Sunday Service 7-12-20 - Luke 2:8-20 - Joy in what is truly significant

Luke 2 Sermon B (8-21) - JOY Intro: The interplay between heaven and earth. Lowly birth among livestock, no room among humans. Compared to the reaction of Heaven! With a song in its heart and lips, heaven sent Jesus to earth. FCF: our inability to see and judge significance (Jesus, Angels/Heaven, Shepherds) Big Idea: Because God manifested His presence in such a way that lowly shepherds and the highest heaven rejoiced together in glorifying God, we too should join in this God-exalting JOY. 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Fascinating who God chooses to reveal himself to, to use as instruments of glory. Shepherds, likely tending sheep to be used in the temple sacrifice. (Joy to sheep too? 😉 ) Isa 61:1 (quoted by Jesus in the beginning of his ministry) The Spirit of the Lord (is) upon me, Because he has anointed me To proclaim good news to the poor; To set free the downtrodden, To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Shepherds were of this kind - the looked down upon, couldn't obey all the extra-ceremonial-manmade-cleansing laws, not allowed to testify in court, yet these were exemplary men of faith - they are addressed similarly by the angel as to zechariah and mary, they had exemplary reactions. God has always had special interest in shepherds (Abraham, Moses, David, Amos ... Jesus (the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep) ... Pastors). Isa 57:15 - For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. V9: A sudden appearance, life was totally "normal" when all of a sudden it wasn't. Again, it hints at this being always present in our normal lives, but not being revealed, but at this special occasion their faith met with their eyes. GLORY: physical manifestation of God's presence, like when Moses couldn't look at God's full glory, like when Moses himself radiated so brightly with it that the people couldn't look at him. This glory is associated with Jesus - Transfiguration, Stephen's glimpse of heaven upon his martyrdom, Saul/Paul meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus. (I have trouble imagining this scene.) What would that be like for the glory of God to show up physically all around you? No clue. And, they have the typical, understandable, relatable reaction. Fear is a good reaction to this. It means you get it. (Confidence is the feeling you have when you don't fully understand the situation.) 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." V10: The greeting of the angel is wonderful. Goes right along with the song of Zechariah - that fearlessly we might serve him. Two realizations that make up JOY: I'm not worthy, He makes me worthy. (I am more wicked than I imagined, I am more loved than I could ever possibly imagine.) Good news: Gospel. Great JOY: for all the people - this is for all people, all kinds of people. This is a universal message of salvation, but not a message of universal salvation ... We are to preach it to everyone, but not everyone will respond. The ones that do respond will receive it with joy. Others respond with disdain or indifference ... rebellion/hatred/suppression. V11: Why? What is this good news? What is this JOY? "Because BORN to you this day..." Cool that it's personal: unto you/y'all. Christ is born to you. Not JUST for all people, but for YOU. He is given to you, to us. (dative of advantage - for your benefit/well-being). Today: Right now is when this is salvation is taking place, this point in history... today, your day, your generation ... was born, it's already happened and begun. (today) In the city of David - again linking it to the past and prophecy and fulfillment - what??? A SAVIOR!!! Who is this Savior? The Messiah - the anointed one, the one spoken of ... and who is HE??? The LORD!!!!! Again, Trinity underlies everything here: Whose glory shown around them? The glory of the Lord. Who is born to them? The Lord. If you need a refresher on this, go back to the sermon from 3 weeks ago - Zechariah's song, part 3. This is a paradigm through Luke/Acts and the Bible. Somehow, this Savior is a baby, and somehow this Savior is God himself! V12: This majestic figure, this Savior, this Messiah, this Lord whose glory you're getting a glimpse of right now ... this is coming to you in the most unexpected sign: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger! (Sign: Zechariah couldn't talk. Mary would find her cousin Elizabeth to be with child. Shepherds: There will be a baby lying where a baby shouldn't lie, wrapped in strips of rags.) This is such a marvelous, mysterious message of news and this savior. Luke and the angels leave most of it unexplained so that the reader comes to understand Jesus not only from the top down (ie here's who he is and everything about him) but also from the bottom up (here is who he is as he reveals himself in his being and his doing in his life) and so the meaning of Savior, Christ, Lord is filled out through the rest of the experience of the person and work of Christ as laid out in Luke's full volume. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, The heavenly army who go out in battle are at this time singing a song of peace. A glimpse into Heaven's reaction, which then serves as Heaven's address to earth. 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Heaven: Glory to God. Earth: Peace to men (some) (anthropois eudokias). Glory to God - this is the ultimate source and goal of all things. Peace to the elect - this is the ultimate result for us - peace with God and with each other and with ourselves and with the whole of creation. This is different though. This is limited. There is a certain group of heavenly hosts praising (not all heavenly creatures praise God), the elect angels - 1 Tim 5:21 (In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.) There is a certain group of people who will receive peace - those of his good pleasure. Anthropois eudokias is a technical term in first century Judaism for God's elect. The fact that this is said in the context of the message to the shepherds is what makes this so stunning - the shepherds are among those elect, those of God's good pleasure, those who God is pleased to give His peace, His Son, His gospel, His kingdom. They are representative of the "all people" to whom the message of peace is given, but now representative of the particular people who will receive it by grace through faith. 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. V15: Here is the test time for the shepherds - the angels went away from them, back to the earthly reality of earthly responsibilities, laziness, darkness, ways to explain away heavenly calling and justify self-fulfillment. But, not here. They formed a plurality of admonishment to obedience. Let us go over ... It was a bit of a haul, (If the Shepherd's Field, 2 miles). Again, who is the baby = the Lord. Who made this known = the Lord. They see and believe in this Revelation ... they have a Revelatory epistemology. Their language is of faith. Let's see this thing that has happened. Not "Let's see IF this thing has happened." V16: Did they abandon the sheep - we're not told, either that or they figured out an immediate solution, because we are told that... They went with haste ... and what did they find - exactly what they had been told, the sign, the baby lying in a manger. V17: They then take up the role of prophets/teachers/preachers to build up (Mary and Joseph) and evangelize. They did not hesitate to go, and they did not hesitate to speak. Certainly ridicule and reputation were real possibilities here, but they proclaimed it anyway. V18-19: All who heard it wondered. Wonder is a nice reaction, but it's not the ideal one. Mary has the ideal reaction - Mary treasures all of this, contemplates it in her heart, meditates on it. V20: The shepherds lives continue on, they leave but not the same - they have been given a role and a status in this kingdom and they use their time and voices to fulfill this role to glorify and praise God ... God is true, faithful, powerful, loving - they experience this. "This is my story, this is my song..." Twin realizations of Gospel joy: We are not worthy of God's love, God's love makes us worthy. Twin realizations of Gospel joy: We are not worthy of God's love, God's love makes us worthy. FCF: our inability to see and judge significance (Jesus, Angels/Heaven, Shepherds) Big Idea: Because God manifested His presence in such a way that lowly shepherds and the highest heaven rejoiced together in glorifying God, we too should join in this God-exalting JOY. (Now, it happened that ... I love that about Scripture, Scripture's own, God's own sense of humor and irony. The verbs - 1. A decree went out. 3. Everyone went out. 4. Joseph went out. Caesar is king - because of him, a decree went, everyone went, Joseph went. Luke does two things here: 1. To show that at this time, Israel is not free. Israel is the property of Rome, owing its allegiance to the Suzerain king Caesar Augustus. They all obeyed their rightful earthly authority. This was for the purpose of taxes - their money wasn't truly theirs - they all paid their tribute. 2. He puts the birth of the King of kings into the context of the greatest earthly king (Caesar got its title from this guy's name (like if we called the President the Lincoln) - Julius Caesar's nephew, co-ruler with Marc Antony, but won eventual civil war against Antony. (Caesar's palace, Little Caesar's, Kaiser of Germany, Zar of Russia) Comparison of God's heavenly kingdom and rule with that of the best the world has to offer ... The rule of the greatest emperor the world has ever known is an instrument in the hands of the Sovereign God to fulfill all that He has declared from the beginning would take place. Much like Nebuchadnezzar. Prov 21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. The Pax Romana vs The Peace of Heaven Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, Rom 8:28 All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord, those who are called according to His purpose. Side Note: "Luke's attempt at synchronism is not entirely successful, as endless technical discussions have made clear. Herod died in 4B, and Augustus was emporer from 27BC to 14AD. So far, so good. But Quirinius was governor in Syria from 6-7AD, and the gap can't be filled. Luke simply has the facts wrong." (Luke Timothy Johnson - Emory, 1991) "Answer: Inscriptions discovered by William Ramsay show that Quirinius was "governor" in Syria both before and after the birth of Jesus, though not necessarily in the same sense each time. For more details see the works of Ramsay and of Robertson mentioned earlier (on p. 39, footnote 30); especially Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem?, p. 109; Robertson, Luke the Historian, p. 128. In fact, with brief interruptions Quirinius functioned as military governor or commander-in-chief in Syria from 12 B.C. to A.D. 16." (Hendriksen and Kistemaker, 2001) Census 8BC, John 2 when Jesus first cleanses temple, puts the date of birth most likely around Birth 6-5BC. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Joseph too is caught up in this and must bend to the will of Caesar. It is notable that this is the act of a righteous man and woman, the literal family of God and they submit to and obey their authorities willingly and effectively - as it does not contradict the Word of God. It's a move from outside the land to inside the land (Galilee-Nazareth to Judea-Bethlehem), not only that but to the place that was foretold. And, this is one of those Easter eggs of the OT - what was a pretty obscure prophecy about this small, extremely insignificant town of Bethlehem (not even named in the roll call in Joshua). Micah 5:2-5 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5And he shall be their peace. This is the point of Verse 6 - "While they were there the days were fulfilled..." Notice Verse 4: Bringing David into the account often points us to the main idea in this passage. David himself should bring a comparison of the great kings of old - David's kingdom (and Solomon after him) is the ideal king, the one God's hand was with, the one who was after God's own heart. David in so many ways portrays God's rule through His anointed King. All of the memories of David would come flooding back to Luke's reader as the one who actually was more ideal than even Caesar Augustus. David himself had performed an infamous census (2 Sam 24), incited by God as an act of punishment of the people. And, now this irony plays out with a Gentile bringing this same punishment on Israel (and yet still unwittingly under the sovereign hand of God). But, this punishment was brought on the Messiah himself!! It was his own family that would undergo this hardship. It was he himself who would be forced to travel on donkey even while in the womb. Even while in the womb He was submitting himself to the Sovereign hand of God, relating to his people, joining himself to them, substituting himself for us. It was he who would suffer the discomfort, the hardships and humiliations of being born in the animal stable, having no place inside the house, being laid in a feeding trough, being wrapped in strips of rags. Even while he is a baby, he is humbling himself in our place - the humbling of the Most Highly Exalted One of Heaven for the exaltation of the most humble of earth. The Davidic King is God's King, the One whom God Himself would set over the nations to bring righteousness and peace, the one to whom all would bow ... Psalm 2: Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break[b] them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Note that Luke is careful to call Mary "betrothed" even though Matthew implies that Joseph had already taken Mary as his wife. Luke is being more careful with his language here to emphasize that Joseph and Mary were faithful to one another, faithful to the promise they had made, and almost certainly already living together as husband/wife, but Luke's language is accurate because they had not yet been joined together as one flesh, they had not consummated the marriage so that though they were at this point legally married, they were not yet physically married. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Mary gave birth to her firstborn (not her only child). No place for them - no one would give up their spot for this obvious need apparent to anyone, yet even greater than would be apparent to anyone. Should we not see this calling for us to ask if we ourselves would recognize God if He was right in front of us, would there be room for Him in our house, in our lives, in our minds and hearts or are they too full of other things, even good things, yet taking the seat or the throne of ultimacy ... Yet, there is still a greater point to all this. It's Jesus being Jesus, even in his weakest, most vulnerable newborn state. He still fulfills everything for us, still visits us where we are, still joins himself with the low, humble, poor (poor in Spirit), still trades places. And, in the midst of these crude circumstances there is tender love and care ... from mother to child ... signifying the bigger story here - God's care for man at his most vulnerable state, in his meanest circumstances ... for us. See the purposeful and ironic contrasts drawn out by Luke ... the announcements, the songs, but now the physical reality is harshly different ... "Greetings, you highly favored one, the Lord is with you." "There was no room for them in the inn." "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." "She laid him down in a manger." Why these contrasts? 2 Cor. 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich." See also John 3:16; Rom. 8:32. Away in a Manger 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"[d] 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (now) It happened that in those days went out (A Decree) from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire. (This Registration first) took place [when] was governor of Syria Quirinius. And went (Everyone) to be registered each one to town. his own Went up (also Joseph) from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David which is called Bethlehem because was he of the house and family line of David to be registered **together with Mary (modifies went up or registered) who was promised legally in marriage ** to him (modifies promised or marriage) was pregnant. (and) It happened that while were they there were completed (the days) for to give birth her. (And she) gave birth to son her firstborn and wrapped him and laid him in a manger because no there was for them place in the inn. in the inn. 8 Καὶ ποιμένες ἦσαν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῇ αὐτῇ ἀγραυλοῦντες καὶ and shepherds2 there were1 in3 the4 region6 - same5 living out of doors and φυλάσσοντες φυλακὰς τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ποίμνην αὐτῶν . 9 ⸀ καὶ ἄγγελος keeping watch guarding by4 night5 over1 - flock3 their2 and an angel κυρίου ἐπέστη αὐτοῖς καὶ δόξα κυρίου περιέλαμψεν αὐτούς , καὶ of the Lord stood near them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and [I ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν I] · 10 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ἄγγελος · they were afraid fear2 with great1 and said3 to them4 the1 angel2 Μὴ φοβεῖσθε , ἰδοὺ γὰρ εὐαγγελίζομαι ὑμῖν χαρὰν μεγάλην [do] not5 be afraid6 behold8 for7 I bring good news9 to you10 joy12 of great11 ἥτις ἔσται παντὶ τῷ λαῷ , 11 ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον σωτὴρ which will be for all the people that was born7 for you8 today1 a savior2 ὅς ἐστιν χριστὸς κύριος ἐν πόλει Δαυίδ · 12 καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν ⸀ who3 is4 Christ5 the Lord6 in9 the city10 of David11 and this for you3 τὸ σημεῖον , εὑρήσετε βρέφος ἐσπαργανωμένον ⸀ καὶ [will be] the1n sign2 you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and κείμενον ἐν φάτνῃ . 13 καὶ ἐξαίφνης ἐγένετο σὺν τῷ ἀγγέλῳ πλῆθος lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude στρατιᾶς ⸀ οὐρανίου αἰνούντων τὸν θεὸν καὶ λεγόντων · 14 Δόξα ἐν army2 of the heavenly1 praising - God and saying glory in2 ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις ⸀ [I the highest3 to God1 and on earth peace among peopleo εὐδοκίας I] . of [his] good pleasure 15 Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἀπῆλθον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οἱ and it happened that when had departed3 from4 them5 into6 - heaven7 the1 ἄγγελοι , ⸀ οἱ ποιμένες ⸀ ἐλάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους · Διέλθωμεν δὴ angels2 the shepherds began to sayp to one another let us go now ἕως Βηθλέεμ καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τὸ γεγονὸς ὃ ὁ to Bethlehem and see - thing2 this1 - that has happened which the κύριος ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν . 16 καὶ ἦλθαν σπεύσαντες καὶ ἀνεῦραν τήν τε Lord has revealed to us and they went hurrying and found - both Μαριὰμ καὶ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τὸ βρέφος κείμενον ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ · 17 Mary and - Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger ἰδόντες δὲ ⸀ ἐγνώρισαν περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τοῦ [when they] saw [it]2r and1 they made known -s the statement - λαληθέντος αὐτοῖς περὶ τοῦ παιδίου τούτου . 18 καὶ πάντες οἱ that had been told to them about - child2 this1 and all - ἀκούσαντες ἐθαύμασαν περὶ τῶν λαληθέντων ὑπὸ τῶν who heard [it]u were astonished concerning - what had been said by3 the4 ποιμένων πρὸς αὐτούς , 19 ἡ δὲ ⸀ Μαρία πάντα συνετήρει τὰ ῥήματα shepherds5 to1 them2 - but Mary all2 treasured up1 - words4 ταῦτα συμβάλλουσα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς . 20 καὶ ὑπέστρεψαν οἱ these3 pondering [them]5w in6 - heart8 her7 and returned3 the1 ποιμένες δοξάζοντες καὶ αἰνοῦντες τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς ἤκουσαν shepherds2 glorifying and praising - God for all that they had heard καὶ εἶδον καθὼς ἐλαλήθη πρὸς αὐτούς . and seen just as it had been told to them 1 [I they were terribly frightened [I with whom he is pleased 1W. Hall Harris III, The Lexham Greek-English Interlinear New Testament: SBL Edition (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2010), Lk 2:1-20. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------