Encounter with Jesus: Ordinary People Going About Their Lives (Luke 2:8-20)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
19 December 2021
Jesus is drawn to ordinary people who have little status in life but who go about their lives as best they can.
And so at the birth of Jesus the Lord God saw fit to announce the birth to simple shepherds looking after their sheep by night.
An angel announced the birth of Jesus. After hundreds of years of prophetic silence an angelic visitation signalled to the human race that something was happening. A special moment required a special messenger. An angel was that messenger.
The glory of the Lord shone around and the shepherds were afraid. Nothing like this had happened to them. The angel told them not to be afraid. The coming of Jesus was not meant to generate fear but to show God's gentle compassion to fallen humanity.
Consider the content of the angelic announcement.
It was a message of glad tidings or good news. Jesus has come not to condemn us. A condemned prisoner when told he is now free receives this as good news. We who are condemned for our sins should receive the news of Christ birth as good news. He has come to release us from condemnation.
It was a message of great joy. On Christmas Day 1814, Samuel Marsden preached the first evangelical sermon in NZ. His text was Luke 2:10 “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy…” The gospel had come to NZ. It was a day of joy.
It is a message for all people. There is one God—our creator. There is but one human race. Jesus is the Saviour for the whole human race.
The message is all about the birth of the Saviour who is Christ the Lord. Jesus is the anointed one of God come to save people from their sins. He would be born in the city of David as prophesied.
There was a sign given to the shepherds. It was the sign of a baby in a manger. Shepherds knew all about mangers but a baby in a manger was out of the ordinary. How fitting, an extraordinary sign for an extraordinary Saviour.
Immediately after the angelic announcement the whole host of heaven burst forth in praise. It was as if this praise was held back for thousands of years until the exact moment the Saviour’s birth was announced upon which the entire angelic creation burst forth with praise.
The shepherds seek, find and talk about Jesus. They left immediately and with haste to see what the angel had told them. They found Jesus exactly as it was told them and excitedly spoke about it to everyone.
Mary is left pondering these things. She was the earthly mother of Jesus but gradually came to understand that her child was special. He was sent by God from heaven.
The shepherds return to their flocks glorifying God and praising him. It was a life changing moment for them. It was life changing for the world. Christ the Saviour is born!
The lesson we observe from Luke 2:8-20 is that the Lord reveals things to ordinary people going about their work. On this occasion the birth of Jesus was announced to humble shepherds.
The announcement was via an angel. Today we do not expect a visit from angels. This would not be the norm. Rather we expect to learn things as we read and meditate on the Scriptures. God through the Holy Spirit speaks through his word—the Bible. From the Bible we learn about Jesus our blessed Saviour.
Let us this Christmas spend time meditating on the Scriptures. Expect God to communicate truth to our souls. He reveals truth to ordinary people going about their lives.