So if you have your Bible, take it and turn in it to the Gospel of Luke chapter 2. We'll look at verses 8 through 20 in a message that I've just simply called, Considering the Christmas Story. And Father, I would just pray that you would take our hearts collectively captive, Father, and just speak to us today, Lord. Just wow us with your Word. You're so good. And we love you so much. And so we just pray, God, that today, however you want to speak and whatever way you want to speak, that we would have ears to hear you, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You know how often we fail, I have discovered, to pause and let the wonder of the Word of God resonate in our hearts. And it's probably particularly true concerning the story of Christmas. You know, we've all heard it so many times that it can become trite and traditional as opposed to really miraculous and meaningful. And yet, how the wonder of the Word of God should fill our hearts when we consider the story of Christmas. I mean, even in our text today, we discover that even though everything that was happening around Mary was going on fast and furious, yet she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. She paused to let the wonder in. She contemplated and meditated upon the miraculous nature of everything that was happening around her and within her. And I pray that you find yourself in much that same way today, pausing to let the wonder in and reflect on the miraculous nature of everything that's happening around you and within you. Not taking these things for granted or as trite and traditional, but wonderful and miraculous and meaningful. Everything about the Christmas story should blow our minds. minds. I mean, no sooner than man sinned than God revealed His plan to send a Savior. There He was, cursing the serpent for being the agent that caused sin to enter into the world and deceiving the woman and all of that. And He said, I will put enmity between you and the woman. and between your seed and her seed, and he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." And that right there is an allusion to the virgin birth from the very beginning. How so? Because the woman doesn't carry the seed, the man carries the seed. The woman carries the egg. And so by stating that salvation would come through the seed of the woman, God was informing us of something fantastic, of something extraordinary and miraculous. That God would become the Son of Man, that we through Him, mankind, might become the sons and daughters of God. And it blows our minds even more to realize that though God divulged the plan of salvation, even at the first sin, that before even that, before creation, God had ordained that Jesus Christ would come, that He would shed His blood for the sin of the world. I mean, that's what Peter told us. He said, He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. I mean, think about it. The incarnation is really presumed from the very idea of our salvation. Because apart from God becoming a man, how then can He stand in the gap and die on the behalf of man? You see, if sin could be atoned for, through some other means, then surely the blood of bulls and goats would have been sufficient. But it takes a man to atone for man. And if by one man's sin, namely Adam, judgment comes to all, then even so, by one man's obedience, namely Christ, forgiveness and everlasting life can come to all. And so God set His plan in motion before the world was ever created. Then He began to give to us, revealing that plan to man through Scripture in what we call progressive revelation. And that means that God reveals more and more of His plan over time through the prophets. And so he told Abraham, I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Speaking of the fact that the Redeemer would come through his loins, He gives us pictures and types of Christ through men like Joseph and Moses. You know, beloved of his father, yet despised and rejected of his own, yet ultimately bringing salvation to those who rejected him. That he would be a mighty leader, miraculous in nature. He tells David that he will build him a house, and that one from his loins will be upon the throne, ruling and reigning forever. And he gives utterance to the prophet Isaiah, for unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. And upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." And then he speaks through the prophet Micah and he says, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting." And God is giving progressive revelation of the coming of the Messiah, who He is, who He will be, where He will be born, the kinds of things that He will do, that He will rule, that He will reign forever. And then, like that, like a candle that's extinguished, God goes silent. No more does he speak to Israel, and 400 years go by, and there's fear on every side. Times are dark. They're under the iron boot of Rome and the heavy-handed oppression of Rome. And then suddenly, even just as quickly, like a light beaming and piercing through the darkness, the words of Isaiah the prophet are fulfilled. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. And those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. And an angel of the Lord, you know the story, appears to Mary, this young girl, and says, Rejoice, highly favored one. The Lord is with you, and blessed are you among women. And he gives to her the single greatest news the world could ever hope for. And he says, You have found favor with God, or grace in the sight of God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. And he will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary's all, man, that sounds awesome, but I'm not married. You know, so how exactly is all this supposed to take place? And the angel says to her, listen, the Holy Spirit will come upon you. And the power of the highest will overshadow you. And therefore, also that one who is to be born will be called, check it out, the Son of God. Hallelujah? For with God, nothing will be impossible." Okay, flash forward a number of months, and there's Mary, and she's great with child. And the prophets have said that the Christ child will be born in Bethlehem. But currently, she and Joseph, the one to whom she is betrothed, well, they're in Nazareth. And so how is God going to get Mary to Bethlehem? Well, I trust that you're in Luke chapter 2. Let's actually look at the very first verse. We read that it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. And this census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. And so all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. because he is of the house and the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. And so it was, while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." The miracle The greatest miracle of human history takes place in the quiet simplicity of a busy Bethlehem night, and no one knows the difference. And that's the humility of our Lord. I mean, think about it. He could have been born in the ivory palaces, you know, anywhere he wanted to, in the uppermost echelon of society with more money, more prestige, more fame and fortune than anyone else in human history. But that wasn't in his heart. but rather he would be a high priest who would identify with all of mankind. He said, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am lowly, gentle, and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Our Lord was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He identified himself not with those who have, but rather with those who have not. Now, look at verse 8. Now, there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. And then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Well, I want to take the time to notice some of the nuances of this Christmas story. Because I find it interesting that of all the people whom the angels may have appeared to, you know, they didn't choose the scribes. They didn't choose the priests. They didn't choose the Pharisees. They chose shepherds. Again, the lowly, those keeping watch over their flocks by night. News of the Lamb of God. came first to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks." Some suppose that perhaps these shepherds were those who were keeping watch over the flocks that were used as sacrifices in the temple. If that be true, The picture becomes all the more profound as the angel announces to these shepherds who are watching over these lambs prepared for sacrifice, the good news of the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sin of the world has come. And there He is, the angel of the Lord, standing before them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them. And the first thing that He says to them is, Do not be afraid. If you're a note taker, the first thing we see here is that the message of the coming of Jesus Christ is a message that banishes fear. Do not be afraid. 400 years had gone by. God had been under the radar, if you will. No word. Israel was in captivity. Darkness, confusion. The angel says, don't be afraid. Fear not. God is still in control. God is still on the throne. I don't know, maybe some of you here feel a little bit like you're in the dark. You know, you're confused and uncertain. You're wondering, maybe, why God hasn't seemed to speak to you lately. Where He is? Perhaps some fear has gripped your heart. Maybe fear for your job. Maybe fear for your marriage. Or maybe fear for your child's future. Or fear for where you're at regarding your own eternity. And God pierces the darkness with the light of His Word to your heart today. Do not be afraid. Fear not. For behold, He says, I bring you good tidings of great joy. Good tidings, or good news. This angel's giving these shepherds the gospel. That's what that means. Fear not, I bring you good tidings, good news. God gives you good news of great joy today. Listen, not only does the gospel, number one, banish fear, number two, it brings great joy. Yes? Fear and joy are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. They are polar opposites of one another. God wants to fill your heart with joy. And we're not talking about happiness, right? We know that happiness is circumstantial. If I think things are going good, I'm happy. If I think things aren't so good, I'm not so happy anymore, you know. However, joy is constant. Why is that? Because it's not based upon what happens to me or what happens around me, but it's based upon Christ in me. Jesus said, as the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. And if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. In these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy therefore shall be or may be full." You see, true joy isn't something that can even be known to the unbeliever. It comes from the Lord. Good tidings of great joy I bring, He says, to you. So I want you to notice this message, man. It's for you personally. This good news of great joy has been delivered with you in mind. The gospel message always emphasizes the value of the individual. No matter where you've been, no matter what you've done. I mean you might be rebellious, or pardon me, religious. Sort of the same. Religious like Nicodemus. Or you might be oppressed and confused like the woman at the well. You might just be lost and without hope like the woman with the issue of blood who had exhausted every resource and discovered no help or no hope. You might be wealthy like Zacchaeus. You might be poor like any number of the lepers or the blind or the lame that our Lord Touched circumstances are immaterial. What matters is, are you a sinner? If so, you need a Savior. This message is for you, you see. But it gets even bigger. Because not only is it for you personally, it's for all of mankind collectively. The angel declares that this message will be to all people. The gospel message is for all people, everywhere, throughout all time. It does not matter what culture you are in. It does not matter what generation you belong to. It does not matter the color of your skin. Again, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Therefore, all are in need of a Savior. Therefore, the message is for all. The message of the cross. It is cross-generational. It is cross-cultural. It is the cross. Because the gospel does not address culture. The gospel does not address the traditions of man. The cross addresses the depravity of the human heart. And that applies to and gets a grip on us all. Okay? This message was given first to a handful of shepherds in the middle of a field on the outskirts of Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, and yet it stretches out to every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation, and finds application on the other side of the planet some two millenniums later in a little city, in a little church called Calvary Chapel of Joplin in the middle of Missouri. I mean, There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. The Christmas story is good news given to all men everywhere. Now look at verse 11. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Okay, well we've spoken so far of the fact that the gospel message, beginning with the incarnation, is a message that banishes fear, brings great joy. It's for you and me personally. It is for all of humanity. Verse 11 really brings us to the heart of all the information. He says it's a message that brings salvation. There is a born to you this day in the city of David a Savior. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have all turned everyone to our own way, and God has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. And so God becomes a man, and as a man lives a sinless life, takes upon himself the sin of the world, sheds his blood, he suffers, he dies, he pays a debt that he didn't owe, because we owed the debt we couldn't pay, so that whosoever would call upon the name of the Lord would be saved by grace through faith in him. It is the gift Of all gifts. It is the gift of God. For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer. He is our Deliverer. Christ, the Anointed One. The Messiah. And Lord, above all, over all, yet came to this earth to lay down his life for all. Amen. Now, in verse 13 we read that suddenly there was with him, or there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. It's a message of salvation. It's a message, notice, of peace. I mean, this is one of those scenes that we can only imagine and undoubtedly fall radically short of in our minds. I mean, how many angels are represented by the word multitude? I mean, I have no idea, but undoubtedly this was one of those scenes that's out of this world, you know? There was a pun intended there, by the way. Angels, not from this scene, out of this. Okay, I'll move on. Verse 14 brings to us the Latin, Gloria. How many of you know that song? In excelsis Deo. We sing that. How many of you know even what that means? You're singing, Gloria, in excelsis Deo. And you're going, what am I singing? Exactly. What does this mean precisely? Well, this is what it means. Glory in the highest God, or to God. So glory in the highest to God. It is a message. This message is one that glorifies God. Glory to God in the highest. Jesus Christ is here. The message of the incarnation of Christ and the subsequent salvation of man is a message that glorifies God. He made a way where there was no way, for with God nothing will be impossible. It is a message that brings peace to man. He says peace. First we have peace with God, right? We know there's a two-fold peace that comes. First we have peace with God through the blood of the cross of Christ. That is salvation. And then we have the peace of God through the process of sanctification. First comes peace with God. As Paul the Apostle said, for it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself. by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." So we have peace with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Then comes the peace of God. It's not a peace of our own, you see. It is His personal peace that He gives to us. Again, by the words of Paul the Apostle, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called one body and be thankful. As we sing this time of year, his law is love and his gospel is peace. Look at verse 15. And so it was, when the angels had gone away, from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those which were told them by, all those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them." Just two things, you guys, that I want to draw out of this particular portion as we consider the Christmas story. You know, what conclusions might we be able to draw? You know, as it pertains to a message that banishes fear, that brings great joy, that is for you and me personally, and for all of mankind collectively. It's a message of salvation for man. It brings peace with God, brings glory to God. What conclusions might we draw of such a message? Well, number one, again, if you're a note taker, it's a message that demands a response. Okay? These guys heard this message and then they had a decision to make, right? I mean, there it was. Believe it and receive it. Respond accordingly and act upon it. Or say, Dude, why'd you slip into my lamb chops, bro? Because I just seen something crazy. Did you see that? I saw that. Did you see that? I don't know, man. I gotta, I gotta. And you know, you could have rejected it. Or decided to sleep on it. Or maybe look into it later. But one way or another, They had to make a decision. And the Gospel brings us to a point of decision. Accept and act upon this message, or reject this message and continue on In life, business as usual, the gospel demands a response. It calls out and says, accept it or reject it, but there's no neutral ground concerning it. Okay? Number two, it is a message that deserves to be shared. Number one, it demands a response. Number two, it deserves to be shared. These guys met Christ that night, and there was no stuffing that message down. They were not staying silent. I mean, we sing the song, Silent Night. Truth of the matter is, it wasn't that silent. I mean, these guys weren't keeping quiet about any of it. You know, they were going to share, I mean, they were shouting it from the rooftops because they came to know the Lord and they refused to keep silent. We see there, verse 17, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And even so, Christ in you and Christ in me should stir us to share the message with others. And so, things may be happening fast and furious around you, but may you pause to let the wonder of the Christmas story resonate in your heart. And may you, like Mary, keep these things and ponder them in your heart, and may you have a very Merry Christmas. Let's pray. Lord, as we consider the Christmas story today, help us that we would pause, that we would be still, and allow the wonder of your word to have your way in our hearts. That you would so love us, that you would come and dwell with us, that we might spend eternity with you. Jesus, what you've done for us, it demands a response, it deserves to be shared. And so give us boldness to share with others the hope we have in you. And though the wages of sin is death, we're so glad, God, that you have given us the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And I just encourage you that while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed, here today and you haven't responded to that message of the love of God, that God has loved you with an everlasting love. And you have not responded in such a way as to open your heart and repent of your sin and turn to Jesus Christ. And today, the greatest gift of all can be yours. The gift of everlasting life. And you can be forgiven of all of your sin and made right in the sight of God. Just believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive Him as He is, your Savior, Christ the Lord.