Good News Of Great Joy Series

Luke 2:8-20. [8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. [10] 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. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14]"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" [15] 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." [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (ESV)

It's the Sunday before Christmas. For some, after yet another year overrun with expansive sorrow, the thought of ‘Christmas cheer’ rings hollow. Some have worked themselves to physiological burnout while others languish in a vacuum of inactivity because their vocation has shrivelled away to nothing. The vast majority have spent more time isolated in our homes than we could have dreamt possible. And maybe even, some have stopped caring. We find ourselves alone with the sorrows that the year has layered on. Alone can be lonely but the spaces between us have also served as an artificial buffer to some of the pains. And now we come to the celebration of Christmas and wonder “How?”

It is to this situation where we find In Luke 2 of the message of the angel to a group of bewildered shepherds on a hill outside Bethlehem, “I bring you good news of great joy” (Lk 2:10), which seems to promise more than we can believe possible. The reason why for many it seems so impossible to have such joy now, as one writer put it “we’ve been crushingly stunned by impassioned responses to events outside of our control – the events alone have been hard, but the responses of those over us and those we love and share life with have, at times, been heart breaking. Brothers (and sisters) have faltered in their ability or even willingness to live together in unity (Ps 133:1). (https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/celebrations-in-the-valley-navigating-christmas-with-a-heavy-heart/#_ftn1)

Christmas isn’t welcome when it glibly promises cozy togetherness and prepackaged joy that it can’t deliver. (That’s why our Advent reflections this year have been so hard). Parties and bright lights cannot dismiss the darkness of crisis, trauma, pain, and death. And yet God sent the Light of the World into such darkness. All around there was oppression, sickness, and suffering. Christmas wasn’t welcomed then either. It was shunted into the dark corner of a dank stable... Christmas came amid pain and poverty, loss and loneliness. (Lenzkes, Susan, “When Life Takes What Matters”, Discovery House Publishers, Jan 1993)

Right now our temptation may be to sidestep considering Christmas or to simply endure it. But Jesus’ coming is Good News of Great Joy for all people. Although this story is one of the most familiar in human history, there are four great surprise reactions to it 1) First, in verse 8 of Luke 2 we see that some have spent their lives with joy in watching for this event (Luke 2:8). 2) some have joy in wonder, (Luke 2:9-14) 3) some respond with joy in worship (Luke 2:15-16) and finally 4) some told others of this amazing event and expressed Joy in Witness (Luke 2:17-20).

Jesus’ coming is Good News of Great Joy for all people which can be expressed through: 1) Joy in Watching (Luke 2:8)

Luke 2:8 [8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (ESV)

Shepherds in an agrarian society may have small landholdings, but these would be inadequate to meet the demands of their own families, the needs of their own agricultural pursuits, and the burden of taxation. As a result, they might hire themselves out to work for wages. They were, then, peasants, located toward the bottom of the scale of power and privilege These shepherds were encamped in the open field, by turns keeping watch over their flock. During the day these animals were out on the grass. In the evening they could, when necessary, be led into crude shelters, pens, or sheepfolds, to protect them against inclement weather, wild beasts, and thieves. Those men who needed sleep could retire to a hut made of branches. The actual work of keeping watch over the sheep was done “by turns,” some resting while others watched. (Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (130). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).