Lessons from the Shepherds and Angels

LESSONS FROM THE SHEPHERDS AND ANGELS: “IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR” Spring Valley Mennonite; December 15, 2019; Luke 2:8-20 An important part of the Christmas season is the collection of images we call to mind—the images of Christmas. We have acquired those images from a variety of sources: Surely from the Bible, but also from Christmas cards, Church Christmas pageants, Christmas bulletins, and Bible story books. The accuracy of some of our images might be questioned, but imagination usually is a good thing. You probably remember the story about a little girl in Sunday School who was asked to draw a picture relating to Christmas. The teacher was a little puzzled by some unidentified figures in the drawing. “I can see Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus,” she said, “But who is this little round figure in the corner?” The child matter-of-factly stated, “Why, that’s Round John Virgin!” “O.K.” said the teacher. “And this airplane with the little man?” “Oh, that’s Pontius the Pilot.” She had a good imagination, even if her facts were a little off! But even using our enlightened imaginations, one Christmas scene that would always fall short of reality would be the scene when the shepherds were visited by the angels. This morning I want to explore with you the portion of the Christmas story regarding the shepherds and angels. We find the account in Luke 2, beginning in verse 8. Turn with me there if you will and together let's look at these: I. SHEPHERDS IN THE FIELDS Read v. 8. We had a fun visit Monday evening from our oldest daughter and her family. Carrie is expecting, and she had an ultrasound earlier that day and learned the gender of the child. We had a little “reveal party! It is a boy, and it evens out our grandchildren at five girls and five boys! I am certain when the baby arrives a birth announcement will be sent out to inform friends that the baby has come. To whom did God pick as those who would first hear of the birth of His Son? Shepherds! Have you ever wondered why God picked shepherds as the ones to receive the announcement of Jesus’ birth? Why Shepherds? God could have awakened priests, or merchants, or respected craftsmen, but He didn’t. He picked shepherds. Today we view the Christmas shepherds as romantic figures, but I guarantee first century shepherds were not viewed like that. Only a bit higher than lepers, shepherds occupied a spot at the bottom of the social scale. These men spent their lives out in the fields with the sheep. Because of their vocation, they were unable to keep all the requirements of the Pharisaical Law, especially those related to washing and cleansing, and were thus considered ceremonially impure. They seldom were able to visit the Temple. The stereotypical shepherd was seen as non-religious, unwashed, uneducated, and unsophisticated. Shepherds were assumed to be so untrustworthy and unreliable their testimony was not even allowed in court. These shepherds were most likely poor laborers, hired by wealthy landowners. The flocks stayed out in the fields most of the year, as they needed round the clock protection from predators and thieves. I was trying to find a group of people in our culture who have the same social status as did the shepherds, and the closest I could find would be the Mexican immigrant laborers who work in landscaping or construction. They serve a useful purpose, but when people observe them working they give them little thought. So, God picked poor social outcasts to be the first to hear of and witness to Jesus’ birth. Isn’t that just like our God to do something completely unexpected? Perhaps we begin to see in this choice a reflection of God’s qualifications for His servants: wealth, prestige, and social status matter little to Him. We see those whom the Lord considers “worthy”. I’m reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians (1:26-27) “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God.” It was to people like the shepherds that Jesus ministered to most. And just think about how this encounter might have changed the future lives of these shepherds. I’m sure they told and retold the story to their children and grandchildren. “We saw the Messiah when he was a new-born baby!” Perhaps some of those children and grandchildren became followers of Jesus 30 years later! The fields surrounding Bethlehem were known for sheep production. The hills provided excellent grazing, as they had for generations. It was on these same hills that a young shepherd boy named David watched his father’s flocks. It was the Bethlehem flocks that furnished the animals for the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem, Bethlehem being only 6 miles from the temple city. Lambs were required for daily sacrifices, Sabbath sacrifices, and monthly sacrifices as well as for those needed for the three required yearly gatherings which were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. But in addition to these specified times of offerings, the lamb was the standard sacrifice for personal offerings of the individual—for the burnt offering, sin offering, guilt offering and peace and fellowship offerings. Consider also that devout Jews visited the Temple, not only from Judea and Galilee, but from all over the known world. It has been conservatively estimated that the temple sacrifices required tens of thousands of lambs and sheep every year. Although it may not have been a glamorous occupation, these shepherds had job security! It is impossible to miss the symbolism that the shepherds who provided the lambs for the temple sacrifice were the first to see the newborn Christ-Child, the Lamb of God who would be the ultimate sacrifice for all the sins of the world. It has been said that the shadow of the cross was present at every point of Jesus’ life, even at the manger. Perhaps God chose shepherds because they were among the few who were not too busy to listen. God speaks to those who are prepared to listen. Bethlehem was filled with people who came to register for the census. There was money to be made, business to conduct. Yet it was still and quiet out in the darkened fields. Today, we can miss Jesus in the hustle and bustle of Christmas activity. We find Him when we slow down and quietly contemplate the wonder of the incarnation. And this Christmas season, if we expect to draw close to God, we need to take time to seek Him in quietness. So--picture the scene: the sheep are bedded down for the night, most likely in a stone enclosure. Shepherds are sleepily gathered around a small campfire, softly talking or dozing. Perhaps one of them is playing a tune on his small harp or flute; such music both soothed and assured the sheep, as well as gave notice to predators that shepherds were on watch. II. INTO THE DARKNESS CAME THE LIGHT Verse 9: Suddenly, an angel appeared. He later was joined by thousands of others. And the shepherds were scared out of their wits! Frankly, I think I would have been too! Who are these who spoke and sang? Few parts of Christmas story are as fascinating as the angels. They are very prominent in all that happens: an angel spoke to Zacharias (father of John the Baptist), Mary, and Joseph about their roles in the drama. Now a host of angels are singing of the birth of Jesus. Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of what the Bible tells us about angels. Angels are created beings, created before humans or even before the world was made. God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4, 7) The number of angels was set upon their creation, and that number never increases or decreases. Angels and humans are of different orders; and while angels may take on human form, they never become humans. And, regardless of what we might see on television or movies, humans never become angels. Angels are individual beings. They have all the characteristics of personality: they have intellect, emotions, and will. I Peter 1:12 tells us that angels long to look into and understand the things surrounding our salvation, and although they cannot understand and experience redemption, Luke 15:10 informs us that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Perhaps this gives us a hint of the joy seen in the angel choir as they announced the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of mankind. They have both intellect and emotions. Angels also have a will, and were created with the capacity to choose. Theologians call this “untested holiness” just like what Adam and Eve possessed. One angel named Lucifer rebelled against God and led as many as one third of the angels in rebellion against God. This rebellion of Lucifer marks the origin of sin, and Lucifer, afterwards called Satan, was cast from God’s presence. Those angels who followed him comprise the demonic forces who throughout the ages have opposed the will of God. Some of their methods are false religions, the occult, and through enticing humans to evil. Angels are very numerous; Scripture doesn’t reveal their number, but in several places, the word “myriads” is used, the word meaning “countless thousands”. One more very important thing about the holy angels: their main functions in relation to humans are as messengers, ministers, and helpers to believers. Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” Angels are involved in our lives, perhaps on a daily basis. For the most part, they are invisible to sight, but occasionally take on human form, as I mentioned a moment ago. Hebrews 13:2 instructs us to entertain strangers, “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. We see the angels in their role as messengers in our text of Luke chapter 2. A single angel first delivered a message, then he was joined by many others as they sang together. III. THE ANGELIC MESSAGE, FOLLOWED BY A SONG The shepherds watching their sheep were stunned as a bright shining angel, brilliant with the glory of the Lord appeared. What a frightening experience! But the first words of the angel were, “Do not fear”. As we think about these words, we must admit that without God in the picture, the world is a very fearful place. Accident, disease, and death can strike at any moment. In our modern world, International or domestic Terrorism is a constant threat. Even shopping can be dangerous, as evidenced by a number of mall shootings. Economic crisis can afflict even the most careful planner. We are all familiar about the catastrophic effects of the weather. In addition, so many things in life are beyond our control, being affected by the actions of others. Yes, the world is a fearful place without God. The inhabitants of Israel and Bethlehem were so affected by an edict from far away Rome regarding the census, which was for the purpose of levying additional taxes. But into human history stepped Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God, bringing order to chaos, and righteousness to a wicked world. Almighty God, totally holy and just, the righteous Judge of all the earth, sent a message to mankind through the angel: FEAR NOT! Why not? What has changed because of the birth in Bethlehem’s manger? What has changed in the relationship between sinful man and Holy God? Listen to the angel: (verse 10-12) I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people: today in the city of David has been born FOR YOU a Savior, who is Christ—the Lord.” The long-awaited Messiah has been born! The hope of all mankind is no longer just predicted, He has been born! And Jesus, the Savior, was not only born, but He died to pay the penalty for our sin. We no longer have to fear death, for if we have placed our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we know our eternal home is in heaven. The angelic message continued: this will be the identifying sign; the baby will be wrapped in swaddling clothes and will be lying in an animal feed trough. I grew up milking cows on a small farm. Our barn was not a “Grade A” set-up. When it came time for milking, we opened the door of the barn and the cows walked in and poked their heads through the stanchions into what we called the manger, where we had poured some dairy feed. Our manger was made of concrete, and it was worn smooth from the tongues of the cows. We also fed hay in the manger during the winter time, and although we kept it swept out, it wasn’t the cleanest of places. The barn always had a distinctive aroma to it, but one thing about the barn in cold weather when the cows were present: it was warm and cozy. Babies weren’t normally born in barns or stables, but the place of birth was given to the shepherds as an identifying sign: the baby would be wrapped tightly in strips of cloth (this identified the baby as newborn) and lying in a manger. Among the rich who lived in Judea during these days, the custom was to hire musicians to stand by when a baby’s birth was expected. They broke into song and melody when the announcement came of the birth. Joseph and Mary were too poor to hire musicians, so God sent the very best musicians in the universe to announce the holy birth; He sent a celestial angel choir. Vv. 13-14 speaks of: IV. THE ANGEL’S SONG (READ VV 13-14) The song first praised God, “Glory to God in the highest!” Let’s not skip over that phrase too quickly. God’s glory is the majesty associated when God reveals Himself. Consider the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai: it was given accompanied by the blazing, awe-inspiring splendor of raw power seen and felt by the Israelites. The pillar of fire which led the Israelites in the wilderness is another visible example of God’s glory. When Jesus took Peter, James and John up on the mountain and they witnessed what we call the Transfiguration, Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus began to shine brightly. These are examples of the visible glory of God. The book of Revelation says that there will be no need of sun or moon in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord is the light. But God also reveals Himself through what He does, His works. “The heavens declare the glory of God, “says Psalm 19:1. God’s wonderful and awesome creation demonstrates God’s infinite creativity and knowledge and His sovereign control. But God’s greatest work which touches us is seen in our redemption from total ruin and loss. God’s magnificent character of love and power is revealed in sending a Savior to earth to solve our sin problem. “Glory to God” sang the angels! This was all His idea! He initiated the visitation! He is the author of our salvation! And thus, He is deserving of all praise, honor and glory. The Angels are declaring this truth, and when we say “Glory to God” we are recognizing this bottom-line fact: God has manifested Himself to man in the person of His Son. Immanuel, God is with us. The result of this visitation is the provision of peace—to whom? To those with whom He is well pleased. What pleases God? To believe Jesus is God in the flesh, and that by dying Jesus is the Lamb that takes away our sin. It pleases God when we trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of our sins, and receive that forgiveness. And the promise? We will have peace with God. For the believer, there no longer exists a state of separation and warfare; such a condition does exist for those still in the darkness of their sin. Understand that this separation and state of warfare may be characterized by either open rebellion or passive indifference; both are evidence we are still in our sinful opposition to God. There is a very crucial truth found here in the angel song: God’s peace is not a reward for those who have good will, as a casual reading of this verse might imply. Rather, God’s peace comes to those on whom God’s favor rests because they have responded to God’s provision for their sin. Romans 5:1: “Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God.” What was the result of the angelic message and song? V. THE SONG’S RESULTS The angels left as quickly as they came, having left their song echoing in the still night. As the shepherds recovered from the shock of this encounter, we read the words of verses 15-16. They didn’t waste time, but immediately ran to Bethlehem to find the Baby. They searched and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and everything was just as it was told them. On the night When Jesus was born, as far as we are told, they were the only visitors to the newborn King. The shepherds were the outcasts of society, but were honored by God. What an encouragement this visit was to Mary and Joseph as the shepherds repeated what the angels had said: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, A SAVIOR WHO IS CHRIST—MESSIAH—HE IS THE LORD! Joseph and Mary might have been wondering if God noticed that His Son had been born, if this tiny helpless baby was actually God incarnate. The message of the angels to shepherds confirmed this to them. Immanuel, God is with us. And the shepherds didn’t keep the message to themselves. (Read vv. 17-20) “Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth, Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”