Then Love Came Down
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 20:25
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Message
Turn to and read Luke 2:8-14.
As these shepherds rested quietly that night in the hills of Judea, God sent an angel to announce the birth of the Savior. As I studied and meditated on this text, I was amazed by how much is said in so few words. This angel delivered a message from God that was full of hope - not just for the shepherds, but for us as well. Here’s just some highlights:
He tells the shepherds……
“Fear not” - don’t be afraid! They were frightened by the appearance of this powerful being! They knew instinctively that this creature had the ability/the power to put them to death, but this angel was not bringing a message of judgment. He was bringing a message of hope!
“I bring you good tidings of great joy” - This was a message of good news. Far from being a message of doom, this was a message that the shepherds could rejoice in and celebrate!
“which shall be to all people” - This was a message not just for the shepherds, but for us also. The angel’s message of good news was not just for the Jews or for any other select group; it was for all mankind.
Now, we could expand on each of these thoughts, but there’s another phrase that I want to direct our attention towards and its found in verse 14.
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.
The angel’s message to these shepherds was that God expressed His delight in His creation by giving His own Son to be the Savior of mankind. The shepherds were about to go see a little babe in a manger. They would go, and when their eyes would rest on that baby, they would be gazing upon the greatest expression of God’s love.
The Christmas story is a beautiful story.
It is a true story!
It is a story not of fear, but of hope!
It is a story not of sadness, but of great joy! It is a story worth celebrating year after year!
It is a story for all people of all ages at all times!
But there is a thread woven throughout the fabric of this story that ties it all together. That thread is the love of God!
This reality is vividly expressed in the song that was just sung. The song is entitled, “Then Love Came Down.”
On a hillside far away in the twilight cold and gray
From the realm of endless day came the Lord of all
From the heart of God above came a perfect love
Jesus stepped from heaven's hall
To a lowly cattle stall
Then Love came down wrapped up in a baby's birth
God gave the best that He could give
And sent His Son to earth
To this world of sin and wrong
Came the music of heaven's song
In sin we were bound
Then Love came down
This truth is spoke of in the Scriptures. Throughout the rest of the New Testament, the apostles would write about the great love of God that was shown by the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Yes, the Christmas story is all about the love of God! God gave His only, one-of-a-kind Son! God showed His love toward us, even though we were all sinners, God sent His Son to die for us so that we could be saved from our sins! God made known His love by sending His Son to be the sacrifice for our sins so that His wrath against sin could be satisfied.
Application: Church family, this reality is worth celebrating! Make much celebration - rejoice - over the love of God! That’s what makes this season so wonderful. It is the fact that God’s love came down in the form of a little baby, the Son of God!
The psalmist said in Psalm 107:8-9…
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, And filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Church family, perhaps you have a longing soul this Christmas season. Maybe in the depths of your own heart, there is a little bit of hunger, a little bit of emptiness because you are missing a loved one this Christmas. Maybe there is some unsettledness in your soul because of a trial that you are experiencing.
If that’s you tonight, I challenge you: this Christmas, think about how God has shown His love towards you. Go home, close your eyes, and meditate on the fact that God sent His Son to save your soul, to reconcile you back to Himself, to adopt you as His own child, and to give you eternal life! Let your mind dwell on the beauty of the Christmas story and consider how that God did it all because He loved you!
Christian, rejoice over the love of God!
But you may be here tonight and you don’t know God. You don’t know Him personally - not like the Bible says that you can. I want you to know that God loves you too. In fact, that’s what we’re celebrating this season. God sent His Son to this earth as a little baby to eventually die on the cross as the sacrifice for sins. But you must make it personal. You must trust in Christ alone to save your soul - nothing else.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
After the service, I’ll be down here in the front of the auditorium. If you would like to come and talk to me about this, about how to become a Christian, meet me here at the front and I’d be happy to talk with you.