"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."Amen.
Luke 2:8-15 (KJV)
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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, good will toward men." And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
Dear friends, who have come to celebrate the Savior’s birth,
I read recently of a poll that was taken asking readers to list the greatest moments in world history. As you can imagine, the responses were subjective and diverse. However, I found it interesting that included in the list were several events that most of us have lived through: space travel, the invention of the personal computer, the internet and cell phones. And of course, included on the list was the tragedy of September 11th.
Then there were others events listed that came well before our time; events which certainly would have been something to see. There were the building of the pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Listed was the height of the Roman Empire symbolized by the Coliseum in Rome and all the activities that took place within it. There were the Crusades, the Lutheran Reformation, and there was Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America with his three small ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
I’m sure that each of us, without much thinking, could come up with a list of world events that we would have liked to see. As we gather this Christmas morning, I’d like to make a suggestion. Imagine if you had been there 2000 years ago in fields just outside the city of Bethlehem. Imagine being there, with the shepherds on the night they received from an angel the most incredible news. And then, imagine watching the night sky suddenly and literally filling with angels who proclaim, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (v.14).
You know what? We can do that. We can travel back in time. The Holy Scriptures have recorded for us, in detail, the events surrounding our Savior’s birth. So, let’s do that. Let’s travel back in time and listen once again to those who announced the Savior’s birth. May we:
Listen to the Angels
And know that: 1. They came with a message
2. They changed lives forever
This is the season for angels isn’t it? They’re everywhere. You can find angels sitting on the top of Christmas trees; they’re on Christmas cards, wrapping paper and part of the Nativity scene. We have become fascinated by angels; and rightly so. But why do you think that is? Maybe it’s because they played such a prominent role in our Savior’s birth.
Well, exactly what are angels? The Book of Hebrews tells us that angels are, "ministering spirits" (1:14). They are part of God's creation whose task it is to serve and praise God their Creator.
Sometime during the first six days of creation God created angels -- thousands of them. And also, sometime shortly after that, there was a rebellion led by Satan, who was an angel, and who had converted a host of others to his side. The Bible tells us that God threw these evil angels out of heaven and created a placed for them and for those who choose to follow them (2 Peter 2:4).
While it is true today that there are many powerful evil angels who seek to destroy all that is good, there are also many powerful good angels who continue to serve God and help us. The psalmist said, "Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones, who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will" (Psalm 103:20-21).
That is what the angels were doing that night in the fields outside Bethlehem. They were on a mission. They came to bring a message.
Listen to what the angels had to say, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (v.11). The angels came to announce the birth of the Messiah, the One promised long ago. They came to announce that the One everybody had been waiting for was finally here. So filled with joy, the angels filled the night sky and sang,"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (v.14).
Did you catch their message? Did you listen? The Savior of the world has come! He came, but not in the way most might think. Instead of being born with all kinds of pomp and circumstance, the Savior of the world was born meek and mild. He was born in a stable, among the farm animals. He was wrapped in "swaddling clothes" which is a nice way of saying strips of cloth, rags really, and his first bed was a manger -- a feeding trough for cattle. The King of kings and Lord of Lords was born humbly. He didn't come to bring attention to himself. He came a jewel wrapped in a brown paper bag.
What was it about this baby that made him so special? Were you listening? The angel said, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (v.11). He was the Savior. The baby Jesus came to save us from our sins. He was born so that he might one day suffer and die on a cross and proclaim his victory over sin, death and the devil. And then three days later, he would rise again and prove that there is life after death.
The actions this tiny baby would carry out have once more brought us peace with God. Our sins have been paid for. We've been declared "not guilty" by grace through faith. We have been given a gift, far superior to anything lying underneath any Christmas tree. God, in his grace, has given us his son, our Savior, and the promise of eternal life.
The angels who brightened the night sky came with a message. I hope you got it. I hope you were listening. They announced the birth of the Christchild, the Savior of the world. And then, as quickly as the angels came, they were gone. However, once they left, lives were forever changed.
Try and imagine what that must have been like. Imagine the night sky filling up with angels. Imagine a choir of angels singing for all they were worth! Well, what happened then? We're told, "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, `Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us'" (v.15).
The shepherds listened; and then moved by the message they reacted. They went to Bethlehem. They found the baby. They found everything to be just like the angels had said. As they gathered around the manger, on bended knee, they worshipped their Lord. And then, after hearing what they did and seeing what they saw, their lives were forever changed. They now had a message that had to be shared.
By God's grace, this morning we have also had the opportunity to listen to the angels. We’ve heard their message. A Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord! This is tremendous news! This is the message we’ve been waiting for. We heard it last night. We heard it again today. And, just like the shepherds from that first Christmas, our lives have been forever changed by it.
We know what Jesus came here to do. We know and believe that he came to save us from our sins. And now, compelled by what he has done for us, we can’t help ourselves. We’ve got to praise him! Isn’t that why you’re here today? Haven’t you come here – to listen to that story one more time? Haven’t you come here today because you want to go back in time, you want to join the shepherds in the fields, you want listen to the angels? Haven’t you come here because you want to gather around the manger bed? You see, like the shepherds, we too have heard a message that changes lives. We know for a fact, that because of the Christchild, one day we’re going to live in heaven!
By the grace of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we know what Christmas is all about. It’s not about presents, reindeer, and some guy with a beard dressed in a red suit. Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. This is some amazing news. And you know what? Every year it keeps getting better and better – not that the story changes – but Lord willing, our appreciation of it does.
You’ve just heard the story again. You’ve listened to the angels, and seen the Christchild. So now what? One of the most impressive things about the Christmas story comes right at the end. It involves the shepherds. After listening to the angels and seeing the baby Jesus, what happened? They didn’t keep this news to themselves. They told everybody they could about what they had seen and heard. And then, filled with joy, they came back for more.Their lives had been changed. We're told, "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them" (v.20).
Now here we are. It is Christmas morning. With hearts filled with joy, we’ve gathered once again to listen to the angels and to worship the Christchild. We rejoice because we know what this day means! The question is, “Will you now follow the shepherd’s example and share that joy with someone else?” Today, tomorrow and in the weeks ahead, you have a wonderful opportunity to share the Christmas story with those you meet. Tell it to you children. Share it with your friends and the people you work with. Share it with anyone who asks about the joy you have in your heart.
And do you know what the really great part is? You don't have to worry about what to say? Just listen to the angels. "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (v.10,11). Amen.
And now may the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.