What The Shepherds Saw

What the Shepherds Saw

Luke 2:1-18

That night was unlike any other in all of history. The shepherds had bedded down their sheep for the night and began their vigil guarding their sheep. I came imagine as they watched over their flocks that they gazed into the splendor of the starry sky thinking how this was night was going to be uneventful and business as usual. Little did they know the miracles that they would see that glorious night. I wonder if the shepherds ever fully comprehended just what it was that they saw that night. For on that night...

I. They saw Heaven’s host in celebration of a promise fulfilled

A. Luke 2:10-14 “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

B. This was the fulfillment of a 700-year old prophecy found in Micah 5:2.

• Micah 5:2 " But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."

C. Again we have the celebration of the fulfillment of another prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah.

• Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

D. "No one has ever MADE more promises than God, no one has ever KEPT more promises than God, and no one has ever been more FAITHFUL than God." - Ronnie Floyd, "The Power of Prayer and Fasting," p. 132

E. A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. In fact the Bible tells us in II Corinthians 1:20 “...all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us".

F. The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Koine Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best-known word in human speech. The word is directly related--in fact, almost identical--to the Hebrew word for "believe" (aman), or "faithful." Thus, it came to mean "sure" or truly," an expression of absolute trust and confidence. When one believes God, he indicates his faith by an "amen." When God makes a promise, the believer's response is "amen" - "so it will be!" – copied

II. They saw Royalty wrapped in rags and lying in a manger

A. The angels told the shepherds that when they saw the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes they would be looking at Christ the Lord - that is the Messiah, Christos - the anointed one, the King.

B. He is God's King. He is in the line of David, we've already learned that when Gabriel came to Mary and said you're going to have a baby. She was told that the baby would be the Son of the Most High, that is to say the Son of God, but the Son of David also. He would sit on David's throne and He would establish a Kingdom and then He would reign forever and ever. He is the ultimate King. He is the eternal King. He is the King of kings.

C. No king of royal blood and right ever had such a birth in Israel.

D. The shepherds saw Him wrapped like any other baby. There was nothing to indicate that He was royalty. Instead He was lying lowly in a feeding trough.

E. 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

F. None of us can ever begin to grasp what it means for God to be born in a manger. That God would stoop down to become a baby in a manger. All because He loves you.

G. Philippians 2:5-8, " Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.