Christmas through Their Eyes
“Christmas through SHEPHERDS’ Eyes”
Luke 2:8-9, 15-17, 20
Introduction: What time is it? It is Christmastime of course. But what is Christmas a time for? For many of us it is a time of decorating, baking, cooking, cleaning, singing, sending cards, buying presents, going to parties, eating, family, etc.
For the shepherds it was really quite different. There was no baking, family, and gift buying or card sending. But as we look at their experience perhaps we can be influenced in how we celebrate Christmas and what Christmas should mean to us.
As we peek at the shepherds out on the hills of Bethlehem that first Christmas night let’s see what we can learn from them as we see “Christmas through SHEPHERDS’ eyes.”
To the Shepherds, Christmas was a time of…
1. Terror. (vv. 8-9)
“living out in the fields” - Not under the stars, but probably living in tents.
Shepherd’s Field was about 2 or 3 miles from Bethlehem. The shepherds would keep their sheep there from April until the fall. These were the sheep that would be used in the sacrifices throughout the year at the temple in Jerusalem.
“keeping watch over their flock by night” - Literally “keeping the watches of the night” or “keeping the night watches”. They were working the night shift.
These sacrificial animals needed to be protected from wolves and thieves.
v. 9 – “behold” – Suddenly with no warning an angel was there. First he was not and then he was! Perhaps this was the third appearance of Gabriel.
“glory of the Lord” – This would be the Shekinah glory that was a sign of the Lord’s presence in the OT.
It is interesting that the Shekinah glory had left Israel in Ezekiel 10:18 and 11: 23.
Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple… Ezekiel 10:18 (NIV)
The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. Ezekiel 11:23 (NIV)
It had departed and not returned…until NOW at the birth of Jesus (Emmanuel – God with us)!
“Very afraid” – terrified, scared out of their wits, freaked out, however you say it they were beyond scared.
This was the typical response when angels appeared to people. See Daniel 10:7-8, Luke 1:12, & Revelation 1:17.
What are you afraid of? For the shepherds, it was fear of the unexpected (appeared out of nowhere), fear of the unknown (angels did not regularly appear to people especially shepherds), fear of judgment (angels usually came to pronounce God’s judgment).
Perhaps you are the same way. You fear the unexpected, the unknown, perhaps even judgment. Maybe there are other things that you fear besides these.
Let me first remind you why this angel was there. He was not there to announce judgment, but joy! He was there to announce the birth of the final sacrificial lamb to those that were watching the sacrificial lambs!
For us today, God’s Word is this:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
He is here to remind us that Christmas is not a time for fear or terror, but something entirely different.
2. Trust. (vv. 15-16)
Angels leave and their response? “Let’s go now…”
There was a sense of urgency. Why dawdle? Why waste time? Why put it off? Let’s do it right now!
The angels had brought “good tidings” or “good news”. They had brought the gospel and the shepherds had an immediate response to it!
There is no hesitancy nor is there any doubt in their minds – “See this thing…Lord has made known to us.”
Did not say let’s see IF this is true, but rather since it IS true let’s go see it. Their faith preceded their sight!
They walked by faith and not sight. Their faith would become sight soon enough.
They went where they were told and looked where they were told even though it did not make sense.
The King in a cave? The Messiah in a manger? The Savior in a stable? Get real! Come on now. No one could possibly believe that!
"This was a revolting sight, and was sufficient of itself to produce an aversion to Christ. For what could be more improbable than to believe that he was the King of the whole people, who was deemed unworthy to be ranked with the lowest of the multitude?"
– Calvin's Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke
God still operates this way today. He puts His Treasure, His Son in unlikely places – us!
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
We must do as the shepherds did and that is trust in spite of our fears.
Trust Jesus with your fears. Trust Jesus to be who He says that He is – Take Him at His Word.
Some may say, “I don’t see it.” That is because you are looking with the wrong set of eyes. Look with eyes of faith first and then you will see! Which leads to…
3. Testimony. (vv. 17, 20)
When they saw…they told (made widely known). That is a testimony. Telling others what you have seen and heard personally.
“what was told them” – Told what they’d been told.
The shepherds didn't just talk about what they saw, but about the life-changing "good news" they heard. It was indelibly written on their hearts. Joyful worship and witness like that of the shepherds is the result of personal experience with the Christ of Christmas.
–Doug Goins, Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto, CA
The context is they first told Mary and Joseph thus confirming what they had already experienced themselves.
Tell others what has happened to you personally. It is your testimony.
v. 18 – Response is that people were amazed by what they were told by the shepherds!
Look how many times that phrase “told them” appears in this passage: v. 15 (“made known to us”), v. 17 (“told them”), v. 18 (same words), and v. 20 (again same words).
"While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy; he cannot give peace of heart, for which men yearn for more than even outward peace." -- Epictetus, (AD 55 – AD 135), Greek Stoic philosopher
We have what the world cannot offer, but what it wants the most!
A little girl once remarked, “Some people couldn’t hear God’s inside whisper, and so He sent Jesus to tell them out loud!”
v. 20 – They went back to their sheep, but they were changed! They returned doing and saying what the angels had done: “glorifying and praising God” – same Greek words as was used in verses 13 and 14.
Remember Paul told Timothy that God had not given a spirit of fear in 2 Timothy 1:7? Look at verse 8.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 2 Timothy 1:8 (NIV)
He has not given us terror, but a testimony! He gives us faith for our fear and that is worth talking about.
Here’s what Peter and John would later say when threatened with punishment for sharing the gospel:
“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20 (NIV)
Their testimony what was more important than the fear of imprisonment or worse!
Conclusion: In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas!”
Don’t miss the message of Christmas.
Face your fears. Replace your fear of others with a fear (respectful awe) of God.
Trust Jesus with that fear.
Tell others about Him. It’s your testimony so testify!
That is “Christmas through SHEPHERDS’ eyes!”
