A Visit to Bethlehem Series
Four Ways to See Jesus Through a Shepherd’s Eyes
Luke 2:8-16
Dec. 2, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction
A
B Bethlehem, shepherds, manger...all little things, but God used them.
1 Of all the characters in the nativity, we can probably most relate with the shepherds (average Joes).
a Outcasts, unclean (Jewish laws/rules about what, how you could eat, cook things, washing hands 3x’s a day).
b Shepherds ate what they could get their hands on, their hands were always dirty.
2 Raised sheep (food/clothing) that served as pashal & atonement lambs.
a Pashal/Passover: celebrate deliverance from Egyptian bondage
b Atonement: cleanse/cover sin annually (killed your own sheep!)
3 Shepherds raised sheep for the temple, but weren’t allowed in themselves (animals were good enough, they weren’t).
a Average Joes never get the breaks, these guys did
C Let’s look at how we can visit Bethlehem & see Jesus as these shepherds did.
I The Word is heard But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people Luke 2:10 (NASB)
A The angel brought "good news" (the Gospel) of "great joy" to the shepherds...but the "good news" wasn’t just for them.
1 The "good news" was not when or where the Savior was born, but rather that the Savior is born.
a Christ (Christos): the anointed, the Lord (kurios), Master, owner, Sir is here.
b Scripture does not tell us what date Jesus was born or crucified.
aa He was born ...for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 (NASB)
bb He was crucified When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Luke 23:33 (NASB)
2 The angels told the shepherds the would find the Messiah in Bethlehem.
a "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12 (NASB)
b These words were a promise! When God’s word says something, it’s always a promise.
3 The kings, rulers, philosophy, religion couldn’t meet the needs of man’s heart.
a Taxes/unemployment were high, morals were slipping, then...
b God sent His Son, His name was Jesus! He brought peace with Him!
B You must hear the word of God before anything else.
1 He’ll speak, give you a word of revelation, illumination...but you must listen.
2 Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart for His words.
a Confession of sin, clean hands, pure heart, etc.
b Be where His Word is spoken, taught, preached...and practiced.
The practicing of His Word leads us to the second way we can see Jesus through the shepherd’s eyes (transitional sentence).
II Act on the Word When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." Luke 2:15 (NASB)
A The shepherds had to go see this Savior, be in His presence, experience this peace the angel talked about.
1 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. Luke 2:16 (NASB) They went "straight" & in "haste".
a "Haste" is an aorist participle which implies that when the angels left the shepherds went to Bethlehem right then.
b It doesn’t say they got other shepherds to tend, watch their flock.
aa They could have (maybe), but I believe at that moment the most important thing was doing what they were told.
bb See God keep a promise.
2 That required them to act on faith & go to where God led them.
a If they waited until morning, they missed it.
b If they left, God would watch their sheep
c Why not?
B When God gives you clear word, act on it.
1 God’s word is clear, not confusing-rather, it brings clarity
a Bethlehem, baby, swaddling clothes, manger...go!
b CLARITY
aa If you think God is telling you to leave your husband/ wife because they’re unaffectionate, go back to His word.
bb If you think it’s all right to sleep with your girl/ boyfriend because you’re in love & plan to get married, go back to His word.
cc If you’re withholding forgiveness because someone’s mean to you, or refuse to fellowship with someone who doesn’t agree with you, go back to the word.
2 The only part of the word you believe is the part that you do.
God will do something in your life when you do His word. When He does...you need to tell somebody (transitional sentence).
III Yell your story When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Luke 2:17,20 (NASB)
A In v. 17, we see a "naked" this (which Thom Rainer, president of Lifeway bugs at) that is describing the "and THIS will be a sign" that the shepherds just couldn’t say enough about.
1 In v. 17 they tell Mary & Joseph about everything they heard about Jesus.
a In v. 20, they went back to their flocks...yelling about Jesus!
b ...for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20 (NASB) Luke writes how Peter & John had the same blessing.
aa I can just imagine when Luke wrote Acts, he had to think about the shepherds, too!
2 In our Nativity stories, there are other angelic announcements before we get to the "Angels We Have Heard on High" version in Luke 2.
a Gabriel goes to Zacharias (Luke 1) & Mary (Luke 1). Gabriel mentioned both times, but not in Luke 2: "an angel of the Lord."
b What if there was a job posting for Birth Announcement #3?
aa Auditions, tryouts, handed the message. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:10-12 (NASB)
bb Big part, a lot of exposure/responsibility
c How privileged/honored do you think the angel was to tell the shepherds about the arrival of the Savior of the world?
B We have the privilege of sharing the same Good News with the world every day of our lives.
1 Has Jesus changed your life? Saved you? Healed you? Brought you peace? Yell it!
2 Shout to the Lord...your story may give me the hope I need because I’m going down to the courthouse tomorrow-calling the guy who wants to have an affair tonight-filing bankruptcy in the morning-leaving my family-taking my life.
3 Shout to the Lord loud enough I can hear it...I may need it.
IV Shout to the Lord The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
A Remember what the angels were doing in v. 13? Praising God
1 In v. 20, the shepherds have taken over the angels’ job!
2 The shepherds could sing a song in a way the angels could not.
a Angels have never sinned, didn’t understand the necessity of God’s grace personally, were never set free from sin.
b The shepherds saw a Pashal lamb (celebrate freedom from the bondage of sin).
c The shepherds saw an Asham lamb (sin-atonement offering) to cleanse sin, the Pashal lamb didn’t do that!
3 The shepherds praised God because He came to walk with them in a stinky, filthy, unkind world.
B Friend, God has given us reason to shout to the Lord!
1 We’ve experienced His grace first-hand.
a (IL) Confidence in an answer asked. We give it with boldness.
b We know He is the Prince of Peace...we’ve seen Him.
2 We’ve been in His presence
a We’ll never be the same again
b He freed us, cleansed us
aa "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world."~John the Baptist
bb ...but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (NASB) Sacrifice
cc And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high...Heb 1:3 (NASB) Applied the blood
3 He’s worthy of our praise
a ...saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." Rev 5:12-13 (NASB)
b We need to take the angels’ job of praise from them.
Conclusion
A We’ve looked at 4 ways we can see Jesus with shepherd’s eyes:
1 Word must be heard
2 Act on the Word
3 Yell your story
4 Shout praise
B He’s brought peace, healing, salvation...He’s promised!
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