God’s Unusual Birth Announcement

GOD’S UNUSUAL BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

LUKE 2:8-20

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg who many years ago was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort - one that did not admit Jews. The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, "Sorry, no room. The hotel is full." The Jewish lady said, "But your sign says that you have vacancies."

2. The desk clerk stammered and then said curtly, "You know that we do not admit Jews. Now if you will try the other side of town..." Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeable and said, "I’ll have you know I converted to your religion."

3. The desk clerk said, "Oh, yeah, let me give you a little test. How was Jesus born?" Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born to a virgin named Mary in a little town called Bethlehem." "Very good," replied the hotel clerk. "Tell me more." Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born in a manger."

4. "That’s right," said the hotel clerk. "And why was he born in a manger?" Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, "Because a turkey like you in the hotel wouldn’t give a Jewish lady a room for the night!"

B. TEXT & THESIS

1. One hour after Queen Elizabeth’s 3rd child was born: 128 cables were sent to all parts of the world, Gov’t offices stayed open all night; the personnel on night duty were doubled, all the dignitaries on the planet were notified.

2. Now if a Queen made her child’s birth such a big splash, doesn’t it seem right that God, as a proud Father, would want to let the world know about His Son’s birth too? So how did He do it? Who did He use to tell the good news?

3. Luke 2:8-20

4. Let’s look at God’s unusual birth announcement.

I. THE SHEPHERDS – GOD’S CHOICE

A. WHY THE SHEPHERDS?

1. Why did God choose shepherds to tell the news of His Son’s birth? Why not fishermen, potters, or Jewish leaders?

2. Now if I had been an Angelic spin doctor - advising the Lord God how to advertise the birth of His Son - I would have respectfully suggested a different course of action. Conventional wisdom would dictate making a big splash with the “Good and the Great” in the land.

But forget the Shepherds, Lord – they don’t bring in votes.

3. After all, shepherds didn’t have the best reputation in Jesus’ day! They weren’t the sort of people you’d want “proclaiming the birth of God’s one and only Son!”.

4. What do I mean?

a. Shepherds were considered unclean. Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar. When everyone else was making the trip to Jerusalem to make sacrifices at the temple, or to participate in one of the annual feasts, shepherds had to be out in the fields, watching over the sheep.

b. Shepherds were looked on with suspicion. They were constantly on the move. They were known for thieving. Because of their poverty, if something went missing - it was usually attributed to the shepherds.

c. You could not trust the word of a Shepherd. They were not allowed to act as witnesses in a Court of Law because their word was not considered trustworthy. The Talmud stated, "No help should be given to heathen and shepherds."

d. Shepherds were rough, uneducated men. They were accustomed to hard life. Most of the time, they were "living out in the fields" (v. 8). They were with the sheep 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. People in the cities looked down on the shepherding life. Shepherds had a lowly position in society.

B. GOD SEEMS TO HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR SHEPHERDS. Why shepherds? I want us to look at six possibilities why God chose shepherds;

1. God Does the Unexpected. He seldom works as we expect, which is one of the best evidences for its authenticity. If you had been a Jewish writer wanting to make up a story about the entrance of the Messiah--the Savior of the World--into human history after two thousand years of prophecy, would you have invented a tale in which He was born in a stable and laid in a feed bin? Would you have made the announcement to a bunch of shepherds? Of course not.

2. Jesus was the descendant of a Shepherd-King. Jesus had descended, as to His earthly nature, from the line of David, the shepherd-king who had once kept flocks in those very fields. A thousand years before, the boy David was among flocks in those same rugged pastures. (And before him Abraham & Moses – were shepherds). Now another Shepherd-King—the Son of David -- had been born.

3. The Angelic Choir Needed an Outdoor Audience. This might seem a trite and inconsequential point, but think: No house, temple, chapel, or cathedral could have contained the angelic numbers that night. Highest heaven was evidently emptied as the blackened sky was filled with ten thousand times ten thousand angels. Only a group under the open skies could have received the message.