Luke 2 verse 8 – 20
Oblivious to all that is going on in Bethlehem, on the mountain side the shepherds were going about their normal business minding the sheep. It is possible to be in this world, in this town, in this meeting and yet oblivious to all that happened not only at Bethlehem but also to what happened outside Jerusalem on a hill where the Lord died on Calvary’s hill.
The angels made a great proclamation. The shepherds were oblivious to what did happen. The God of heaven sends the angels to the very hill where the shepherds were guarding their sheep. God sends his Holy Spirit to convince men and women of their sin. God comes to where we are at. If he was to wait until we came to him we would never come. “There is none righteous no not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3 verses 10 and 11) God has to come to awaken our hearts. God came to a woman in Philippi by the riverside as she sat listening to the apostle Paul. Paul began to preach and proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. There was one woman, Lydia, as she listened to the message preached on that particular day for whom God opened her heart. God sent his angels to where these men were. None of us would be capable to reach God in our own right. When God sent his angels to the shepherds he was sending them to the least of all. They were considered outcasts. The religious leaders wouldn’t give them a second thought. They were immediately unfit, unclean to enter into God’s house at any time. Yet God chose them to tell them of the baby born to be Saviour of the world. God sent them to where they were at exactly. On one occasion when Jesus took up the offer to sit with publicans and sinners his disciples were set upon by the religious leaders. They didn’t think much of him because he sat with publicans and sinners. Jesus answered them by saying “they that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick …. For I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9 verses 12 and 13) Saul of Tarsus was an enemy of the church of Jesus Christ yet thought he was doing God a favour locking people up and putting them to death, signing their death warrant. As he set out on the road to Damascus on that particular day the light of the glorious gospel shone on his heart and God met him where he was. God stopped him in his tracks that day.
The peace that is offered. The angels came and the shepherds were afraid. They were used out under the canopy of the night sky, used to warring off beasts and animals yet something made them afraid. The angels told them “fear not”. A message of peace coming to their troubled souls. Sometimes God troubles us. We can have a sort of false peace about us but then God comes and reveals out great need. The shepherds were told by the angels “fear not”. We live in a world where there is little peace. We read of trouble and strife on our television screens and in our newspapers. The message of Christmas is this – it can afford a peace to our hearts. A peace that we can never understand. Jesus said one day “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The disciples were concerned about tomorrow, whenever the Lord spoke to them he told them to look at the lilies in the field “for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Matthew 6 verse 32) We can cast our burden aside when we trust God – why – because he cares for us and supplies our every need. A young man came to Jesus one day and said “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was concerned about eternity. What is the next step? When the Lord was about to leave this scene of time he knew his disciples would be worried and concerned but he told them “let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me.” You can put your full weight on him. “In my Father’s house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you.”
The priority that is spoken of here – “this day”. The shepherds were unaware of what had already taken place but they have to act and act urgently. Paul said “now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation.” Jesus talked of a man who prepared a great supper and told his servants to go out with invitations “come for all things are now ready and they all began to make excuses.” Noah was given the order to build the ark. Throughout the time he built it he told the people to be ready. People were going on about their own business. The ark was placed to one side. No priority was given to it until the rain came. In the city of Sodom Lot would not leave until God reigned in judgment. There is a priory in your salvation.
There was a promise to be claimed. “For unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.” Have you heard that Jesus loves you and gave his life for you on the cross of Calvary? Will you trust him as Saviour and Lord?
The peace that is offered. The angels came and the shepherds were afraid. They were used out under the canopy of the night sky, used to warring off beasts and animals yet something made them afraid. The angels told them “fear not”. A message of peace coming to their troubled souls. Sometimes God troubles us. We can have a sort of false peace about us but then God comes and reveals out great need. The shepherds were told by the angels “fear not”. We live in a world where there is little peace. We read of trouble and strife on our television screens and in our newspapers. The message of Christmas is this – it can afford a peace to our hearts. A peace that we can never understand. Jesus said one day “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” The disciples were concerned about tomorrow, whenever the Lord spoke to them he told them to look at the lilies in the field “for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Matthew 6 verse 32) We can cast our burden aside when we trust God – why – because he cares for us and supplies our every need. A young man came to Jesus one day and said “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He was concerned about eternity. What is the next step? When the Lord was about to leave this scene of time he knew his disciples would be worried and concerned but he told them “let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me.” You can put your full weight on him. “In my Father’s house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you.”
The priority that is spoken of here – “this day”. The shepherds were unaware of what had already taken place but they have to act and act urgently. Paul said “now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation.” Jesus talked of a man who prepared a great supper and told his servants to go out with invitations “come for all things are now ready and they all began to make excuses.” Noah was given the order to build the ark. Throughout the time he built it he told the people to be ready. People were going on about their own business. The ark was placed to one side. No priority was given to it until the rain came. In the city of Sodom Lot would not leave until God reigned in judgment. There is a priory in your salvation.
There was a promise to be claimed. “For unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.” Have you heard that Jesus loves you and gave his life for you on the cross of Calvary? Will you trust him as Saviour and Lord?
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