“Are We Eager?”

12/22/19

Luke 2:8-21

Core Belief: Authority of the Bible I believe the Bible is the Word of God and has the right to command my belief and action.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Scripture: Luke 2:8-21

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 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.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The Message of this Passage:

From the Ligonier Ministries: “Undoubtedly, we tend to put a heavy emphasis on the lowly circumstances of Jesus’ birth when we retell the Christmas story each year. Certainly this is appropriate, for the Son of God humbled Himself profoundly when He “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:5–8).

Christ’s entire life was marked by humiliation, as He moved from a manger in Bethlehem to life as a common person in Nazareth to His ignoble death on the cross. Yet this humiliation led finally to glory. God the Father, because Jesus had been faithful to His mission, exalted Jesus and “bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (vv. 9–11).

Our Savior’s glory was veiled by human flesh in His incarnation, and it remained hidden throughout much of His ministry. Yet there were points in our Savior’s life when His glory shone temporarily through the veil. The best example of this is the transfiguration, the moment when Peter, James, and John were granted a vision of the Lord’s glory as it shone through the flesh of the Savior (Matt. 17:1–13).

Furthermore, this glory also shone brightly at times when the people might not have been expecting it. In the midst of the humbling conditions of our Lord’s birth (poverty, being unable to find shelter in Bethlehem), there was a special manifestation of the Messiah’s glory to people nearby.

The account of this manifestation is found in today’s passage.

While Mary and Joseph tended to their son, many shepherds were nearby tending their flocks (Luke 2:8). In those days, shepherds occupied the bottom rung of society’s ladder, and the average citizen of Judea wanted little to do with these keepers of sheep. No one could have predicted that the first people to hear of Jesus outside of His parents would be a motley crew of shepherds. Nevertheless, an angel of the Lord appeared to these men, who got to watch the greatest sound-and-light show of all time (Luke 2:8–9).

Understandably, the shepherds were afraid (v. 9), but in this case the glory of the Lord’s presence, which they could otherwise not endure, was a good thing. This was the announcement of the Savior, the One who had come to redeem even society’s outcasts. So, after the angels sang their praises to the Lord, the shepherds hastily traveled into Bethlehem to see the wonderful gift the Father had given to His people (vv. 15–16).

The shepherds were eager to see the Savior of the world, and we should be eager to see Him as well. This involves not only coming to Him in our conversions but also seeking His face each and every day of our lives.

Though we will not see the fullness of His glory until we see Him face to face in heaven,

we will nonetheless come to a fuller appreciation of this glory as we study His Word and pray to Him.

Let us be diligent in these means of grace.”

Answering Interpretive Questions:

We know these events took place after the birth of Jesus, but how does Luke’s interpretation differ from Matthew’s account? Why do you think they are different?

Why do you think the first proclamation is made to shepherds?

Why is the announcement in v. 11 so significant?

Take time to consider all Mary had been through up to this point. What do you think she “pondered in her heart” according to v.19?

What does this story teach us about those our culture quickly overlooks?

Is there anyone you quickly dismiss, or don’t pay attention to, and how can you change your attitude towards these people in the future?

Compare the reactions of the three groups mentioned in 2:18– 20: the onlookers “amazed,” Mary “treasuring and pondering,” and the shepherds “glorifying and praising God.” How do these reactions compare to our modern day reactions to the gospel?

Read Revelation 1:13-18. What are the differences between these two images of Jesus?

Read Romans 5:1. Even since the birth of Jesus there has not been peace on earth. How would you explain the peace that Jesus brings to an unbeliever?

Notes: