Good News of Great Joy (Luke 2:8-20)

Let's pray as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

O God, you have caused the holy night we celebrate Jesus' birth to shine with the brightness of the true light.

Grant that we who have known the mystery of that light on earth may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven, where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God in glory everlasting.

Amen.

I'm so glad to have a little time in this way with you.

Here I am in our humble surroundings of our kitchen preaching for Christmas.

And I realize that may seem like a contrast, but if the very Son of God is born in a stable and laid in a manger, maybe preaching in a kitchen is not so bad after all.

Personally, I want to say as a bishop of the Anglican Network in Canada that it is important to us as a diocese, and certainly to me, that we are about building biblically faithful gospel-sharing Anglican churches across Canada and even in New England.

So as I want to preach the Bible and I want to share the gospel, particularly, especially at a time like this at Christmas.

I feel a lot like Paul described himself in 1 Corinthians 9, where he said, Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

At another level, I also am one who want to encourage our clergy, our pastors across the country and in New England.

And you probably are well aware that Christmas is on a Saturday this year, which for clergy is a big deal because it means there's probably services on Friday night, Christmas Eve, services on Christmas Day, and then the day after Christmas is the first Sunday after Christmas, which is December 26th.

So three days in a row, it's very possible your rector or pastor has to be thinking about preaching.

And so if I can make a contribution and save one sermon, I'd like to do that.

And it's my joy to do so.

And some of you live in situations where it's not possible for you to be in an in-person service at this time.

Perhaps there's not a church nearby which makes that possible, or maybe it's just not a good idea for you.

So we want to have a sermon provided for you, which will, we pray, enhance and enrich your Christmas celebrations for you and for your family.

But what possibly could I say in a sermon like this that hasn't been said thousands and thousands of times down through the years by people far more eloquent than me?

And in fact, I, for now over 40 years in ordained ministry, have preached Christmases down through the years, over and over again, the same passages and loop to particularly is what I'm thinking about today.

Well, the answer is nothing.

There's not a thing that I can say or should say, which is other than what has already been said.

I want to tell the old, old story.

And uh, you know, I think I was thinking about Peter, who described the value of repetition and he was mindful that his days were numbered.

He says, Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established the truth of that you have.

I think it right, Peter says, as long as I am in this body to stir you up by way of reminder.

I think it's right, as long as I am in this body to stir you up, since I know that the putting off of my body will soon be as our Lord Jesus made clear to me.

And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Repetition is a good thing.

So that's what I'm gonna do.

But let me say this also: don't think that just because we're repeating a very familiar thing, that nothing's gonna happen.

We're praying that God would meet us in a fresh way with the old, old story and do a new thing in your life and in mine, uh, in such a way that the joy of Christmas will abound in your life in believing by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now let me read the particular passage, which or a portion of the Bible that I want to preach on now.

The Holy Gospel is written in the second chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke, beginning at the eighth verse.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

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.

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.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you.

You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

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.

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger.

And when they saw it, they made no it made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen as it had been told them.

This is the gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's pray again.

Almighty God, you have given your only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born on that first Christmas day of a pure virgin.

Grant that we who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory now and forever.

Amen.

Okay, let's remember the situation as Luke has made it so wonderfully known.

He starts his gospel in the first four verses by making it known to the Theophilus, the recipient of it, that he's laying out in an orderly fashion the facts, the history of these things around Jesus.

He then goes on and tells the extraordinary story of the birth of John the Baptist, who was born and called to be a forerunner to prepare the way for this coming Jesus.

The angel Gabriel, who met with John the Baptist's father Zechariah, also came to Nazareth and announced to Mary, who was a virgin, that she was to give birth to the very Son of God.

And in fact, the conception and birth of John the Baptist was more proof of the fact that with God nothing is impossible.

And so the days came for Mary to give birth.

In those days, Luke said, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration when Quirenius was governor of Syria, and all went to be registered each to his own town.

And Josim also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

So what Luke is making clear in this uh brief, brief account of what will be a wonderful story to hear in heaven as to what actually happened and how how labor went and all the things that would have attended the Virgin Mary and Joseph there in Bethlehem.

But the facts are that Luke is making it clear that the sovereign Lord delivered on his promise concerning the coming one and the birth of this baby.

The people who walked in darkness, Isaiah had said, have seen a great light, those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

You've multiplied the nation, you've increased its joy, they rejoice before you as a joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

And on the throne of David over his kingdom to establish and to uphold it with justice and righteousness.

From this time forth and foremore, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

And he did it.

Isaiah also said, Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign, behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.

And then Micah, saying of the place where this baby was to be born, but you, O Bethlehem Apaphrata, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth.

Then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the mighty of the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall dwell secure from now.

He shall be great to the ends of the earth, and he shall be their peace.

All of that God, the sovereign one, delivered there in Bethlehem in that stable that night.

So first, the Lord delivered on his promise and delivered the baby.

Second of all, as we follow the account that we're looking at now, he, the Lord, delivered the message of the baby to a dark and totally lost world that only could be saved through that one and through the message of this baby and all that he would accomplish.

Make no mistake that though it was angels who delivered, an angel who delivered it first to the shepherds, and then a choir angel sang, It was the Lord who was telling them.

And the shepherds got it.

I remember in uh as a shepherd having to memorize the lines, let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which the Lord hath which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

The shepherds understood.

This was God telling them.

Well, this is it's just a wonderful thing that the Lord did it, and now he's sharing the message of it.

I remember there used to be jokes which were, I've got good news and bad news.

First, the good news.

Well, the when the angel came and surprisingly and startlingly met with those shepherds who were caring for their sheep in the hills of Bethlehem.

Incidentally, it seems highly likely that these sheep that they were caring for were to be sacrificial sheep, which so makes sense given the fact that Jesus is to is the good shepherd and he lays down his life and becomes the lamb that takes away the sin of the world.

But they were not considered shepherds, shepherds were not held in high esteem.

They were not considered to be keeners in terms of the things of God.

So it was shocking to everyone, but certainly to them, that God should come by an angel to them and bring this message.

But it was not a message, I've got good news and bad news, first the good news.

It's I've got good news and good news, first the good news.

The angel said, Be assured, don't be afraid, because I have good news of great joy.

A Savior who is Christ the Lord is born in Bethlehem.

Glory to God in the highest, the angel said, and peace to his people on earth.

This is be and for all those that God has established reconciliation through this one who was born in Bethlehem.

Good news of great joy, a Savior has been born.

Now, this is not a small thing, because in fact it's clear in the scriptures that absolutely everybody who ever lived other than Jesus is touched and uh has sin in their lives, born in sin.

Uh and uh all we like have sheep have gone astray, for there is no distinction, Paul says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

And the what flows from that sin is sin, death, judgment, and all the mess that we see around us is the outflow of this problem of sin.

But this one who was born in Bethlehem has come to make everything right, to deal with our sin, to destroy death, and to to bring everlasting life, fullness of joy, fullness of relationship with God forever, to make everything right.

Everything that drags us down, he himself only can deal with.

Good news of great joy, a Savior has been born for you.

But the thing is that it's not just that he's done it, but he says, good news of great joy, which shall be for all the people, everybody, everywhere of all time.

For unto you is born.

Lest you think everybody else but you, this is for you, my friend, this good news.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem for you.

He lived his life for you, he died on a cross for you, he was raised on the third day for you.

He ascended to heaven, is now interceding for you, and is one day coming back for you, for you to be with him.

Good news of great joy for all people everywhere, for unto you.

Thirdly, what's wonderful is that when the shepherds heard the message, the message, the God delivered on his promise, then delivered the message of the baby, the shepherds got it.

They took it, they believed it, and then they went uh and and proved the truth of the message by discovering the baby and everything being exactly as it had been told them.

The shepherds heard and responded, and in their response, they proved the truth of the message of the angel, that in fact this was true.

That's what happens when people receive the word of God and they say yes, when they see that Jesus is knocking at the door and they say, Come in, they discover the truth of it, that he who promised has kept his promise, and the truth becomes clear.

And for you and me, through the word of God, though we didn't get to go with the shepherds to on that glorious night, we in a sense go with them and through their eyes see what happened and know it's true.

We're not talking about something which is just a nice story.

We're talking about an event of history where God Himself, the Son of God, broke into history to save it, not to condemn it, that the world might be saved through him.

So, what did these guys do?

Having received, then they began to share it with Mary and Joseph, which had a huge impact on them.

Mary pondered these things in her heart, but they shared it beyond that.

And everyone who heard was amazed and rejoiced.

You and I, who have come to know this Lord Jesus, we have an opportunity and responsibility.

This is a day of good news.

This is not a day to harbor it to ourselves, this is a day to throw it out to a world that is in a mess.

Make no mistake, there's nothing about the Christmas message, which is a downside, unless you want to hold on to your sin, unless you don't think you need a savior, unless you think you're just fine.

And I would suggest to you that is a foolish position to hold because you don't have to look very scratched very hard at the surface of all of our lives to discover that, in fact, we do need a savior.

Running to Jesus by faith is not foolish escapism in a time when there's a mess in the world, but in fact, it's the only wise action, it's sanity at its best, and he is able to do all and only he can make things right.

Hallelujah.

Good news, great joy for all the people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord.

My friend, if you have never entered into such a relationship, what a great Christmas to do that.

Run by faith, just like the shepherds did, and discover that he is exactly who he promised, and receive him into your life, and know that you have an eternal future and he's gonna make everything right.

And if you've known him for days or years or decades, rejoice.

What you have grasped so far is only a little of the truth of this glorious message.

It is so much better than you have I have grasped so far.

Lord, would you, by your Holy Spirit, help us to know more of these things?

O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray.

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell.

Oh, come to us, abide with us.

Our Lord Emmanuel.

Now I am going to be a little bit formal and put on my miter and take my crows here and pray the colic, uh, another colic, and then the Christmas blessing.

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate word.

Grant that this light kindled in our hearts may shine forth in our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be amongst you and remain with you always, this Christmas time and into the new year and forever.

Amen.