“Angels & Shepherds”
(Luke 2:8-20)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
June 28, 2009
I. Introduction
A. I happened one night 2000 years ago
1. Don’t know the exact date
2. A field near Bethlehem
3. A group of young shepherds
4. Suddenly something pierced the dark silence
5. The “glory of the Lord” shone around them
6. A mind-boggling announcement
a. The greatest night of creation
b. God had just entered human history
c. Centuries of prophecy had just been fulfilled
7. Rushed to visit the Christ-child
a. The first visitors
b. The lowly shepherds
8. Why did God choose shepherds?
9. And what can we learn from them?
B. The Angels and the Shepherds
1. Shepherds caught totally off-guard
2. But the angels knew exactly what was going on
a. They witnessed the fall of Lucifer
b. They witnessed creation
c. They witnessed the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden
3. They knew about God’s plan to save mankind
a. The Son to take a body?
b. And the angels knew why
1. To save mankind
c. They knew the magnitude of His love
4. They were there to announce it to the shepherds
C. The recent burst of angelic announcements
1. To Zechariah (Luke 1:5-17)
2. To Mary (Luke 1:26-38)
3. To Joseph (Mt. 1:18-25)
D. Now, the announcement to the shepherds
III. Text…Luke 2:8-20
A. The Shepherds (v. 8)
(8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
1. Would be the first to hear the good news
2. Unlikely choice
3. They weren’t even allowed to testify in court
4. So why did God choose them to testify?
B. What we can learn from the shepherds
1. God delights in using the unlikely
a. Jesus came for the poor and outcast
b. How God can use you
2. They were “living out in the fields”
a. Usually from April to November
3. “in the fields nearby”
a. About 2 miles from the birthplace (Bethlehem)
C. The Angel (v. 9)
(9) An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
1. “An angel of the Lord”
a. May have been Gabriel again
2. The “glory of the Lord” shone around them
a. Around the shepherds
b. Unbelievable event
c. Others
3. All who saw the “glory of the Lord” were initially terrified
a. Until they were told to “fear not,” I’ve got good news
D. The Good News (v. 10-12)
(10) 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.
1. What was the “Good News?”
(11) Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
a. The importance of this statement
He didn’t come to be an example of morality and integrity. He didn’t come to demonstrate patience and kindness and mercy and tenderness. He did all of that….but he came to be the savior of the world
b. The starting point for Christian growth
2. “How will we find him in Bethlehem?
(12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
E. The Choir (v. 13-14)
(13) Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying. (14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
1. A rare glimpse of heavenly worship
2. The angel couldn’t keep quiet
3. The next 33 years would not be as easy for the angels to watch
a. Herod’s slaughter of the babies
b. Satan’s attempts to tempt Jesus
c. The agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
d. The brutal beating in Pilate’s Judgment Hall
e. The Cross
F. The Search (v. 15-16)
(15) 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.”
1. The silence that followed
a. “What just happened here?”
2. They agreed on what they needed to do
a. Go and see “this thing”
1. “rhema” (rhay’ mah)
2. This “reality”
b. The savior has been born in Bethlehem
3. Recognized it to be from God – v. 15
a. “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.”
(16) So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
4. Trying to find him
5. Shared stories with Joseph and Mary
a. Shepherds told their story
b. Joseph and Mary share their story
G. What we can learn from the shepherds
1. They weren’t just all talk
a. You know people like that
b. They acted on what they believed
c. When God challenges you—
2. They didn’t let doubt steal their blessing
a. Reasons why they shouldn’t have gone
b. What are your reasons?
c. They would have missed a blessing by not moving quickly
d. What blessings do you risk losing?
1. Take action
2. With haste
H. Spreading the Word (v. 17-20)
(17) When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
1. They proved that God speaks through common people
a. The role of shepherds in their society
b. Yet God chose them to pass the most important of messages
c. Whom God chooses today—
I Cor. 1:26-29— “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. 27 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. 28 He chose thelowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.”
2. The “common people” of Chapel Pointe
a. Why I love you
b. Your need to “spread the word”
3. The thrill of passing along “good news”
I. They didn’t fall into the sin of procrastination
1. The sin of doing it “later”
a. “Someday”
b. Today is the day
2. Spread the word today….the good news
3. The importance of the message
1. Such a simple story
2. Don’t complicate it
4. They told everyone they met!!
J. They didn’t worry about how people would respond
(17) When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, (18) and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
1. They just “told the story”
2. Didn’t worry about how people would react
3. …and people were “amazed at what the shepherds said to them”
4. People marvel today…just repeat the story to others
a. You know the story
b. Let God worry about the reception
c. The same simple story
(19) But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
1. Mary “pondered” all these things in her heart
2. Mary must have wondered
When is Jesus going to start saying profound, theological things? Is he going to do miracles? What just happened here? Will I have a normal relationship with this child? Will I have other children? How will I act as a mother to a child that is God?
3. Will you commit a time to ponder “this thing”
K. They took their testimony with them to their job….v.20
(20) The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
1. As they returned to their fields…and their sheep
2. Why didn’t they stay there?
3. A time to get back to work
a. Didn’t spend the rest of their lives in a monastery
b. Christians without unsaved friends
c. Walls around the church
d. Have to engage our world
4. How they responded—
a. They “glorified and praised God”
IV. Summary
A. The Key Statement
(11) Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
1. What we needed most….to be saved from our own sins
2. God sent a Savior for you