THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGELS

LUKE 2:8-14


      The angels introduced a message of salvation to shepherds under the stars. The moment of God’s good news had arrived. The army of angels had eagerly awaited the time to announce salvation.


Ps. 103:21. Bless ye the LORD, all [ye] his hosts; [ye] ministers of his, that do his pleasure.


Holy, Holy is what the angels sing,

And I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring.

And when I sing redemption’s story,

They will fold their wings,

For angels never felt the joy that our salvation brings.


  I. Gospel for people (2:10)


Lk. 2:10 [LB]. I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone!


      A. Great joy, not great fear


      Fear shook the shepherds when the shekinah glory of God (Acts 26:13) appeared. Then, the angel of the Lord came and stood by the shepherds with a message of grace and not judgment (Jn. 3:17). Great fear turned to great joy.


Lk. 24:52 [ESV]. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,


      J. Vernon McGee wrote, “When the seventeen young missionaries arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1820, the first missionary who volunteered, Hiram Bingham, was the first one to preach a sermon in Honolulu, and his text was Luke 2:10: ‘Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” McGee continued, “Joy is absent from the American scene–It is a very strange thing that great joy is absent from Christmas this year in this land of ours. You hear only children giving forth squeals of joy, and gales of laughter come only from young lips today. Our comedy shows cease to be funny, and we are looking for new comedians. The television comedian has had to resort to dirty stories in order to get laughs–and that, we’ve discovered, is usually canned laughter. We can rewrite now our Christmas poem: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the land, not a laugh was heard except in a tin can.’ Even the laughter, we are told, was canned in the past. The smog of sadness has settled down over the church; there is a fear of the future. Today men are not satisfied with things as they once were.” Endnote


      B. Good news, not bad news


      Wycliff translated the phrase good tidings of great joy, “I evangelize to you a great joy.” Endnote


      In the book Angels, Billy Graham wrote, “What did the angel say? First, he brought good tidings, not bad ones. The shepherd already knew the bad news–the human race had sinned and was lost. But the angel had come to tell them that God was doing something about their lostness.” Endnote


      D. L. Moody said, “Now I guarantee that nine-tenths of the people of Chicago think the Gospel bad tidings; they do not want it; that is the trouble with most people. They are afraid of good tidings, and that just shows the depravity of men’s hearts. I never knew a person in my life who did not like to hear good news, and what better news can a man receive than that he has a Savior?” Endnote


      C. All people, not some people


      The angel announced joy and good news for all people. David Smith quoted Rabbi Gorion who said, “‘Let no man make his son a muleteer, a camel-driver, a barber, a sailor, a shepherd, an inn-keeper; forasmuch as their craft is a craft of robbers.’ Yet it was to a company of shepherds that the first announcement of the Lord’s birth was made.” Endnote


“What can I give Him, Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring Him a lamb; If I were a wise man I would do my part; Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart!”


      Jesse Hendley told the following story: “This great doctor told me this. He said there was a woman in a nursing home who had suffered a stroke. She was expressionless, her head dropped, and she was oblivious to her surroundings. People would speak to her and she would not respond.” “She gave very little recognition of anybody or anything that was going on around about her. One day they were singing Gospel songs. They wheeled her into the room where they were singing the great song ‘Tell Me the Story of Jesus.’ She brightened up, her eyes lit up, and she began to sing ‘Tell how the angels, in chorus,/Sang as they welcomed His birth,/Glory to God in the highest!/Peace and good tidings on earth.’ Everybody was amazed and stopped their singing as she went on into the sweet, sweet chorus, ‘Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard.’ My friend, this little woman who had absolutely given up on everything in this present world, when they sang about Jesus, her whole demeanor changed and she began to sing about the Christ she had welcomed into her heart.” Endnote


 II. Godhead in person (2:11)


      A. Savior (σωτηρ)


1 Jn. 4:14 [ESV]. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.


      B. Christ (χριστος, anointed)


Acts 10:38 [ESV]. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.


      C. Lord (κυριος)


Mt. 22:44 [ESV]. 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'?


III. Glorify with praise (2:14a)


      A. Extol


Jn. 12:28 [ESV]. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."


      B. Exalt


Phil. 2:10-11 [ESV]. So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


 IV. Grace before peace (2:14b)


[NIV]. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.


      A. Grace


Eph. 1:5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,


      G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “Salvation must come out of the heavens to the earth; it cannot arise out of the earth and climb to the heavens.” Endnote


      B. Peace


Ps. 37:37. Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.


And in despair I bowed my head:

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

“For hate is strong, and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.” (Longfellow)


      Peace with one another grows from a heart rightly related to God. John Henry Jowett said, “Peace is declared to be not a root but a fruit, the fruit of personal rightness with God.” Jowett concluded, “Man surrenders his life to the glory of God. That is the first phase of the angels’ song, ‘Glory to God in the highest!’ The individual man right with the highest! Then will come peace on earth and goodwill among men.” Endnote


          1. Peace with God


Acts 10:36. The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)


Rom. 5:1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:


Col. 1:20. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.


          2. Peace of God


Jn. 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.


Phil. 4:7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.