Worship The New Born King

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"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God" Luke 2:13

Main Readings: John 1:1-18 & Luke 2:1-21

Supporting Readings: Psalm 96 & Isaiah 9:1-7

This is now the third angelic visitation we’re encountering on our approach to Christmas this year.

We’ve already seen Zechariah and Mary - visited by the angel Gabriel. And now, in this final message before Christmas, it’s the turn of the shepherds.

Not a group deeply connected through the temple – like Zechariah. Not a group deeply connected through parentage – like Mary. An entirely unconnected group.

That’s who we’ve got here.

There are two worlds, as it were, unfolding simultaneously in Luke’s account.

There’s the world of Joseph and Mary in verses 1-7. They’d come to the little town of Bethlehem to register for the Roman census that Caesar Augustus had ordered.

And, as we know, whilst they were in the town, the time for Mary to give birth arrived.

There was no guest room available and so they were having to make do with more humble surroundings. Some place where animals were kept - indicated by the feeding trough which they placed their newborn son in after he was born.

And simultaneously, there’s a group of shepherds living in the fields somewhere - on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

They’re dedicated bunch – ‘keeping watch’ Luke says, ‘over their flocks by night’.

Two worlds, then with no overlap! Even though they are just a stone’s throw away from each other.

But that’s not unusual right? There are all kinds of things going on in our immediate vicinities that we’re not aware of.

And there was no reason that these shepherds should be aware of the birth of a baby boy in Bethlehem that day either.

Or, for that matter that Mary and Joseph should be mindful of shepherds out in the fields that night.

But, God, who sees all things - who knows exactly where everybody is all the time - has eyes on both the situation in the animal shelter and the situation out in the field with the animals.

And what is surprising, perhaps, to us, is that God thinks that these two worlds should overlap.

In fact, He sees fit to make them overlap.

Take Mary and Joseph and ask them what they think of the Bethlehem shepherds, and they’ve probably got not very much to say.

Take the shepherds and ask them what they think of a baby born in the town, and they probably have no interest whatsoever.

But put God in the mix, and suddenly two separate worlds intertwine in life changing ways that signify the way God will cause people’s worlds to collide with that of the baby Jesus on down through the ages!

Well, the story of the shepherds starts with the visitation of an angel. Luke says, ‘an angel of the Lord appeared to them’.

That’s happening a lot at the moment, in the unfolding story of the birth of Jesus. And, since, prior to Zechariah’s angelic visitation, there hadn’t been an angelic appearance since the days of the Old Testament man of God, Daniel - then we must conclude that God is intent on breaking into our world at this point.

God is breaking in on a man in the temple. He’s breaking in on a woman in the home. And now he’s breaking in on workmen out in the field.

That’s an indicator of an amazing reality – namely that God is not only breaking in; he’s breaking into the worlds of all kinds of people.

God is interested in the shepherds like he is interested in the priest; like he’s interested in the maiden. And thank God for that!

Now, we need to observe some subtle differences between the previous visitations which came before the birth of the baby Jesus, and this one which comes after it.

Notice that the angel is not named here.

Where previously we knew his identity – Gabriel – here we do not.

Also notice that joined with the angel’s appearance is a bright light. Luke says, ‘it shone around them’. And he calls it, ‘the glory of the Lord’. That didn’t happen before either.

Both these details are fitting for the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. Why?

Well, the angel has no name because THE Name - above all names has entered into the world. The angel is servant where the babe born in Bethlehem is the great I AM! That’s his name!

His name is the name before which all other names fall – including this angel’s name.

Now that Jesus is on the scene, there’s no need to know the angel’s name. Jesus alone is the focus.

That’s a good Christmas hand-break for us - not to get sidetracked with the angels. The angels serve the attraction; they are not THE attraction – Jesus is!

And, then also, with the coming of God’s Son into the world there is the arrival of God’s glory into the world.

God is always glorious. No one can add to his glory or take from his glory.

But his glory can be more or less seen.

And with the arrival of Jesus, his glory has gone supremely public – out into the world.

That all may see it and believe.

The glory of God in a person broke into our realm. Therefore, these details coincide with the birth of Jesus – and do not come before it!

So, straightaway: ‘you shepherds are to understand that the appearing of this angel indicates God has broken into your world in all his glory.

His glory manifests itself as light – shining around you. And, even though you don’t know it right now shepherds, the reason the light shines is, because the light of the world is born in Bethlehem!’

I think it’s safe to say God has the shepherd’s attention at this point.

‘They were terrified’, Luke says.

But the angel sets their minds at rest. He says, ‘Don’t worry! It’s good news!’ ‘I’m here with news that will create joy in people. So don’t be afraid’.

And then he gives the news: ‘Today in the town of David [that is in Bethlehem] a saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord’.

Luke doesn’t tell us much about the shepherds, but they knew enough to understand his message.

‘Messiah’ was high profile in Israel’s mind. He was prophesied. He was promised by God. He was going to be ruler – ‘a Lord’. He was going to be the ‘saviour’ - of Israel.

Everyone in Isreal had been waiting for this Messiah to appear. Everyone!

But for so long God had been silent. And now this!

Their minds must have been blown! Not only had the Messiah come, but his arrival was being announced - live on air - to likes of them, common shepherds!

Based on the content of the angel’s message, they would have recognised that the Messiah was, at this time, a newborn baby.

That might not have surprised them, the Messiah had to start out as a baby or how else how was he going to appear. So that’s fine.

But, what the angel said next might have shocked them. ‘This will be the sign that you’ve located the right baby: you’ll find him wrapped in cloths and lying in an animal feeding trough’.

‘What? Like the thing we feed our sheep out of?’

‘Exactly, like that’.

‘But can that be right?’ ‘The Messiah born in an animal shelter’.

‘We didn’t expect that!’

But it is right. And it’s confirmed to be right when, directly on the back of the announcement of the birth of Jesus, suddenly a host of angels appear on the scene. Luke calls it ‘a great company’. How many, we don’t know, but a lot!

The news that Jesus is born and wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger is cause, evidently, for the joy of heaven to overflow breaking into the world in even greater number.

Affirming the glory of the Lord already shining around.

Not appearing with a message. Not drawing attention to themselves. But ‘praising God’, Luke says.

Saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven’.

God’s glory broke into the world, and they are here to reflect it back to him in praise and adoration.

In other words, the host of angels are the overflow of heaven into this world for the purposes of this one thing: Worship!

Nothing like this happened before on earth. In visions, yes. In descriptions, yes. But never an appearance of the heavenly host on earth like this, worshipping God. And it coincides with the birth of Jesus!

That’s huge!

And also saying, ‘on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests’. That’s God’s peace they’re talking about. The Messiah is for the peace of God extended to the people of his favour.

Why does he say that?

Because it too is glorious!

God is glorified in Jesus when the people he made are brought into peace with him. And that’s what Jesus came to make happen!

When people receive that peace and enjoy it, then God is glorified in the way he was meant to be glorified by the people he made to glorify himself.

That’s the significance of the word from the angel.

When he says that the good news about the birth of Jesus will cause great joy for all the people - what he’s really saying is: it will cause great glory to flow to God.

You see, God’s glory and our joy are not mutually exclusive things.

God receives the glory due to his name by his creatures enjoying him!

No joy in God – no glory to his name.

And, maybe, it leaves you asking: how is that good news?

It’s ‘good news’ because there is no higher good that God can give a person than himself!

He’s God! Everything else is made – it’s second hand. But not him! He’s the creator. The source of everything – inside and outside of the universe!

He is our greatest good and therefore he is our greatest joy.

And when our disordered pleasures – in ten thousand lesser things – are at large, he’s robbed of his glory.

And we’re robbed too! We’re robbed of our greatest joy.

It's ‘good news of great joy’ because the Messiah; the Saviour; the Lord - he alone can re-order our pleasures so that God is the object of them – like he was meant to be in the first place.

Through Jesus, people are able to find pleasures in the one place that actually counts – at his right hand. And in the one place that really lasts– in his presence, forevermore.

And when that happens – glory goes to God.

Just like it should.

Well, you might have noticed that we’ve seamlessly drifted from a very Israel-centric Messiah, to a very gospel-for-all-kinds-of-people Messiah.

And that’s good, because that’s where the New Testament goes with the Messiah, Jesus too.

The good news – the word for that is ‘gospel’ – the good news is for the joy of all people who find favour with God.

And the angel is specifically saying, that comes through the babe lying in the manger. And he specifically says that to the ordinary working shepherd people of the day.

God, then, has broken into the shepherd’s world and caused the world of Jesus to overlap with their world!

This saviour has been born to you shepherds!

And by extension to you and me!

All the people of the world are like the shepherds. And the good news is for all the people – a Saviour has been born to you.

What will you do with that information?

Like Mary last time, the shepherds themselves set the tone for us.

As suddenly as the angels were upon them, they’re gone again.

And the shepherds are left alone to decide what to do. The angel’s word was: ‘you will find’.

He meant – ‘go find him’.

‘That’s what you should do shepherds – you should go look him out and see him for yourself’.

What do you think could have gone through their minds after what they had just witnessed?

Well, we’re not told. But I could well imagine something like this could happen in their souls – see if you resonate with this.

You’ve literally just been in the presence of a heavenly being, accompanied by outstanding light – called ‘THE glory of the Lord’.

You’ve had a personal message delivered to you and then a whole host of heavenly beings appeared right where you were as well.

And the sound of it was so beautiful – praising God and giving him glory. And the sight of it all was so wonderous that you were just rooted – mesmerised by the scene.

Your heart is pounding. If you can stand on your feet, you’re doing well. Nothing even remotely like this has ever happened to you before.

In today’s language you’d say you were absolutely buzzing.

But now the experience is over. The adrenaline is subsiding. And you’ve got this one thing you’ve got to do.

You’ve got to either leave the sheep in the fields or drive them into town. So that you can search for a baby that’s been born.

It’s not a baby bathed in light like the nativity scenes you see every Christmas. It’s a baby in a food trough. Nothing special. Nothing dazzling like angels. No glorious singing. No spectacle to speak of.

Just a baby in a trough.

So, what do you do?

I’ll spell out some normal inclinations.

Coming down from the heights of ecstasy, you say to one another, ‘nothing can match that’. And you wile away the night talking about the magic of the angelic display.

Or, coming down from the heights of ecstasy, you say to one another, ‘the angels were awesome, but the baby sounds pretty ordinary’.

Or, coming down from the heights of ecstasy, you say to one another, ‘we didn’t have to go anywhere to see the angels, but the baby – we’ve got sheep to tend to; who knows if we’ll find him anyway; it’s dark - maybe it’ll feel more worthwhile in the morning’.

It's easy to imagine scenarios because we’re human beings too.

One of the biggest obstacles to encountering Jesus in deep and meaningful worship is the impulse for ecstasy.

It’s why churches, if they’re not careful, tend towards entertainment. We want the buzz, but it so often comes at the expense of deeper and more lasting joy.

One of the biggest obstacles to encountering Jesus in worship is that superficial glance at him that makes him look ordinary. Where, if we were only willing to go deep with him on a consistent basis – we would find him to be the exact opposite of ordinary.

One of the biggest obstacles to encountering Jesus in worship is that finding him out – doing the deep dive with him; exploring his infinite facets – is so often inconvenient to us.

We’re happy to turn a thousand other things around in our hands for hours on end, but don’t ask me to do that with Jesus!

Now that the angels are gone, to actually do what the angel has told them to do is potentially a big challenge.

I think it would have been a big challenge to a lot of us anyway.

If you think it would have been for you – for what it’s worth, I think it would have been for me.

Let that be a sobering thought then, to us.

Ask yourself, ‘would I have gone and searched out the baby Jesus?’

Is it possible that we’re failing to attend to Jesus worshipfully because of one or two of these obstacles that might have faced the shepherds – and maybe without really realising it face us too?

Let’s see how the shepherds really responded, because Luke records that for us.

Verse 15, ‘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”’.

What a response this is!

There is one single word in that sentence, recorded by Luke, that tells us everything we need to know about the mindset of these shepherds following their, frankly, awesome encounter with the angels.

It’s the word ‘Lord’.

Does that not strike you as amazing that they use that word?

It did me when I saw it.

And I’ve never seen it before!

This is why you have to deep dive.

The most natural thing for them to say would have been, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the angel has told us about’.

But they say, ‘which the Lord has told us about’.

There’s a whole world of difference in that one word!

They’re saying, ‘God has spoken to us!’

‘The angel said the words, but it’s God’s message to us. And if God has spoken his message to us there’s only one thing to do – we’ve got to go find that baby’.

It’s the difference between being side tracked by created things (like awesome angels!) and being constrained the creator God!

And here’s the thing, we’ve got God’s word to us too.

Every time we pick it up and it tells us how to behold Jesus, we’ve got to be like the shepherds and say to ourselves, ‘let’s go and see this thing the Lord has told us’.

I love that example in them!

Constrained by God’s word to them, there is no doubt in their minds. They will go!

No angel spectacle can side track them. No ordinary description of Jesus can deter them. No middle of the night inconvenience can prevent them.

They will go and see this thing.

Verse 16 is simple: ‘So they hurried off’.

They were raring to go and see the baby in the animal food trough.

And they found what they were looking for – they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger.

Christmas then is for worship. It’s for beholding Christ. And in him, beholding the glory of God.

It’s for the worship and praise and adoration of the Most High God.

So, we don’t want to miss the fact that when the shepherds had searched out the child, they didn’t keep the fact of his birth to themselves.

Perhaps the shepherds were well known in Bethlehem and had lots of associates and friends and contacts. Whether that’s the case or not, doesn’t really matter. They found people to tell one way of another!

What does matter is that the baby Messiah was so wonderful in their estimation that, instead of leaving town quickly to return to the fields, they stayed.

And they spread the word that they had received from God about who this child was.

Again, there are all kinds of reasons we can imagine, not to do that.

But they were so overjoyed in their hearts by what they had heard, and now seen for themselves, that now theirs is the overflow.

Before the overflow came from heaven and resulted in praise and testimony about the glory of God.

Now the overflow is in human hearts and results in testimony about the glory of God in his Messiah, Jesus.

And so, it tells us something about the heart that has been touched by God.

That when our joy in God is kindled like theirs was, the joy is incomplete until it’s shared.

Think of the urge you have when you encounter something that captures your heart and your mind.

Think how your itch at that moment is to find someone to tell.

You want to share the joy you’ve experienced because sharing it, somehow serves to complete it. To make it even fuller.

The joy the shepherds had was too great and too good not to share.

They simply had to let their friends and family know that Messiah had been born in Bethlehem.

That a sign had been given them. And it had worked out exactly as the angel had said.

They wouldn’t be satisfied until they had done that. And so that’s what they did.

The effect is radical isn’t it? And undoubtedly this is what God intended.

Those they told were amazed at what the shepherds said.

At the birth of Jesus, then, the pattern for going and telling the good news about Jesus is kick-started by these ordinary shepherds. Which is surely a pointer for us.

Can I urge us all, me included, to get a fresh view of Jesus this Christmas. One that is true and one that really grips our hearts and minds.

What if, we let nothing stand in our way, but dive deep with Jesus, until joy in Jesus in so re-kindled in our hearts that we just won’t feel like it’s complete until we’ve shared with someone else.

That would be a fitting Christmas response, right out of the shepherd’s playbook.

That’s one kind of God glorifying response, but it’s fitting also, that we should close out this morning with another kind of God glorifying response seen in the shepherds.

One that very much, echoes that of the host of angels when they appeared with the shepherds earlier.

Luke records for us in verse 20 that the shepherds returned to their fields, ‘glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told’.

That Christmas is for worship is confirmed by the host of angels; is expressed by the shepherd’s obedience; is testified to by their gospel witness; and now is completed by their direct praise to God for the birth of his Messiah.

That’s what I want to be like this Christmas!

I want to behold Jesus and be knocked sideways by him all over again. And in so doing, find myself praising God and worshipping for all that I have heard and seen, which is just as he said it would be.

I want that for you too.

May we all be drawn heavenwards in adoration of God’s Christ – the babe born in the manger - all that he means for the world. And all that God has planned and executed for our sakes.

Let the peace of God lead to the praise of God this Christmas time.

And if it does, we will be in the good company of the faithful shepherds of old and the mighty angel host that appeared to them in the fields outside Bethlehem, that first Christmas night!