Sermon Tone Analysis

What Child is This?

This advent season we will putting our study of the Gospel of John on hold, and begin an Advent Specific study.

The theme of the study is, “What Child is This?”

Each Sunday, leading up to Christmas we will have a brief video reminding us of a portion of the account of Christ’s coming to earth.

Then we will look at answering the question, “What Child is This?”

This week, we will be looking from the Shepherds perspective.

Here is a creative skit relating the events of the birth from the shepherd’s perspective.

Video

Why the shepherds?

Why did God send the angel/angels to the shepherds that night?

Quite possibly, because they were the ones that were awake!

For the three children Jen, my wife, delivered naturally, they were born through the night into the early morning.

The bible tells us that it was at night that Jesus was born.

The Shepherds were Awake

Could it be that the Shepherds were the only ones awake?

God the Son, who is eternally God, a mystery we cannot fathom—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit each being revealed in scripture to be fully God, yet distinct from one another—God the Son was coming into the world to live as a man, being born of a woman as foretold back at the beginning of the world.

Yet, no one knew.

It was foretold by the prophets.

Yet, while he was being born, the people slept.

That is, all but the shepherds.

The shepherds were awake.

Not necessarily because they were waiting for the one God promised would come, though they were likely waiting for him.

No, they were simply awake because they had to watch the flocks.

It was their job to care for the sheep and be awake.

They needed to be awake to look out for danger, and protect the sheep.

They had to be awake to watch for any sheep that might wander off.

They had to be awake to help any sheep that needed help, maybe even with giving birth to a new lamb.

Waiting for a lamb… Hmmm.

And while they were awake and watching, the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world was born!

Only, they did not see that birth.

They needed someone to tell them.

And so, the angel went to those who were awake.

There was no waiting to give out this news!

The angels had to tell someone!

So, they told the shepherds who were awake, and ready to hear!

But was there possibly another reason?

I was thinking about that this week, and I think there may be another reason that God sent the angels to the shepherds that night.

Throughout the Old Testament portion of the Bible, that is the portion that relates what happened from the time God created this world, up through the times of the prophets before Jesus was born, Shepherd is a recurring theme.

All the way from Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, being a shepherd, through then end of the Old Testament when shepherds were a big part of the culture of the Israelites.

Even, Amos, one of the prophets was a shepherd.

Shepherds were a big part of the culture of Israel, who are the descendents of Abraham, who had many flocks and was a shepherd.

Since it was a big part of their culture, God used this to help the people know Him better.

He took something they knew, and used it to reveal Himself to them.

God is often called ‘Shepherd’.

God is the Shepherd

The first reference to God as Shepherd that I could find was from Jacob, the son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham.

Jacob referred to God as his shepherd who took care of him all his life.

Later, Jacob, also known as Israel referred to God as the one who was the shepherd to his son Joseph, when Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt.

God is the shepherd for his people, caring for them, providing for them.

After God is the shephrd for Joseph, the Psalmist relates how God was the shepherd that led his people out of Egypt.

The Pharoah of Egypt was out to destroy the nation, and treating them harshly as slaves.

However, God heard the cries of his people, saw their suffering and delivered them.

This shows how God seeks his sheep and saves them from the ones out to destroy them.

When they left Egypt, they had to cross the wilderness to get back to the land God had promised to give them back when he made his covenant with Abraham.

Just like a shepherd leading his sheep in the wilderness, God led them to the springs, the places where they would find water.

He provided food for them to sustain them.

He showed them the way to go, leading them with a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

God showed himself to be the shepherd of Israel.

God used Under-shepherds

And, in caring for his sheep, God uses men that he appoints as undershepherds, like Moses.

Still later, God used the prophets, priests and Kings, like King David.

Unfortunately, not all of the under-shepherds cared for the sheep of Israel.

Many sought to take care of themselves at the expense of the people.

And, they even led the people to worship other gods, forsaking their true shepherd who loved them, protected them, provided for them.

God describes the situation this way through his prophets who remained true.

When the under-shepherds mistreated, and misled the flock, the people of Israel, the nation was scattered.

God first sent prophets to warn the people so they would repent and return to Him, their true shepherd.

However, when they refused to listen and come, he allowed other nations to come in a conquer them, taking their land and leading them off into servitude in other nations.

However, God did not forget his flock, his people.

He also gave promises through other prophets like Ezekiel.

He condemned the leaders who were not good shepherds, and then he continued to tell them that He, the True Shepherd would come and rescue his people.

The Shepherd Rescues

God promised to come and rescue his people from those who only cared for themselves.

He was going to rescue his people and

The Shepherd Looks After His Sheep

God promised that he was going to come and look after his sheep himself.

He looks after them.

He knows what is good for them, and will do what is best so they can grow up, healthy and strong.

Providing exercise, food, water, care, protection, love.

The Shepherd Gathers

The Shepherd, God, wants his sheep close so that he can be with them, and them with him.

That is one of the great themes of all scripture.

God wants to be with us.

He is our God, and we are his people.

The Shepherd Pastures

The Shepherd knows what is good nourishing food.

Sheep will eat whatever they find that they can eat.

But not all things are good for them.

The shepherd knows what is a good source of food that will provide the nourishment the sheep need.

God says he will pasture his flock.

He will provide his people with the nourishment they need.

The Shepherd Provides Rest

Rest.

The wilderness can be brutal.

The heat and cold, the difficult paths which lead from one pasture to another.

Sickness.

Accidents along the way.

Danger lurking from the enemies, the lions, bears, wolves that want to attack the flock.

The Shepherd cares for the flock, and wants to provide rest.

Make the sheep aware that he is caring so they can lie down in peace.