“Glory to God” (Luke 2:8-14)
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 great 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!”
Yesterday, pastor Yang shared a message based on the verse 10, the very first message concerning Jesus’s birth: ““Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” And we learned from pastor Yang why it is a such a great joy that Jesus came. It was because through Jesus we can enjoy never ending friendship. Jesus also gives us the eternal life, purpose of life, and the rest we need the kind no one else can provide, among many other reasons to rejoice.
For today I would like to talk about the second message concerning Jesus birth. The first message was delivered by one angel, but the second message was by the angel and a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” I imagine the message was conveyed in thunder like music, most magnificent praise music.
These angelic beings were proclaiming Jesus came for glory of God and peace on earth.
They used antithesis to compare what happens in the highest with what happens in the earth. They didn’t say peace on earth first, but Glory to God in the highest first. I believe they meant to say, peace on earth depends on our giving Glory to God in the highest.
Why we don’t enjoy peace on earth as much as we want? Why we don’t find peace in our society, even in church and our family as much as we wish? I believe that’s because we don’t give glory to God while we seek our own glory.
Unfortunately, according to the scriptures, our human history started with our first ancestor seeking their own glory rather than the glory of God. Even now most human being live in seeking their own glory. (I, I, I, I , I, I, I is the one to be glorified and worshiped, focused, and centered in our culture.)
But, that’s not how God designed and created us. God created us for His own glory. In ancient times and even today, kings and all kinds of gods want to display their glory by making their statues or idols. But, God commanded not to make any statues or idols after His image. Instead He created human being in His own image so that they as living being may display and reflect God’s glory - His character, His majesty, His authority, His love etc.
But, men were deceived by Satan, they chose to eat of the forbidden fruit in order to be like God, independent of him and wise in their own right. As a result they lost peace with God and they lost peace among themselves.
Genesis account as well as human history reveals “how the human race has been enslaved to a rebellious heart that hates to rely on God but loves to make a name for themselves” as manifested in the story of the tower of Babel. They said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves.'" They wanted to make a name for themselves and reach even to heaven.
Since the tower of Babel, you will notice in the Genesis account the focus was changed from all people to one person, Abraham. Then Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. One person at a time then in Exodus, Israel as nations became main focus. God formed and made them and called them His people, God created them for His glory (Isaiah 43:7), yet they like Adam, the first man, have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to God as prophet Hosea said (Hosea 6:7)
They also like the first man sought their own glory than that of God and as a result they lost their peace and they lost their identity as the nation of God.
Thus all the old testament account is a history of how our ancestors and the nation Israel failed in revealing and reflecting God’s glory as was planned by God.
But, our faithful God kept His promise to Abraham: “Abraham will be a blessing and through whom all nations will be blessed.” He kept the promise by sending His own Son among Abraham’s descendants: “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith (Gal 3:13-14)
Jesus died for our sins so that our sins were forgiven and our relationship with God was restored. Not only that He send the Holy Spirit so that we may live glorifying God beyond our own ability.
Just before Christ died on the cross, He prayed to His father saying, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28)
Indeed, Jesus came to suffer and die to save us from our sins, but His final goal was to glorify God. He came and suffered and died for the glory of God. By His resurrection He saved us and restored the relationship with God, and created us as the new self, to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:23) The purpose is again the same as when God created Adam in His own image so that they may glorify God. This is the purpose of our salvation.
You and I were saved and created to be called as God’s people, to seek the glory of God and enjoy peace on earth. This is the kind of life we were called to live as worshipper and peace maker. Week after week we learn how to glorify God through the sermon and lesson, but today let me finish by quoting a verse, which I hope you always remember. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Co 10:31)
