_edited.png){kind=small}
Our church, as many do, celebrates Advent over the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent means, “the arrival of a notable thing, person or event.” For Christians that Advent is the anticipation of when Jesus came to the earth.
Each of the messages so far involved an announcement by an angel. Two weeks ago it was Gabriel appearing to Zechariah that his barren wife would bear a son— John the Baptist, the forerunner to Christ. Last week it was Gabriel appearing to Mary that she will also bear a Son, the Son of God.
Last Sunday, the message recalls the event in which shepherds were told by an angel of the Lord, of the great and glorious news about the birth of Jesus! The angel’s name is not mentioned, the Scripture just says an angel of the Lord.
Watch on Youtube:
Interestingly, Luke records that the first people to hear the good news of this birth were shepherds. But there is a pattern here; first, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, a humble priest. Last week to Mary, a young virgin girl from a nowhere town. And now an angel appears to shepherds.
The fact is, Zechariah, Mary as well as the shepherds— were the least likely to receive such a glorious announcement, in that they lived humble existences and would be considered “nobodies” by worldly standards.
Shepherds, especially those with the overnight shift, which were the ones the angel of the Lord appeared to—were among the most socially undesirable of classes. They were considered unclean—but ironically, they represented the outcasts and sinner for whom Jesus came.
The appearing of the angel was meant to delight and bring joy to these lowly shepherds with the glorious truth in the words:
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
We’ll read that once the good news was proclaimed, along with it came a level of not only joy, but expectancy that caused them to do more than merely marvel at what they just heard.
As we’re about to read, this news was accompanied by joyous praises from the heavenly host.
“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”” Luke 2:12-14
And so, these shepherds wanted to go see for themselves. In fact, the angel implied that the shepherds would do that. He didn't say “go find Him,” the expectation was that they would want to find Him…
So that is what they did— they sought Him. The Scripture continues:
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” Luke 2:15-16
I think it’s safe to say before this announcement, no one really knew about this child. As far as people around were concerned, it was just another young couple and another baby born. If anything, maybe even less than ordinary, in that Mary and Joseph didn't even have a proper place for the birth.
There is nothing of any spectacular nature of the way Jesus came to the earth. He came obscurely. He came quietly. He came humbly. He came to a world that greeted Him harshly.
From the “Gift of Christmas” booklet, it says, “When Christ entered the world, He came to a place that had some of the smelliest, filthiest, and most uncomfortable conditions. But that is part of the wonder of divine grace, isn't it? When the Son of God came down from heaven, He came all the way down.”
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
Note, titles given: Savior, Christ, Lord. Savior, that’s His mission. Christ (Messiah in the Hebrew) His royalty. Lord, His authority—His deity.
So a Savior has come into the world. I don’t know about you, but could you think of any news that is more joyful than that?
The Scripture said, “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God.” By the way, “multitude” is a term used to describe an army.
Commentators have suggested that the number may have been too large for the human mind to fathom… Rev 5:11— “the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands”
Heaven could not contain itself!
So what did the shepherds do? They sought the Child…with haste (Luke 2:15-16). This Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The One who would save us from our sin. Why?
Because we cannot save ourselves. If we could, we wouldn’t need Jesus to come to this earth, live a sinless life, and suffer an unimaginable death on the cross. He did that for you and me.
God looks upon Christ’s death as satisfactory payment for our sins, past present and future— that is, to all who believe. Proof of that was God raised Him from the dead on the third day.
That is why we rejoice at Christmas. That is why heaven erupted with the news of the birth. That is why the shepherds sought Him with haste, who heard with great joy of the birth of the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Who had one mission: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
His title is Christ the Lord. That is to be understood that He is both Christ and Lord. The promised Messiah, the anointed One and the Lord.
So as we approach Christmas (at all times, really), but especially now—this is what we must fill our minds and hearts with.
We saw how the shepherds sought Him, upon hearing the news.
So the question is—how are you seeking Jesus? Are you seeking Him with your whole heart and mind? Are you seeking Him with haste, like the shepherds?
Because, the most important thing about celebrating Christmas is to seek Christ.
-Pastor Joe
Watch our Services live on Sundays at 10:30 AM est
Follow us on Instagram @huntington_church
Comments