Give Glory to God

Luke 2:8–20

Background

Luke weaves this story in with his account of John the Baptist’s conception and birth. Both births were announced by an angel, accomplished by God’s

miraculous power, and accompanied by wonders that God performed.

Background

But Jesus stands supreme in this pairing. He is God’s Son (Luke 1:32a), the promised king (1:32b, 33), virgin

born (1:35), the Lord (1:43), and the source of the salvation (2:30).

To him alone the glory of God belongs.

Background

As Jesus was born against the backdrop of Roman imperial power, there was another who claimed glory. Caesar ruled much of the world and had ordered it to

pay him taxes (Luke 2:1).

Background

Some said that the true glory in the world was that of Rome’s political, military, and economic power. Of

such glory Jesus and his family had none.

Shut out from ordinary living quarters for humans, the newborn Jesus lay in a manger, a feeding trough for

animals (2:7).

Luke 2:8–14

8. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

Luke 2:8–14

While there were Old Testament prophecies and promises that specifically detailed how Jesus would be

conceived and where he would be born, nothing is specifically written that would have caused

“shepherds” to have been listening or looking for the angels or Jesus.

Luke 2:8–14

The scene opens with a sight familiar to all who live in the area. Most people in the biblical world make their

living in agriculture, and the herding of sheep and goats is prominent in their economy.

Luke 2:8–14

Many famous people in Israel’s history were shepherds, including the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac,

and Jacob as well as the great King David.

Yet as common as it is to herd sheep, shepherds receive a measure of scorn from some.

Luke 2:8–14

Since they had to watch their sheep on the Sabbath, they violated the Mosaic Law which caused them to be

looked upon by the Pharisees as outcasts and spiritually inferior.

Because shepherds commonly stay out at night with their herds, some religious teachers view them with suspicion since nighttime is associated with thievery

(Jeremiah 49:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:2).

Luke 2:8–14

Application: No matter who you are, what you have or don’t have, the message of Christmas is for you. God

has sent His only begotten Son into the world that you might be saved.

Luke 2:8–14

9. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were

terrified.

Luke 2:8–14

This is now the third appearance of an angel in Luke’s story line: Gabriel had announced John the Baptist to be the prophet of the great king (Luke 1:11) and Jesus

as the king himself (1:26–33). Now an angel is about to make an announcement to a band of humble

shepherds.

Luke 2:8–14

Luke describes an illumination of the nighttime scene. Such light can come only from God, who calls light into existence (Genesis 1:3). God is spirit and doesn’t have

a body, a form, He’s invisible.

But when He reveals Himself, He does so with a type of brilliant, shinning manifestation of light.

Luke 2:8–14

His “glory” that had appeared in the tabernacle in Exodus 40, in the temple in Solomon’s day, and was

seen departing from God’s house in Ezekiel’s day (Ezekiel 8-10), is back!

Luke 2:8–14

The typical reaction to the appearance of an angel is fear (Judges 6:22, 23; Luke 1:11, 12; Acts 10:3, 4). The

word “afraid” is the Greek word phobeo {fob-eh-o} meaning “frightened, alarmed, and to be in awe.” The

shepherds were “terrified.”

Luke 2:8–14

10. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all

the people.

Luke 2:8–14

This heavenly messenger does not come in judgment which was assumed but in mercy. So he tells the

shepherds to not be afraid (Luke 1:13, 30).

Luke 2:8–14

The angel brings good news, like the prophet Isaiah’s promise of good news for the suffering people of God

(Isaiah 40:9; 52:7; 61:1).

The joyous news is not just for the shepherds but also for all who await the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Luke 2:8–14

We often talk about the manifest presence of God in our church services but most of us have never

experienced anything even remotely similar to what the shepherds did on the night of Jesus’ birth.

Yet these shepherds are experiencing God in their midst out in a “field” during the normal activities of

life. The message here is that Christmas can be experienced by all and in any place!

Luke 2:8–14

Pause2Talk

Why do we always assume that it is the poor or oppressed who are suffering? How does the suffering

of the rich or powerful differ if at all?

Luke 2:8–14

11. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:8–14

The angelic designation is a reminder that the birthplace is the home of Israel’s great king, the one to

whom God made a promise of a descendant whose throne would endure forever (1 Chronicles 17:11–14).

That long-awaited promise is now coming to fulfillment.

Luke 2:8–14

“For unto you” is plural and means not only for those shepherds that first Christmas night, but for all of

humanity a Savior is “born this day.”

The angel calls the newborn child a Savior. We are familiar with that term for Jesus in designating him as

the one who saves from sin.

Luke 2:8–14

When the word “Savior” was mentioned the people thought of a Rescuer, a Deliverer (Deuteronomy 20:4; Psalm 24:5; 25:5; Isaiah 63:8-9; Micah 7:18; Luke 1:47,

69; 2:25-30; 1 Timothy 4:10).

But for the shepherds, this term may sound at first like a title that the Romans give to their successful rulers.

But the Scriptures call God the Savior of his people (Isaiah 43:3; Hosea 13:4; etc.). Is this child to be a rival

to Caesar for the title of Savior?

Luke 2:8–14

The angel adds that this Savior is the Messiah, a Hebrew word meaning “anointed one”; therefore this

is the designation of God’s king. The further designation the Lord expresses supreme authority.

Rome insists that Caesar is the only king and lord, but for the people of Israel the true king is none other than God himself (notice the irony in John 19:15).

Luke 2:8–14

Therefore only God can be rightly called LORD in the ultimate sense. This child brings with him the

authority of God himself!

Application: Christ is so different from the other professed deities in the world that he is not hard to

identify. He is the one who said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you

rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Luke 2:8–14

12. “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:8–14

Now comes the great contrast.

The announced Savior/Messiah/Lord will be identified with a sign indicating which newborn child is the right

one. But the sign also indicates the kind of king the child will be.

Luke 2:8–14

The sign is not just that the child is to be found wrapped in cloths (what older translations call

“swaddling clothes”); to be wrapped that way is just normal procedure.

The unique sign, rather, is that this child lies in a manger, a feeding trough for animals.

Luke 2:8–14

No lodging is available for the family (Luke 2:7), so Joseph and Mary have taken shelter with animals,

perhaps in one of the caves near Bethlehem used as a stable.

The promised king, the powerful Lord and Savior, is born in the lowliest of circumstances!

Luke 2:8–14

Pause2Talk

Which character of Christmas other than Jesus holds a special fascination for you and why?

Luke 2:8–14

13. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

Luke 2:8–14

The solitary angel is now joined by a great choir of angels. Or more specifically it is an army of angels

since the term that is translated host typically refers to armies.

Heaven’s army, so much more powerful than any human army, now joins in praise to God for the king

who lies in an animal’s feeding trough.

Luke 2:8–14

14. “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8–14

In sending his Son, God is bringing his supreme blessing to humanity. Earth has been filled with

turmoil, violence, and fear ever since our first parents rebelled against God. Now God promises to restore his

peace to the troubled earth.

Luke 2:8–14

For the shepherds living under Roman occupation, the angelic note of praise strikes another contrast.

They represent the awesome power of heaven gathered for peaceful purposes. Their message on this

night is about “peace” and “good will,” not war.

Luke 2:8–14

Pause2Talk

What peace would like to enjoy in your life right now? What peace would you like to see the world enjoy?

Luke 2:8–14

The peace of God, sing the angels, come to those who submit to the reign of the king whom God is sending.

These people have God’s favor.

The decision to submit to Christ is what will result in peace.

Luke 2:8–14

Application: The good news of Christ’s birth means that things on earth can change.

Lasting and eternal change does not come by politics or religion. It comes through a saving relationship with

Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:15–20

15. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, 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.”.

Luke 2:15–20

The shepherds, now alone in the scene, speak in a way that confirms their immediate submission to the

angelic message: Let’s go expresses urgency—“We must go!”

The shepherds left their flocks in the care of God and began their journey to Bethlehem.

Luke 2:15–20

The shepherds as ordinary people have no power, riches, or prestige to lose in recognizing that God’s

promised king has come into the world (contrast Mark 10:21, 22).

Yet they are ready, eager to see what God has done. They are ready to receive the peace that God is

delivering to his people.

.

Luke 2:15–20

Application: Christmas if properly understood always results in conversation and action.

How could these shepherds receive the message they had received and not talk about it? How could these

shepherds receive the message they had received and not go see what had taken place?.

Luke 2:15–20

16. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Luke 2:15–20

Luke introduced Mary and Joseph earlier as ordinary folk, subject to the whims of those in power. So the

two have come to Bethlehem to pay taxes, perhaps on a piece of farmland that Joseph has inherited (Luke

2:1–5).

With no guest lodging available, this humble, devoted pair now make do with other shelter as their newborn

lies in a trough used to feed farm animals.

Luke 2:15–20

The baby … lying in a manger is the sign of which the angel spoke. God’s promised king, the Messiah, the

Lord, the world’s Savior, is designated by such lowliness.

He will not rule like Caesar or any other earthly ruler. He will rule in lowliness, as the servant of all. And it

begins here—in a feeding trough.

Luke 2:15–20

17. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

Luke 2:15–20

The shepherds did not need to see the new born baby to believe the message of the angels had spoken to

them.

Now, having seen the child about whom the angel spoke, they feel compelled to tell others. The

shepherds are witnesses of what God has just done.

Luke 2:15–20

Throughout his two volumes of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, the author emphasizes that when people see what God has done in Christ, they

share the news with others (examples: Luke 7:16, 17; Acts 8:4).

Luke 2:15–20

Pause2Talk

What is the last good news that you received? How long did you wait before you shared it?

Luke 2:15–20

18. … and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2:15–20

Like others who have heard the stories surrounding the conception and birth of John the Baptist, those

who hear the shepherds’ story display amazement or wonder at this message (compare Luke 1:65, 66).

The word "wondered" is the Greek word “thaumazo.” It means “to marvel, to be amazed.”

Luke 2:15–20

The people are uncertain about its meaning.

Years later, Jesus’ disciples will wonder whether it is really Jesus who appears before them alive after he dies the death of a criminal on a cross (Luke 24:41).

Luke 2:15–20

Note: Wouldn’t it be a blessing if the Lord would give us back the “wonder” this Christmas! How can we

expect sinners to be amazed if Christians are no longer amazed?

Luke 2:15–20

19. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:15–20

The best informed of the witnesses is Jesus’ mother, Mary.

She had received the angel Gabriel’s first message about the pending birth of her child (Luke 1:26–38).

She had heard Elizabeth, her relative, exalt her child as “Lord” (1:43–45). Mary had herself praised God for

what he was promising to do (1:46–55).

But even for Mary, the events are not yet entirely clear.

Luke 2:15–20

Luke will later note that Mary keeps memories in her heart of amazing things associated with Jesus’

childhood (Luke 2:51).

Her puzzlement will be greatest when, as Simeon will prophesy, her heart is pierced with a sword of grief at

Jesus’ death (2:35).

Luke 2:15–20

Pause2Talk

Why should anyone learn to be voluntarily humble which can be seen as weakness?

Do we need to be sure that others know that we are being humble and not weak?

Luke 2:15–20

20. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which

were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:15–20

The word “returned” reminds us that life goes on. We can’t stay at the manger forever. We must take what

we have been given in Christ and “return” to our lives.

Luke 2:15–20

The shepherds’ praise and worship will characterize the lives of Jesus’ followers after his resurrection and

ascension (Acts 2:47). The shepherds show no concern regarding their low status in the eyes of the world.

God has reached out to them in their lowliness through the lowliness of his Son. That changes all of

life, to the glory of God

Conclusion

The contrast in today’s passage is between the power of the world and the lowliness of the Son of the

almighty God. That contrast is the contrast of the ages!

Conclusion

If we know Jesus, we can never think of life in the same way again. Life can never be about becoming

powerful, wealthy, or important.

It can only be about seeking and embracing the lowliness of Jesus Christ, thereby giving our lives in

service for the sake of others who need to follow him as well.

Conclusion

Perhaps we feel like shepherds, alone in the night, ignored by others. . We can and should join the shepherds in joyfully sharing that good news.