost too incredible to believe. Yet they responded in faith. Luke records their reaction in verse 15 of our text. 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. They were saying to each other: we ve got to go; we ve got to go to Bethlehem; we ve got to see what s happened. The shepherd s response is one of faith. Our text makes that very clear. The shepherds do not speak about the words the angels spoke to them. They knew that the angels were messengers of God. Thus they speak about that which the Lord has told them about. (Lul.2:15). They believed that God has spoken to them. And so they also obeyed God s word. The Lord had told them that they would find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. So they went to find him. The shepherds went in faith. They went, because they believed the glad tidings that the Lord had made known to them. God had given them a sign to confirm the heavenly message. They would find a baby in the place where they often kept their sheep penned at night during winter. The shepherds knew where to go. They also knew that it was unheard of for a baby to be born in a sheep pen, and for him to be laid down in a manger for a crib. Normally, you do not find babies lying in a manger. In a manger you find slop. Shepherds knew all about animal feeding areas, and how dirty they were. For them to find a newborn baby, wrapped in pieces of cloth, and lying in a manger would be confirmation of the glorious message that the Messiah had been born. The shepherds went in faith to find the newborn baby, Christ the Lord. Rev. Joe Poppe Page 3 3 January 2012

4 And you know what, beloved? They found him. Luke explicitly makes that point. In verse 16 of our text Luke writes, So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Besides the heavenly proclamation, God also gave the shepherds an earthly confirmation. Just as the angel had said, they found Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. To find a baby at this unexpected location was proof for the shepherds that the good news of salvation was true. Do you know what that good news is? The angel proclaimed it. He said that there was born in the town of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. Jesus came to save us from our sins, and from the penalty we deserved because of our sins. He came to save us from the wrath of God, from condemnation and hellfire. The good news of great joy is that the child was born who would save us from our sins and the power of the evil one. The multitude of angels sang about it. They glorified God because he sent His Son to bring peace to men on whom God s favour rests. Jesus Christ was born to restore us to favour with God; to allow us to dwell in communion with him. It s striking, beloved, that this message did not come to the high and mighty in the land. It came to these lowly shepherds, caring for their sheep in the fields of Bethlehem. Shepherds were a despised class in Israel. They were unskilled, uneducated, untrained. They were not permitted to give evidence in the courts because they were considered untrustworthy men. The pious in Israel were forbidden to buy wool, milk, or meat from these men, because it would give them opportunity to steal from those who owned the sheep. It is to these humble men that God first announced the birth of His dearly beloved Son. And beloved, we see that they responded with faith. They believed the glad tidings concerning the Saviour who had been born. They had no difficulty accepting the truth of what they had seen. Although they may not have understood everything fully, one thing was absolutely clear: this child was the promised seed of David, the long awaited Messiah! Do you believe that too? That the Messiah who is Christ the Lord came into this world to save you from your sins? You see, beloved, it is so easy for us to be overcome by feelings and emotions during the Christmas season. Either happy ones or sad ones. Yet it is important for us to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. The central fact we remember today is that the Saviour, Christ the Lord, was born. Let us believe it. For it is through faith in the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, that God grants us life, and joy, and peace. In our first point we ve seen how the shepherds went up in faith in response to the glad tidings they had heard. In our second point we ll see how they also witnessed with joy. The shepherds hearts were bursting with the good news of salvation. Perhaps you know the feeling. You ve received great news; you ve heard something that fills your heart with joy. Can you keep it to yourself? No! The news is too good. A child or grandchild is born; you feel you need to share it with those close to you. Test results from the doctor came back positive; you want to tell everyone around you all about it. So it was with the shepherds. They had heard the glad tidings of great joy from the angel. He told them that the Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, was born. They had witnessed the multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests. They had gone to the sheep pens near Bethlehem and found the Lord lying in a manger. The Messiah had come! The Redeemer of Israel had been born. Their hearts overflowed with excitement; with amazement; with joy. They could not keep these things to themselves. In our text Luke tells us that when they had seen Jesus, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. (Luk.2:17). It s obvious that in the first place they spoke with Mary and Joseph. In verse 19 our Rev. Joe Poppe Page 4 3 January 2012

5 text tells us that Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. What a night that must have been! Imagine giving birth to your firstborn son in a sheep pen. Having to use an animal food trough as a cradle for your baby. And then to have a group of these shepherds come banging on the door, wanting to see your baby. The shepherds would have told their story. It s likely that Mary and Joseph would have confirmed the good news with their own stories. The angel of the Lord had also appeared to them. First to Mary, telling her that she would bear a son who would be great and sit on the throne of His father David (Luk.1:31-32). Later to Joseph, confirming to him that he should take Mary as wife, for the child she was expecting was of the Holy Spirit (Mat.1:20). There was a reason why God appeared to the shepherd of Bethlehem. He wanted them to serve as the first evangelists. And they did. They made known the saying which was told them concerning this child. They went everywhere and said: the Saviour s been born, the Saviour s been born. Christ the Lord had been born. And so they went out to tell the story. They told it far and wide. Now shepherds were not generally the most respected and trusted people in Israel. As we saw earlier, they were held in low esteem. Still, their message went out. It was a great surprise to the people who heard it. What? Our King born here in Bethlehem, and lying in a manger? What is it that these men are telling us? Yet Luke notes that the shepherds story had an impact on the people to whom they spoke. Verse 18 of our text says, And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. The shepherds were eye-witnesses of the good news. They were eye-witnesses of the Messiah being born, and they spread the word. Their words caused a stir. Because of what they said, the people wondered, they marvelled, they were amazed. The birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem was something completely unexpected. It became the talk of the town. Yet the Bible doesn t say anything about the townspeople going to see the baby Jesus. It appears that they didn t make the effort to go and look. The shepherd s tale may have appeared too incredible. There is something important we can learn from the shepherd s response to the good news. If like them we believe it, then also we need to tell the story! The shepherds hearts were overflowing with joy and gratitude at the good news that the Saviour was born. They couldn t restrain themselves; they couldn t contain themselves. How about us beloved? Does the Christmas story still touch our hearts? Or do we get more excited talking about sports, or food, or kids, or grandkids, or houses, or cars, or possessions, or vacations? In Luke 6:45 the Lord Jesus taught saying, The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. The Christmas story is the best story in the world for fallen mankind. The angel called it good tidings of great joy which will be for all the people. (Luk.2:10). It is a story of God s love in sending His only begotten Son into this world as the Saviour. It is a story that brings great joy to the hearts of all who believe. For it speaks of God s wondrous works of redemption. Beloved, let us tell the story. Let us speak with all those around us and tell the good news of the Saviour s birth. Many around us no longer know the real meaning of Christmas. For them Christmas means presents and parties, decorations and lights. Perhaps they might still recognise that originally Christmas was a celebration of the birth of Christ. But most do not understand why Christ came into this world. They don t see him as a Saviour from sin. They don t realise that he came to bring true peace, to restore us to communion with God. Like the shepherds, let us witness with joy. Let us share the good news of salvation with all those around us. Rev. Joe Poppe Page 5 3 January 2012

6 This brings us to our final point. In it we ll see the shepherd s final response to the good news of Christ s birth: they worshipped in awe. Luke tells us, The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Here we have the climax of the Christmas story. This is what the Lord envisioned from the beginning. That his name would be praised, not just by angels, but by people. That he would receive praise and adoration, for His mighty deeds of salvation. Remember how it started? With a mighty angelic host singing, Glory to God in the highest! See how it now ends. With joyful men going on their way rejoicing and glorifying God. It is this praise from His people that God seeks. More important to him than the beautiful songs of the angels is the simple praise of His children on earth. Man s chief purpose is to glorify God. That is why we were first created. That s also why God has redeemed us. So that we give praise and glory to his holy name. Beloved, we have so much for which to thank and praise the Lord. We worship God for His marvellous deeds of redemption. For sending His only begotten Son into this world as our Lord and Saviour. For working the gospel of grace into our hearts, so that we may share in the blessings of Christ. It is as the apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 2. God has called us from out of darkness into His marvellous light. The main reason we have for worshipping God is that he has caused His light to shine on us through Jesus Christ. Yet, beloved, it happens on special days like today, that we are often struck more by the darkness of this world than by the light of Christ. There is the darkness of sickness, of loneliness, of sorrow, and of despair. Our hearts may be heavy because a loved one is no longer with us, or because loved ones have strayed from the service of God. For some Christmas is filled with great sadness because of the brokenness of this life. We have trouble rejoicing. The birth announcement of God's Son doesn't cause us much joy. Let me tell you a secret. Let me share something with you that will give you hope. Soon an angel will come to make another announcement. The trumpet of God will sound forth, the voice of an archangel will ring out (1Thes.4:16). Do you know what message he will bring? He's going to announce the return of Jesus Christ on the clouds of heaven. Our Lord is coming again. In Revelation 21 John speaks about how he saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. It is this wondrous city that Christ is preparing as our eternal home. Christ is coming to dwell with us. He is coming to dispel the darkness of sin and Satan. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes; there will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain (Rev.21:4-5). Instead God will cause us to dwell in the midst of His glorious light. Thus we see, beloved, that we have great cause for rejoicing. In the first place, because Jesus Christ has come into this world. Because he came to save us from sin and death. We also rejoice because our Lord is coming again. Coming to take us from this world, to make us share in His eternal glory. How rich we are to share in the blessings of our Saviour. Let us believe the good tidings of great joy we have heard this morning. Let us tell the story of how the Saviour has come into this world to all those around us. And let us thank and praise God continually for all his mighty works. Such is the response God desires from His grateful children. Amen. Rev. Joe Poppe Page 6 3 January 2012

Shepherds Receive the Good News of Christ s Birth (Luke 2:8-14)

Shepherds Receive the Good News of Christ s Birth (Luke 2:8-14) International Sunday School Lesson Study Notes December 21, 2014 Lesson Text: Luke 2:8-20 Lesson Title: Glory to God in the Highest (Christmas) Introduction Luke s Gospel is a Gospel of good news. The