the gospel of Luke, Luke chapter 2. We're looking at verses 8 through 20, 8 through 20. Last week, we talked about the birth of Christ and how Jesus is the sovereign king, the promised king and the humble king. He was the newborn king come to save. And it's a message that for some of us here is rather old news. And yet we must ask ourselves, Is it still good news? No matter who we are, how will we respond to the birth of Christ? No matter how many times we've heard about it, how will we respond to the birth of Christ? We have a model for us to follow in the verses before us. Let me pray once more before we read it. As we come to this text, we pray that you would meet us by your spirit, through the words. Let these words not fall on deaf ears or indifferent spirits. Let us be good hearers. Let us be good doers of your word, right responders to the gospel. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. If you are able to stand, I invite you to stand for the reading of God's word, starting in verse 8. And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you was born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased. 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. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. When they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them, but Mary treasured treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told to them. We praise the Lord for his word. Please be seated. And let's start with a rather simple statement as we begin to unpack this text. In the past, bad news. has been reported on Christmas. Let me give you some examples. 1717, a large storm hit coastal portions of northern Europe early on Christmas morning. It destroyed many towns and thousands of people lost their lives. On Christmas Day in 1851, the Library of Congress nearly burned to the ground, Almost two thirds of its collection. After a brutal two week battle on Christmas in 1941, the British surrendered Hong Kong to the Axis powers in World War II. Many soldiers and civilians were either killed or they were taken as prisoners of war. Now, if on Christmas you turned the news on or scrolled down your feed, You likely also saw bad news. It's because we live in a bad news world. We see it all over the place. We see it in our own lives, do we not? We see a world that's full of sin and sorrow and suffering. We see a world that struggles with these things. We see a world that loves to sin. Maybe as you went about your Christmas Day, you felt the bad news in your own life. Maybe you struggled with sin. Maybe you continue to battle with suffering. Things like Satan, sin, suffering do not take a vacation just because it's Christmas. Perhaps you experienced it this past week. The text before us tells us of something very different. It speaks of good news. It tells us about the Savior who was born. It tells us about the Lord of glory who came into this world to ransom, redeem, restore and forgive us. The text before us gives us good news. And it's good news that is meant to transform our lives. It's good news that calls for a response. We'll see it under three headings, starting with appearance. Appearance. Chapter 2, verses 1 through 7 told us about the birth of Christ. And in verse 8, we are informed in the same region that Jesus was born, there were Shepherds out in the field, likely they were a few miles outside Jerusalem. What were they doing? Verse 8, keeping watch over their flock by night. It could be they were tending sheep that was to be used in temple service. And they were doing this at a rather unfortunate hour. I don't know about you, but I'm not signing up for the midnight shift for watching the sheep. But probably what happened was a few of the guys were catching some Z's, maybe some of them were coming off duty, others rolling on and they had their eye out looking for wolves. But then all of a sudden, verse 9, an angel of the Lord appeared and the word appeared. It means this heavenly being unexpectedly stood next to them and Angelic appearances weren't everyday appearances. Talk about news, this was newsworthy. Here these guys were counting sheep exactly or maybe subconsciously counting sheep and then out of nowhere this brilliant angel poofed before their eyes. How did the shepherds respond? Verse 9, they were filled with great fear. Like in Daniel chapter 8, when Daniel saw the angel Gabriel, he passed out to the point that Gabriel had to come and touch him to wake him. This particular text, we see the very same thing happening in many respects with these shepherds. These men, what did they do? They were scared. They were scared upon seeing this one angel. And we learn something here about angels, do we not? People often have misconceived notions of angels as dainty creatures in diapers, floating on clouds while playing harps. News flash, nothing could be further from the truth. These shepherds were scared to death upon seeing one angel. It makes sense why. But their fear was not only because of the angel. Even more, it was because they were brought into the presence of God. Verse 9, the glory of the Lord shone around them. This was a glory that was in the temple, but hadn't been seen for some 600 years. And now it beamed forth into this context as the Lord of heaven broke into time and space to come before these shepherds. For what purpose? Why did this angel come? To give them a message. Verse 10. Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. A messenger came bringing good news. We will come to the nature of that good news in just a moment. But for now, think about how the angel began his statement. He said, fear not. Consider those two words. The shepherds were afraid because of the angelic being. And they were shaken because they were in the presence of God, in part due to their own sinfulness. Like in Exodus chapter 20, when the Israelites saw the thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai, what did they do? They trembled because they were undone before a holy God. So were these shepherds. They were undone before the holy God. Have you ever felt that way? Stripped naked in your sins before the righteous Lord. Laid bare in your pride. Your lust. Your unloving heart. Have you ever been taken to Mount Sinai to the law and made to shake with conviction of sin? In a sense, that's what happened with these shepherds. It happened with Isaiah. It happened with others in the Old Testament. It happens with sinners who come before a holy God. They rightly feared God. Because of who they were. And who God was. We are to be that way. To fear the Lord because of who we are. And because of who he is. Great fear is to characterize us at times. But as mentioned earlier, too often we fear the wrong things. A difficult diagnosis. Rising inflation. Increasing bills. Hard people, an uncertain future, loneliness, death. And yet with these shepherds, our perspective is being realigned. So that our great fear is in the Lord. We tremble because of our sins and His holiness. We must understand something. We will not see how good the good news of Christ really is if we never fear God. We will not see how good the good news of Christ really is if we never fear God. Great fear must be had. For great news to be known. And yet it is important to note the angel did not want these shepherds to be ruled by fear. As if that were the only way they were to relate to God. That's why he said, fear not. Because it was not only appropriate for them to have great fear, but also great joy. I mean, if they had walked up to the angel and started high fiving him, that would have been wrong. Fear was required. But it would have been just as unacceptable for them to be without great joy because of the good news the angel came to bring. It was earth shattering news, the kind of news that should drop your jaw to the floor. It was about a redeemer, the birth of Christ. Again, we'll talk about the details of that message in just a minute. But note a significant point. Good news brings great joy. Do you see that in the angel's message in verse 10, the words great joy? Where is our joy today? Do we have it? And not just a little joy, but great joy. Or has our joy been squelched by the hardships of life, the temptations of life, the monotony of life? One of the things that eludes us most is joy. Our joy is fickle. It's like a seesaw, it goes up and down. Do you know why? Our joy is often misplaced. We ground our joy in what happens here in this world. When we should ground our joy in the one who came from there, from heaven, Jesus Christ. What was the basis for the great joy the angel spoke of? It was the good news about Christ who broke into this world. To save sinners like you and me. There is no question we live in a bad news world. And at times it is appropriate for us to weep over what happens east of Eden. Listen, it is impossible. Let me rephrase that. It is possible. It is possible for us to grieve. and to have joy. It is possible for us to grieve and have joy. I tell you, sorrow is not necessarily the enemy of joy. It can be a friend. The Puritan Thomas Brooks. He that grieves most over sin and suffering. will rejoice most in Christ. He that grieves most over sin and suffering. Will rejoice most in Christ. Because great joy is found in the good news of Jesus Christ. So then when you struggle to have joy on a daily basis. Immediately go back to Christ. Pause for a moment. Redirect your thoughts back to the birth of the Savior. Back to the cross of the Savior. Back to the empty tomb. Gospel good news is the fuel for great joy. May it be so for you and me. It's really why We need to next consider the details of the announcements. After telling the shepherds about great joy. The angel erupted with news that was almost too good to be true. The angel had appeared, but now he gives this announcement, he said, look at verse 11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. I wonder, have you ever had one of those frozen brain moments? Do you know what I'm talking about? You eat too much ice cream all at once and what happens? Your brain locks up. It happens to me all the time. Well, it seems that's something similar to what happened to the shepherds. Because did you notice in verses 11 through 14, they don't say a word. They say nothing. The brains were frozen and not because they had devoured too much Ben and Jerry's, but due to the contents of the announcement and what happened afterwards. Think about it for a second. Look at what the angel said. Look again at verse 11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Focus on the born part. The hope of the nations was born. That's staggering. He wasn't zoomed from the skies. He didn't just appear like the angel did. He was born. Umbilical cord. Birth canal. Amniotic fluid. Gasping for air. Crying. All of it. That's how the Redeemer came into this world. How lowly. How humble. But then see in verse 11, the three titles given to Jesus, Savior, Christ and Lord. It's the only time we find all three in one place of Scripture. First one is Savior. Savior is a word linked to the book of Judges. We went through the book of Judges several months ago in our evening service. The word Savior can reference men raised up by God to deliver his people from mighty oppressors. Well, in a greater way, that's Jesus. He's a better judge, a more faithful Gideon, a stronger Samson who rescues his beloved from the great tyrant Satan. Jesus came to defeat the cruel hater of our souls. That's good news because we do not have power over him. Only Jesus does. He's our Savior. And then the angel told us that Jesus is the Christ. He's the promised seed. Christ is not his last name. It's a title telling us how he is the promised one. The blessed one from Abraham, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the prophet greater than Moses, the mighty son of David. Who brings an unshakable kingdom in a world that is falling apart. Who comes with healing in his wings to a place that is marked by the disease of sin. Jesus is the Christ. Good news enfleshed. And then the angel declared how Jesus is the Lord. And that title is especially significant because in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, which most Jews regularly heard read, the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh, is translated Kyrgios, and that's the title given to Jesus that we translate as Lord's. It tells us that what the angel was saying about this infant child was that he was God in flesh, Emmanuel. He's Yahweh, the promise making, promise keeping, one true and living God in bone and blood. That's Jesus. He's the Lord's. How would these shepherds identify this Savior, Christ and Lord? They've been told who he is. How would they know? They were supposed to go and see him, but they find him in some palace with guards and royalty all around. Maybe in the temple with the priest serving him day and night. Not at all. Perhaps just as shocking. As the news that Jesus had been born, that the Savior, the Christ, the Lord had been born into this world, so also the angels announcement in verse 12. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling claws and lying in a manger. Do those words make you do a double take? Has the familiarity with them lost its punch? To begin with, these words are mind boggling because they communicate how God in flesh would lie in mean estate. that God would take to himself a human body and a reasoning soul and he would be born into this world. The one who fashioned the stars at this point can't even walk. That he who provides food for the living was dependent upon his mother for nourishment. Let that news wow you. Be stupefied by the incarnation of Christ. Ask God to help it not lose its punch upon your hearts. And yet, it is also jarring that Jesus, the Savior, the Christ, the Lord, would be found lying in an animal feeding trough wrapped in the signs of the lowest forms of poverty. It is a reminder to us that he who was rich became poor so that we who are poor in sin would become rich in grace. No wonder the shepherds were speechless. This was shocking humility. And they were probably also floored when not just one, but then a multitude of angels burst forth shouting, verse 14, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Imagine the startle this must have brought to the shepherds. Thousands of angels erupted in praise because this child's coming would bring peace. You see that word in verse 14? It's a marvelous word. It's a word whose meaning we can know in this life. Because on the one hand, Jesus was born to bring objective peace between God and his people. Jesus came to reconcile our souls to God. But then on the other hand, Jesus came to bring a subjective peace. Jesus is the peace that passes all understanding. Jesus is the beam of the Father's love. Come to melt the clouds of sin and sadness and to drive the dark of doubt away. So that we can have true, deep and lasting peace. Don't you want peace? Don't you ache for it? Maybe this morning, you know, something is missing in your life. You feel restless. You want peace. What do you do? You believe the announcement of the angel. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. And you keep believing. Christ the babe was born for you. If you want peace, don't stop putting yourself in front of the good news. Keep receiving the announcement of Christ's incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. Know his work is for you. That's how the angel put it in verse 11. Unto you is born this day a Savior. Verse 12. And this will be a sign for you. Who's the you? It's the shepherds. Who were these shepherds? They were nobodies. They were restricted from regular temple worship because of their duties. They were often considered irreligious. Their testimonies were not valid in a court because they had a reputation of being unreputable. But the first birth announcement of Christ read to the shepherds, not kings, not religious leaders, but lowlifes. And sinners like these shepherds. And how fitting. Because when it comes down to it, we are a lot like them. Natively, we are depraved, dying and doomed. I know the Christmas pictures we send out to people. We look all prettied up and everything. It appears as if our lives are all together. But this tells a very different story. He is the true picture. And yet we need to remember good news is heralded to us. It is for us. Christ is for us. He came for you. For you. Let that good news melt the clouds of sin and sadness. And drive the dark of doubt away in your own life. But Jesus. The Savior. The Christ, the Lord. Give you peace in the soul, no matter what is going on in your life. Peace is found in the heart. By knowing Christ who secured peace, gives peace and is peace. If you want peace, if you want to be at peace, be stayed on the announcement, be stayed on Christ. Peace is increased by abiding in Christ. To have more peace in the soul, you must take in more of Christ. What does that abiding in Christ include? Consider lastly, action. I know the bulletin says appointment. You can scratch it out and write in action. Verse 15 starts by giving the reaction of the shepherds to this good news. Now, after the angels all left, did they say to one another, Man, what in the world did we eat last night? That must have been some bad fast food. Of course, they didn't say that kind of thing. These men, they gladly believed. Surely they are an example of a simple and an active faith. Because they went to find baby Jesus. Having limited knowledge of Christ, they still sought Christ. We have more knowledge of Christ. Are we earnestly seeking him? You can imagine the hunt the shepherds must have had to find Jesus. All they had to go on was an infant wrapped in swaddling claws and lying in a manger, that was it. Nothing else. walk around Bethlehem knocking on doors. Hey, do you have a baby in your house, just born, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger? Did they just go snooping around town? Peeking into windows and stables? You have no idea. But when they found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they did not stand off in the distance, silent. Because the birth of the Savior was not the time for zipped lips. These shepherds shared with the holy couple what had happened to them with the angels. And you can envision that Mary and Joseph shared with them their story as well. But then the shepherds, verse 17, they didn't only talk to Mary and Joseph, they went and told others. They had a witnessing zeal that we can learn from. They had a holy order for speaking about Christ. How did the shepherds hearers react? Look at verse 18. All who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. The word used there for wondered, it doesn't mean that their response was necessarily one of faith in Christ. Luke 4, the people of Nazareth. Wondered at Jesus and his teaching, but they did not believe in him. And it seems that the people in Bethlehem may have had a similar response to Jesus at first amazed. But then indifferent. With no lasting effect. May that not be us. Let us not leave here unaffected by good news. Instead, let us benefit from the shepherd's ministry. News in our day and time has a way of sometimes not hitting the heart. We just scroll down. Oh, this happened today and that happened today. We shrug our shoulders and move on. Maybe it hits us a little bit. But this is the best news ever recorded. It should grip our hearts. It did, the shepherds, verse 20, what were they doing? Glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen. Praise befits one who has savingly benefited from Christ's coming. Humble adoration of God is to be our response, not a distracted, heartless religion. We learn this even more from Mary and her response. Luke made special mention of it. Verse 19, Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her hearts. Mary held close to her the things that had been told to her about Jesus. The words were dear to her because Christ was dear to her. That's to be us. We are to treasure Christ and his good news. Are we? Do we delight in Christ? Is Jesus special to us? Is he our first love? Often our problem is that of disordered loves. We love other things before Christ. Here we are taught differently. To cherish the good news. To ruminate on the Savior, to study the Lord, to be in awe of Christ's immeasurable, unchangeable and unconditional love. Because that love is at the core of the good news. You see Christ's love with a manger, a cross and an empty tomb. Let Jesus be the apple of your eye so that you treasure and ponder Christ every day. Jesus is not some theorem to be figured out. He's not an appetizer to be sampled. Jesus is the Savior. Christ the Lord, born for us, the incarnate deity, the light of life, to be worshiped, enjoyed, loved, followed. Won't you today and every day labor strong and long for deep persuasions of Christ's love? And let the good news of the gospel of Christ's life for you, death for you and resurrection for you ring in your ears. Let the good news wear down your doubts. Form your affections. Propel you forward in obedience. And drive your heart to worship Christ. Receive good news. Show it by living a life of praise unto Christ. Let's go to the Lord and ask him for help. Oh, Father in heaven. How we thank you for Christ. And the Father, you sent him into this world. to be the propitiation for our sins, our wrath bearer. Lord Jesus, we praise you that for the joy set before you, you came into this world and you went to the cross. We pray then that we would be a people of joy, a people of peace, a people who love you with an increasing love. Holy Spirit, you must do that work within us. We ask for your help. Change us, grow us, support us, strengthen us. This we ask in Jesus' name. And all of God's people said, amen.