The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:1-20 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
INTRODUCTION
What is your state of mind as we near the end of this year? Maybe some of you are pretty caught up with your work, paying back your loans, raising your children, caring for an invalid parent and nothing out of the ordinary seem to be happening. You may feel, “Well Christmas will come and go but I do not find anything interesting, my life is the same, my sorrows are always with me, I’m struggling and there is no jubilee in my life.”
Today we are going to see how we can be jubilant in our lives in the midst of our circumstances. How to experience joy in the midst of sorrows?
Luke 2:8-10 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
The first announcement of Jesus’ birth went to some shepherds. The only invitation from God to anyone to come and visit Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus was to a group of shepherds. Shepherds were at the opposite end of the social hierarchy. They were common, ordinary people who lived in the fields with their animals, they weren’t respected, they had no power or prestige, yet these shepherds were given importance by God.
1. You Are Important to God
God knows you. Somebody say, “I’m precious to God.”
No matter how insignificant you may think you are; God knows you, & you are important to Him.
1 Corinthians 1:26-28 26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world.
God chooses the lowly and despised to show His power to the wise. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, rejected by his employer, and put in prison but God chose Joseph to advise Pharaoh.
When God decided to select a mother for His Son, He went past the Romans and the Herods. He went past the rich and the influential to an insignificant village called Nazareth. He found a godly girl. She did not dress in the best clothes, neither did she have a great education, nor did she have gold or silver, but she was pure, and God selected her to be the mother of His only begotten Son.
The birth of Jesus brought good news to the despised and suffering people. Mothers who are struggling to raise their children Christ has good news for you. You who are lonely, Jesus cares for you. If any one of you is feeling useless & empty today Jesus Christ loves you and that is why he was born. You are important to God.
2. Christ Brings Good News for All Those Who Believe
Luke 2:9-10 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”
Listen, when the good news was presented by the angel and as the light shone around the shepherds, they were afraid and terrified. Fear is a natural response of man. This is the same even today. Even as we have Christ in us some of our hearts seem to be filled with fear – fear about your family, your health, your job, your children, your finances, your tomorrow. If Christ is in you, you need not be fearful because Jesus brings good news of great joy.
The shepherds soon started to believe that Christ has been born. The faith was reassured by God by sending them a heavenly host of angels. Luke 2:13-14 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The joy of Christ is only for those who believe. The shepherds started to believe in Christ and soon they were surrounded by the heavenly angels. Their fear was replaced by joy, singing, and jubilee. Innumerable angels stretched from one horizon to the other to witness and sing for the most amazing event in the history of the universe – the birth of Jesus Christ.
History says there was one such previous occasion where all the angels sang. The book of Job says that at creation the morning stars sang together, and all the angles shouted for joy.
Job 38:7 While the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
When God thought of creating you and me the angels sang, there was music in heaven. Then when man sinned and when God sent his son Jesus to redeem you and me to him again the angels sang thinking about the good news that has come to us.
As much as the joy and good news of Christ is for all people, only a few are privileged to enjoy this jubilee. While the people of this world are living in fear Christ is good news and joy for the ones who believe in Him.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
3. How You Respond to Jesus Makes All the Difference in Your Life
Luke 2:15-16 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
What would have been some of our responses if we were in the shepherd’s place?
1. Doubt. We would have doubted this message. Some of us still doubt the gospel. Why only the Bible, why only Jesus, why not this and why not that and they finally would not go.
2. Reject. Some of us would reject it. Oh, Christ is not for me!
3. Give excuses. Oh! It’s night, I’m tired. Maybe I will go to church next Sunday. You know I am going through a tough time, so keep me out of celebrations.
4. Debate. The shepherds could have sat down and analyzed what they should do. They could have debated about the scriptures. Some people think they are very intellectual, and they start debating when the gospel is presented to them.
If we were in the place of the shepherds, we would have talked and talked and talked and not responded to the good news. Sometimes we actually talk out rather than responding in faith. But the shepherds chose to believe, and their belief was put into action by hurrying in the night to see Jesus.
Luke 2:16 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
It is not enough to hear about Jesus. It is not enough to know about Jesus. The birth of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago in Bethlehem will not make any sense to you unless you respond by accepting Jesus as you savior and Lord.
4. What You Do with The Good News is of Even Greater Importance
Luke 2:17-18 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Once they saw Christ, they started spreading the word to everyone about Jesus. The shepherds did not emphasize what it was like to see an angel, or to hear the angelic choir. Nor did they dwell on how frightened they were. Their main interest was in reporting concerning this Child.
Listen the shepherds had a good time listening to the heavenly choir. They had a great fun trip to Bethlehem. Most of all, seeing Jesus was the highpoint of their life. The whole event was fun and excitement like a great vacation but soon they had to get back to work and responsibilities as a shepherd. They had to face the reality of life. But the encounter with Jesus changed their perspective about life. Their lives were changed, and they could not keep themselves from sharing the good news with everyone they came into contact with.
Receiving Christ, it is definitely an exciting and jubilant experience but soon every one of us face the realities of life. What keeps us jubilant throughout our life is the message of the good news that we are to share to others. People outside need Christ, people in your neighborhood need Christ, people working with you need Christ, and our relatives and friends need Christ. We have a greater responsibility to tell world about this savior born and as we share this good news with others it makes our lives jubilant.
See what happened when the shepherds shared Jesus?
Luke 2:18 All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Amazed means greatly surprised, astounded, filled with wonder.
All were amazed at the gospel. Even today the gospel amazes people and attracts them to Jesus. The gospel of Jesus has great power. It is our responsibility to share this wonderful, amazing, good news with others.
CONCLUSION
Being a shepherd in Jesus’ times was lonely, boring, tedious, and often filled with danger. In Jesus’ story the shepherds are shown as jubilant people. What kept the shepherds going and jubilant was hope, hope that came to them when the angels proclaimed the good news of Christ’s birth. Whatever the circumstances you are going through today you can be jubilant, and you can have hope if Christ is in you, and you share Christ with others. Let the shepherd’s jubilee fill every heart in this place and may God give us the grace to proclaim the good news to our world. God Bless.
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