Sermon Tone Analysis

“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 cloths 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 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 they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

[1]

“Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” Humble shepherds deserted their flocks and rushed to Bethlehem in order to verify what their senses told them could not have happened.

Though the Son of God was born in humble circumstances, we must also know that He was heralded by Heaven’s choir.

Have angels announced the birth of any other child other?

Did ever such an august choir perform in more strange surroundings than did this choir?

With the bleating of sheep providing accompaniment, the messengers of heaven spoke to shepherds—the most humble representatives of mankind—to announce the birth of the Son of God.

A field beyond Bethlehem became the site of the most famous announcement in all the history of mankind—the announcement that God would provide a redeemer for His fallen creature.

*THE PLACE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT* — I phoned my dad, and then I phoned my grandmother.

I phoned my brother and I phoned my mother-in-law.

I even phoned my mother.

I phoned my professors at school.

I even phoned the local paper to place a birth announcement.

I wanted everyone to know that Lynda and I had a baby girl to grace our home.

The birth of one’s first child is momentous, and fathers especially want everyone to share their joy.

The same note of infectious joy is noted in the account before us.

“There were shepherds out in the field.”

Shepherds, in this particular area, lived in the fields throughout the period of March through November.

There is nothing in this account to give us the particular timing of these events, but we are reasonably certain that they did not occur in late December.

These particular shepherds were quite possibly caring for sheep destined for the Temple sacrifices.

[2] Whether the sheep were their own, or whether they were indeed caring for sheep destined for the Temple offerings, it would be the responsibility of the shepherds to protect the flocks.

Thus, they would remain in the fields with the sheep both day and night to protect the flock from robbers and from wild animals.

Some scholars have opined that these shepherds were the owners of the particular cave in which the child had been born, since they appear to have had no difficulty in finding the child after they were notified, but I think it fair to state that this is at best speculation.

[3]

Why should this third announcement, the announcement of the birth of God’s Son, be to shepherds?

Can we assign a particular significance to this announcement?

Previously, there have been two other announcements in the brief account provided.

The birth of John the Baptist was announced by Gabriel to his father, Zechariah [LUKE 1:5-25]; Gabriel also announced the birth of the Messiah to Mary [LUKE 1:26-38].

Now, we witness this third announcement, following the birth of the child.

Whether it is Gabriel who makes this announcement or another of the heavenly messengers is not divulged by the text.

What is related is that an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds.

Certainly, we can understand an angel announcing the birth of the Messiah to Mary.

She would need to be prepared for the events which would follow.

We don’t even struggle to account for the announcement of the birth of John to Zechariah.

After all, God wished to prepare the old man and his wife for what was coming.

However, why should God announce the birth of His Son to shepherds?

Wouldn’t you think that God would wish the powerful to know of this event?

Why should the announcement be to shepherds and not to those residing in Caesar’s palace?

Why shouldn’t Herod be the first to hear of the birth of this child?

The rich and powerful receive such deference in this world that we would imagine that they would be notified first of the birth of Messiah.

Robert Stein, citing literature from rabbinic Judaism, states that shepherds were considered dishonest and unclean.

[4] Should Stein be correct in this assertion, it would be an indication that God was reaching out to outcasts and sinners in bringing His Son into the world.

Such an outreach would have a powerful impact on lost mankind, and it would assuredly be in keeping with the words of this child after He was grown to manhood.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” [LUKE 5:31-32].

I am cautious in accepting such assertion, however.

The rabbinic literature cited is relatively late, coming from the fifth century.

Also, the New Testament consistently portrays shepherds in a favourable light, even describing church leaders as shepherds [LUKE 15:4; JOHN 10; 1 PETER 2:25; HEBREWS 13:20; EPHESIANS 4:11].

Instead of considering the shepherds as representative of sinners, it seems preferable to view the shepherds as representative of the humble among mankind.

It is the lowly and the humble who respond to God’s message.

Mary’s hymn of exaltation which sprang forth upon being greeted by Elizabeth exults in the knowledge that God has “exalted those of humble estate” [LUKE 1:52].

God has a message of joy for those with hearts sufficiently humble to receive that message.

Jesus’ birth is followed immediately at an announcement to an everyday group—shepherds.

How fascinating is this information in light of the apostolic revelation of God’s choice.

“Where is the one who is wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the debater of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:20-31]

If you are a Christian, it was necessary to receive Christ as Master of your life.

You were compelled to come to the point that you no longer thought of yourself as meriting salvation, but rather you discovered that God reached out to you in grace.

Likewise, if you will become a Christian and receive the gift of life which is in Christ the Lord, you will need to humble yourself and receive the Son of God as your sacrifice.

How silently, how silently

The wondrous Gift is giv’n!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of His Heav’n.

No ear may hear His coming;

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still,

The dear Christ enters in.

*THE PURPOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT* — When the angel appeared, he first addressed the obvious fear of these trembling shepherds.

“Fear not!” Make no mistake, the august presence of an angel is cause for fear and when the angels are dispatched to announce God’s gift or to serve the saints of the Most High, they must first address the fear of man.

The fear of the shepherds could be set aside because the mission of the angel was to bring good news of great joy.

Neither was this news confined to the shepherds alone, but it was for all mankind, ourselves included.

What is this Good News?

Shepherds hear the announcement which is only the beginning of Good News that shall spread until all mankind has heard.

Infectious joy shall touch all the nations.

From every nation, tribe, people and language shall come forth a people who shall ever after be known as children of God.

What can be of such magnificent joy that God is constrained to dispatch an angel to bring the announcement?

The Law was delivered with great fanfare and trumpet blasts, but there were no angels to announce the giving of the Law.

Solomon dedicated the Temple of God with great ceremony, but no angels attended that dedicatory service.

God speaks of the advent of His Son. “When [God] brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him’” [HEBREWS 1:6].

The Good News which the angel brought is the same Good News that is preached throughout the entire world to this day; this Gospel is proclaimed throughout all the earth [MATTHEW 24:14].

Even in the midst of judgement during the awful days of the Great Tribulation, God shall be proclaiming this eternal Gospel [REVELATION 14:6].