December 21, 2025: Heaven’s Peace for Earthly Fear - Luke 2:8-20

Can you feel it? Can you feel the anticipation?

As we are building up to Christmas Day, we're inching

along closer and closer to that glorious mourn.

We've been rehearsing and reenacting the scriptural themes

and scenes from Christ's story from his birth here at UCC.

As we go around the Christmas wreath, we started with hope as

we've thought about the prophecies of Isaiah.

Then we moved into faith the promises given to Bethlehem and

Micah. Last week we spent some time and

joy as we looked at the vignettes of Mary's life.

And now we move to peace. We lit this morning the Peace

candle, also known as the Angels candle, but bigger than this the

the tradition here for UCC to practice this Christmas wreath.

This Advent wreath is so important for the life of our

church body as it creates an opportunity for us to reorient

our minds and our hearts around this special birth.

So now we turn our attention to the theme of peace.

The theme of peace as we continue in our congregational

climb to Christmas morning. For most of us, peace is the

exception. It is not the norm.

As we think about the conflict around our globe, as we were met

with conflict in our own lives, the inner turmoil, the thoughts

that race. Where's peace when the world is

in conflict? Where's peace when my mind is in

conflict, my heart is in conflict?

Where's peace when there's conflict in my home?

Where's peace when I'm brought face to face with my own

inadequacies? Peace is a deep human need.

We need peace in our lives, but where will we find it?

For centuries, humans have tried to find this peace, or perhaps

bring heaven down to earth. In this attempt.

After all, there is an inextricable, excuse me,

connection between peace and heaven.

These things so easily go together.

We think of this heavenly place as a place of no more tears, no

more crying, no more pain. When I think about instances in

human history of us trying to find peace, bring heaven down to

earth, my mind goes to the Tower of Babel, whose builders sought

to reach heaven with their own structure and make a name for

themselves. You could also think perhaps of

Neville Chamberlain's attempt to achieve peace in our time just

before World War 2. Even pop culture has grabbed

onto this theme of has tried to search and find for peace on

earth. You can think of Belinda

Carlisle's Heaven is a Place on Earth, or perhaps U2's Where the

Streets Have no Name, imagined by John Lennon.

It's all around us. The list goes on.

Trying to bring heaven to earth. How will we find peace?

You can probably think of your own examples.

We long to see things at rest, for things to be calm and

bright. As the Christmas carols say,

peace is a deep human need that no earthly song, no earthly

program, political leader, city can satisfy.

Where will we find peace? For our hearts, for our homes,

for the world? Our passage today points us to

the embodiment of heavenly peace, the one and only who can

satisfy our needs for peace against our burdening fears, our

crippling fears, peace in the flesh.

So to move toward our passage and provide A to provide a

little bit of context as we dip in, Paul refers to Luke, the

author of our gospel in Colossians 414, as the beloved

physician. And this tracks well with his

writing style as he meticulously reports on the events of

Christ's ministry, often citing his sources in the process.

And this would explain why we get details about Caesar

Augustus and Carinius as we open up chapter 2 in a section that

we we didn't read. And it would also explain why we

would get a verse like verse 19. Very precious verse.

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

heart. Luke wouldn't be able to record

something like that if Luke didn't have some sort of deeper

connection to Mary, perhaps an interview or a very close

conversation. So knowing this about our

author, Luke can give us confidence about the Gospel's

events, just as Luke intended when he writes in chapter 1.

To Theophilus, the recipient of this message, he writes.

It seemed good to me also, having followed all things

closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for

you, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have

been taught. So Luke did his homework.

Luke was very keen on the details when reporting about the

news of peace, which ushers us into the first point for this

morning, news of peace. What were the details

surrounding this celestial encounter for the shepherds and

what was the nature or the characteristics of this news?

If you're following along in your Bibles, we are beginning in

Luke chapter 2, verse 8. It's Luke 2, verse 8 and in the

Luke 2:8 Luke 2:8

same region, and that is the the region where Christ was born.

Following the coat tales of verse 7, in the same region,

there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their

flock by night. So as we get into this, verse 8

introduces us to these regional shepherds.

They were blue collar folk, humble, lowly, humble and rank

with a very rich social and societal heritage, with many of

the patriarchs, the Jewish patriarchs, themselves, being

keepers of the flock. Calvin describes these shepherds

as having no accounts among men. These are men well acquainted

with dirt under their fingernails, with hills,

pastures, planes, and certainly the ordinary.

They're very familiar with the mundane.

Then in verse 9, the shepherds are introduced to an Angel of

the Lord. Already we are seeing in this

passage a foretaste of heaven's collision with earth.

These two representatives symbolically meet in the fields,

these shepherds of low status, dirt and dust, meeting with

angels of glory, messengers, heralds of good news.

All this symbolism is pointing us to a very soon and real

meeting of heaven and earth. But that's to come.

We're we're not quite there yet, almost there.

We can't say much about this Angel of the Lord.

Some scholars think this perhaps was Gabriel for his swiftness

and previous mentions in the nativity scenes leading up to

this point, but we cannot say that for certain.

What we can say for certain is that this is the Lord's

messenger, a herald from God himself.

And we can also say that this Angel was bearing the glory of

the Lord, a very important phrase for us to consider, verse

9, to go back to. And an Angel of the Lord

appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

the glory of the Lord. This is and refers to a visible,

manifest manifestation of God's presence, often associated with

God's lights and radiance, His purity, His Holiness.

This is a weighty and awesome phrase.

It communicates an encounter with God's presence, with his

perfection, his power. So suddenly the shepherd's fear

kind of makes sense, right? You think about the shepherd's

being struck in all of the glory of the Lord.

The fear is palpable. They were struck by the glory of

the Lord, and the verse says they were filled with great

fear, great trembling. Some of you might recall the old

King James Version. They were sore afraid.

This is a great terror down to the bones, seismic, trembling,

intense, and of course a very appropriate response to being

within arm's reach of the glory of the Lord, the glory and the

greatness of God. Thankfully things don't end

here. The great fear of the shepherds

is met with good news of great joy for all the people.

Verse 10. This news is not the fear

inducing kind that we are all too familiar with.

Click on the news. Read an article.

Fear inducing. It's hard, but this news is

different. It is good news, inherently

good. There is not an ounce of deceit

or malice in this news, so different from our experience.

There's no misery in this news. It is robustly and profoundly

good. It is pure, unspoiled, untainted

by sin. Even more, this news is news

that brings great joy. The Angel uses the same word to

describe the joy this news brings, as Luke uses to describe

the shepherd's fear. So this mega fear, this mega

trembling that the shepherd's are experiencing is met by mega

joy. This also is news for all the

people in the sequence of Luke up to this point.

This is the third Annunciation scene that we have, first to

Zechariah, second to Mary, and now these shepherds.

And it follows the same pattern. Angelic appearance, then

responsive fear, and then announcement that brings joy.

But this is different than a family affair.

This is now to the people. It's to the lowly shepherds.

And so this is news for all people.

The news here is not mere advice to the shepherds or Invitational

admiration. The angels weren't saying.

We highly encourage you to go see this thing that has happened

in Bethlehem or they weren't saying.

We really think you should just go give this a peek and maybe

reflect on it for a few minutes. It's worth it's worth some

meditation. No, this is this is news.

The angels have something to declare to these shepherds,

something that has happened. And as a result, everything will

be different from here on out. Here lies an opportunity for the

Shepherds to respond. It's similar to other news.

You might receive good news, the treatment has gone well, the

surgery was a success, or good news the team has returned

safely from their trip. There is an opportunity here for

the Shepherds to respond and an opportunity for us to respond

because this news is not advice. It is different.

It demands a response. Now, you may be thinking to

yourself, Hudson, for goodness sake, what is the actual news?

You've told us about the people involved, the lowly shepherds

and the angels. You've told us about this great

fear from the angels and this great news, great joy for all

people. But what is the news itself?

Well, I'm so glad you asked. This drives us to our second

point for this morning. This very question points us to

the person of peace, the person of peace.

This breaking news is about a birth.

It's about a person. Can you imagine for just a

moment the shepherd's anticipation at this point in

the dialogue with these angels? Oh boy, I wonder what's going to

come out of his mouth next. Said it was good news.

Said it was great joy. Said it was for all of God's

people. It's got to mean Rome is kicking

the can, right? They're out of here, they're

done, they're leaving Jerusalem. Well, here's what precious verse

11 says. For unto you is born this day in

the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

This, friends, is the good news of Christmas.

Unto you is born Christ the Lord, a Savior.

So much is packed into these these 4 words.

Savior Christ, the Lord, a Savior because we need saving

from our sins, from death's tyranny, even from political

corruption, a defender, a Liberator from our inner

tendency to cause anti peace chaos.

So a savior, but also the Christ, the long-awaited for

Messiah who would fulfill the Old Testament prophecies,

deliver God's people and establish his eternal Kingdom.

Savior the Christ and the Lord God Almighty, the one who was

before, the one who's after the the Alpha and the Omega, the

Great I am the uncreated 1 Savior Christ the Lord, this is

the child that is born unto the shepherds and good news, this is

the child born unto you, the one who is all at once.

Savior Christ, the Lord Jesus. Truly this, this is heaven on

earth. This is the Incarnate meeting of

the two, Peace and flesh in the form of a baby.

Peace as a person, as prophesied in Micah 5.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the

Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God, and they

shall dwell secure for now. He shall be great to the ends of

the earth, and He shall be their peace.

Peace is a person, heaven and earth at the same time.

In a person. It's far more than a warm fuzzy

feeling you get on a Sabbath Sunday or a blank schedule.

This is peace in a person Incarnate.

Then the passage reaches its crescendo, the climax, the

boiling point, with this beautiful and sudden angelic

song. It is explosive and the

necessary response to the birth of this Savior, Christ the Lord.

Verses 13 and 14. 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 whom he is pleased. This sudden song, this eruption

of praise, might not be all that dissimilar from a kid on

Christmas morning. And hopefully that's an easy

mental image for your, your mind's eyes.

You think about the kids getting out of bed, running down the

stairs, seeing the presents underneath the tree, tearing

through the gift wrappings, the boxes.

This is exuberant joy, an explosion.

The big eyes, the bigger smiles, all but ready to burst out of

their skins you can feel in their bones.

I remember for myself and my brothers one particular

Christmas gift. I still think it's perhaps maybe

one of the greatest Christmas gifts of all time.

Of course, other than Jesus, ping pong table, ping pong

table. It's the gift that keeps giving.

It's so much fun. Perhaps a few broken paddles in

the way and some Hardy competition between my brothers

and I. But I just remember waking up

that morning and and hearing my parents say there's, you know,

there's something downstairs. Go, go check it out.

And my brothers and I racing down and seeing this beautiful

blue ping pong table. It's great.

This is the kind of excitement the text expresses, and I'm

compelled to ask us, when was the last time we reflected this

kind of excitement about Jesus, About our coming King?

Sudden eruption of joy and praise?

Can you erupt into melody with the angels glorifying God in the

highest and rejoicing? For at long last our Savior has

appeared peace on earth. The host of heaven in the midst

of their rejoicing, proclaim 2 fundamental truths for us as a

result of the birth of this Savior baby.

It means one God gets the glory. 2 Earth gets the peace.

God gets the glory. Earth gets the peace.

Did you hear it? Glory to God in the highest and

on earth. Peace among those with whom he

is pleased. We cannot miss the first part,

God's glory. The birth of this baby means

glory to the one and only who deserves it, the one who's

giving the peace. God is who is acting.

It is he who voluntarily enters into our suffering and into our

sorrow. And Even so, God is glorified

through the peace that he's that he gives.

Jewish tradition has a wonderful word for this kind of peace.

It means more than just the absence of conflict, but

something to actually fill the void, something to replace it.

You may have heard of this word before.

It's Shalom. Shalom connotes completeness and

wholeness. It's the state of full

restoration, full reconciliation.

Its scope is comprehensive, including our inner lives, but

also external relationships, including the nation's, the

world. Thus, for the birth of Christ to

mean peace on earth, as the Angel Sing says, so much more

than just mere rivalry, strife, struggle.

It actually means something better, means that Christ has

brought, is bringing, and will one day bring complete

restoration, complete wholeness to all that is broken.

Most importantly, this goes for our relationship with God.

We are reconciled to the Father through Christ the Son.

There is peace between God and man.

Shalom, but it also goes for the establishment of Christ's

eternal Kingdom for the nations. So there's peace between God and

man, Shalom, but there's also peace for the teetering and

tottering warings of the nations.

There will be peace on earth and light of His rule and His reign.

Revelation 21. Five.

Behold, I make all things new, all things new.

Not some things new, not even new things, all things new.

So to quickly review, why all the commotion from the angels?

Why the sudden Symphony? Because the birth of this baby

means ultimate glory unto God and true peace for mankind.

The reconciliation and Shalom brought to us and the birth of

Christ is worth singing about. Finally, we turn to our third

and final points, the reason for peace.

The reason for peace. This will also function as our

applications as we look to the shepherds as models for a

response to the news of this baby boy.

Interestingly, the story of the angels and the shepherds doesn't

end at the angels song. Rather, the text moves on to

bring greater purpose to our reception of Christ's peace.

And so, as we read through 15 to 20, notice the response of the

shepherds once the angels have returned.

Starting in verse 15. 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 known the saying that had been

told them concerning this child. And I'm actually going to skip

to verse 20. And the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as

it had been told them. So what did you see?

What did you observe about the shepherd's response?

The shepherds respond in faith, encouraging one another to go

and see this thing that has been told to them.

But they haven't seen it yet. Indeed it has happened.

But they go in faith, believing what the angels have said to

them. They move with haste and with

urgency quickly to the Manger scene.

They make known to those around them what the angels had been

had told them about the child, and eventually the shepherds

return to their fields after it's all said and done,

worshipping God for all that they had seen and heard that

fateful night. So for our first point of

application, receive the peace of Christ with faith.

Receive the peace of Christ with faith.

The proclamation of peace given to the fearful shepherds by the

angels drives them to make a decision.

This is news which everything after this point changes.

It changes. What are they going to do?

What are the shepherds going to do?

They have to make a decision. Will they go and see for

themselves or will they remain in their fields with their

flocks and their sorrows and in their fears?

Christ offers heavenly peace for our earthly fears to those that

would have Him. Receiving the peace of Christ

means believing and having faith in the person of Christ.

This is peace. This is true peace, the person

of Christ. So would you have him?

Would you have peace? Receive the peace of Christ with

faith. Second, share the peace of

Christ with joy. Share the peace of Christ with

joy. When the shepherds realized what

peace had come to them, they immediately shared what they

knew to be true, that this precious child, He is Savior,

Christ the Lord. What has been told them?

We too must share this good news.

We must tell of who He is, Declare how He has brought peace

to our lives, our experiences, and demonstrate His peace

through our conduct and through our actions.

Share the peace of Christ in Word and deed with joy this

Christmas. Third, return in the peace of

Christ with hope. It's interesting that this

supernatural encounter doesn't leave us with an image of the

shepherds somehow hitting like Nirvana or enlightenment.

No, they actually returned to their fields after the

supernatural encounter. One might expect them to have

been glowing after such an event, but that's not what we

see. Instead, verse 20 tells us that

they returned to their fields and more than likely their lives

looked much of the same. But the way that they looked at

their lives was totally different.

Everything now was oriented around this baby in Bethlehem

suddenly. And I love that word, the way

that that word is used in this passage.

Suddenly their lives centered around Jesus.

This is the experience of peace in our lives.

Return in the peace of Christ with hope by orienting your life

around Jesus. Finally, 4th, our last

application, worship Christ. It's worth repeating as such a

central component, this crescendo that we have in this

passage worship Christ. It's worth repeating as much it

was worth the angels making a great commotion about.

Let us worship Christ for he has come.

Let us worship him for the Shalom that he brings us today

and the Shalom that he will bring us when he comes again.

Second Advent. So to conclude we have work

through three waves, the news of peace talking about the

shepherds and the angels, This good news of great joy for all

the people and the nature of news.

That news pushes us to make a decision or even a non decision.

Will we move in action? Will we sit back?

Secondly, we move from news of peace to the person of peace

that this whole commotion, this beautiful angelic song was about

one person, Jesus Christ, the one who can bring peace, Savior,

Christ the Lord. And finally, we talked through

the reasons of peace that we would receive this child with

faith, that we would share about this child with deep a

wellspring of joy, that we would return to our homes, to our

lives with great hope, and that we would worship Him all our

days. The glory, excuse me, glory to

God in the highest and on earth. Peace among those with whom he

is pleased was the proclamation that the angels gave to these

shepherds, and it meant heavenly peace in the person of Christ to

combat their fears and our fears, to make His name known

among all people, to reorient our lives, and to inspire godly

worship. Would you pray with me, our

Prince of Peace? We glorify and praise your name

as the shepherds and angels did so long ago.

Your birth has brought us peace that transcends our

understanding. We thank you for the Shalom we

experience in our relationship with the Father.

Because of who you are and what you have done form and fashion

us into your people that we might be people of peace.

We pray all this in your holy name, Jesus, Amen.