Sermon Tone Analysis

Luke 2:8-20

Destination Bethlehem–a Field

 

/There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

/

/Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,/

/ /

/“Glory to God in the highest, /

/and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

/

/ /

/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.”/

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord told us about.

With these simple words, humble shepherds deserted their flocks and rushed to Bethlehem in order to verify what their senses told them could not have happened.

If the Son of God was born in humble circumstances, as we saw in a previous message, we also need to know that He was also heralded by Heaven’s choir.

Did angels announce the birth of any other child other as they did for this child?

Has a child ever been born whose birth was heralded by an angelic choir, other than this child?

Did ever such an august choir perform in more strange surroundings than did this choir?

With the bleating of sheep providing accompaniment, the messengers of heaven spoke to shepherds—the most humble representatives of mankind—to announce the birth of the Son of God.

A field beyond Bethlehem became the site of the most famous announcement in all the history of mankind—the announcement that God would provide a redeemer for His fallen creature.

Join me in exploration of God’s glorious announcement of the incarnation.

The Place of the Announcement — I phoned everyone I knew.

First, I phoned my dad.

Then, I phoned my grandmother.

Then, I phoned my brother.

I phoned my mother-in-law and then I phoned my mother.

Next, I phoned my professors at school.

I even phoned the local paper to see if I could place a note in the birth announcements.

I wanted everyone to know that Lynda and I had a baby girl to grace our home.

The birth of one’s first child is momentous, and fathers especially want everyone to share in their joy.

There is something of that same note of infectious joy noted in the account before us, relating the events surrounding the birth of Christ the Lord.

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby.

Shepherds, in this particular area, lived in the fields throughout the period of March through November.

There is nothing in this account to give us the particular timing of these events, but we are reasonably certain that they did not occur in late December.

These particular shepherds were quite possibly caring for sheep destined for the Temple sacrifices.[1]

Whether the sheep were their own, or whether they were indeed caring for sheep destined for the Temple offerings, it would be the responsibility of the shepherds to protect the flocks.

Thus, they would remain in the fields with the sheep both day and night to protect the flock from robbers and from wild animals.

Some scholars have opined that these shepherds were the owners of the particular cave in which the child had been born, since they appear to have had no difficulty in finding the child after they were notified, but I think it fair to state that this is at best speculation.[2]

Why should this third announcement, the announcement of the birth of God’s Son, be to shepherds?

Can we assign a particular significance to this announcement?

Previously, there have been two other announcements in the brief account provided.

The birth of John the Baptist was announced by Gabriel to his father, Zechariah [*Luke 1:5-25*], and Gabriel also announced the birth of the Messiah to Mary [*Luke 1:26-38*].

Now, we witness this third announcement, following the birth of the child.

Whether it is Gabriel who makes this announcement or another of the heavenly messengers is not divulged by the text.

What is related is that an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds.

Certainly, we can understand an angel announcing the birth of the Messiah to Mary.

She would need to be prepared for the events which would follow.

We don’t even struggle to account for the announcement of the birth of John to Zechariah.

After all, God wished to prepare the old man and his wife for what was coming.

However, why should God announce the birth of His Son to shepherds?

Wouldn’t you think that God would wish the powerful to know of this event?

Why should the announcement be to shepherds and not to those residing in Caesar’s palace?

Why shouldn’t Herod be the first to hear of the birth of this child?

The rich and powerful receive such deference in this world that we would imagine that they would be notified first of the birth of Messiah.

Robert Stein, citing literature from rabbinic Judaism, states that shepherds were considered dishonest and unclean.[3]

Numerous other scholars join him in this assertion.

Should Stein be correct in this assertion, it would be an indication that God was reaching out to outcasts and sinners in bringing His Son into the world.

Such an outreach would have a powerful impact on lost mankind, and it would assuredly be in keeping with the words of this child after He was grown to manhood.

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance [*Luke 5:31, 32*].

I am cautious in accepting such assertion, however.

The rabbinic literature cited is relatively late, coming from the fifth century.

Also, the New Testament consistently portrays shepherds in a favourable light, even describing church leaders as shepherds [*Luke 15:4*; *John 10*; *1 Peter 2:25*; *Hebrews 13:20*; *Ephesians 4:11*].

Instead of considering the shepherds as representative of sinners, it would seem preferable to view the shepherds as representative of the humble among mankind.

It is the lowly and the humble who respond to God’s message.

Had we studied Mary’s hymn of exaltation which sprang forth upon being greeted by Elizabeth, we would have witnessed her statement that God has lifted up the humble [*Luke 1:52*].

God has a message of joy for those with hearts sufficiently humble to receive that message.

Jesus’ birth is followed immediately at an announcement to an everyday group—shepherds.

How fascinating is this information in light of the apostolic revelation of God’s choice.

Where is the wise man?

Where is the scholar?

Where is the philosopher of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

[*1 Corinthians 1:20-31*]

If you are a Christian, it was necessary to receive Christ as Master of your life.

You were compelled to come to the point that you no longer thought of yourself as meriting salvation, but rather you discovered that God reached out to you in grace.

Likewise, if you will become a Christian and receive the gift of life which is in Christ the Lord, you will need to humble yourself and receive the Son of God as your sacrifice.

*How silently, how silently*

*The wondrous Gift is giv’n!*

*So God imparts to human hearts*

*The blessings of His Heav’n*.

*No ear may hear His coming;*

*But in this world of sin,*

*Where meek souls will receive Him still,*

*The dear Christ enters in*.

The Purpose of the Announcement — When the angel appeared, he first addressed the obvious fear of these trembling shepherds.

Do not be afraid!