Luke 2:8-12
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger," Luke 2:8-12.
God does things His way. Often His way is not how we would do things. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways, saith the LORD," Isaiah 55:8. We saw this with the events leading up to and with the birth of Jesus Christ (verses 1-7). God is Sovereign, and in His Sovereignty He uses who He pleases when He pleases where He pleases and how He pleases. God works all things according to the counsel of His own will. Though the lost do not understand or recognize this, this biblical truth is very comforting for those whom the Lord has redeemed. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," Romans 8:28. We rest in who God is. This is another reason it is so important that we know who God is according to the bible. If we get our understanding of who God is outside of the Scriptures, we will have a wrong view of God, and the result is that we will not rest in Him. This will cause us to question God in a sinful way. We will question God in an accusatory way. Simply put, we will tell God that is not how we would have done it. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it," Isaiah 55:9-11. Let us keep these things in mind as we look at our text today.
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night," Luke 2:8. During this time there would have been much open country around Bethlehem. Shepherds would keep watch over their flocks to make sure no predators would devour or thieves break through and steal one of the flock. The shepherd's job would be an easy job as long as everything went right. The vocation of a shepherd did not require a college degree or a long period of training. Often a boy would be given the task of watching over the flock. There would be much time to meditate on God's Word (Psalm 1). They would have much time to look at creation and dwell on how great God is (Psalm 104). These shepherds would not be caught up in the fast pace of life. They would not be able to afford the finer things in life, but would be content with what God had given them.
These shepherds would be despised in the eyes of the world. They would be considered uneducated and common people. They had a lowly vocation, but they had a high view of God. Having a high view of God with much time to read, study, meditate, and pray would cause them to have a great walk with the Lord. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth," Colossians 3:1-2. Can we picture the conversation between these shepherds? Turn to Psalm 150. When was the last time we studied the Scriptures just to learn who our God is, and not trying to figure out how the Scriptures are applicable to our lives? It is easy to make so much about us, and miss out on knowing our great and gracious God.
"And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid," Luke 2:9. Picture these shepherds involved in their nightly routines. They are keeping a sharp eye on the flock. They could be communing among themselves about how wonderful their God is and how they would've liked to have been with Moses when God passed before him and Moses saw the hinder parts of God's glory. Obviously, this is speculation because the bible does not tell us what they were talking about. The pattern we have seen in Luke thus far is that everyone whom the angel Gabriel appeared to were people who loved the Lord (Luke 1:6, 26-27; Matthew 1:19). None of them were expecting to see an angel. The angel stood in front of them. This would be enough to frighten them, but add to this that the glory of the Lord shone round about them. Glory refers to the majesty and splendor accompanying God's presence. As a result, the shepherds were exceedingly fearful. This is the common response of sinful man. "For such is the condition, even of gracious souls, that the near approach of the divine glory begets in them trembling and alarm. Oh, how wondrously changed shall we be when we are able to bear even the glories of heaven! Have you ever thought of this, dear friends? The beloved apostle, John, saw Christ in his glory, and he wrote, "When I saw him, I fell at his feet, as dead" (Rev. 1:17) and these shepherds, even at the sight of "the angel of the Lord," "were sore afraid." You and I, beloved, must undergo a marvelous change before we shall be able to be at home with God in His glory; but that change shall, through His abundant grace, take place ere long," C. H. Spurgeon.
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," Luke 2:10. "Fear not" is the common salutation of an angel that brings good tidings. It had been five hundred years since Israel had seen a visible sign of God's glory, and this glory was revealed to humble, believing shepherds in the field, not unbelieving priests in the temple, and not to unbelieving kings in their palaces. "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble," James 4:6.
There is coming a day when we will have glorified bodies, and we shall see the glory of the Lord, for eternity (Revelation 21:22-23). For all whom the Lord has saved, we look forward to this day, but for those who are not saved, this will be a terrible day for you. Lost person, you will stand before Jesus Christ at the great white throne of judgment, you will be judged for all of your sins, and you will be cast into hell for eternity to suffer under the wrath of God. I beg you to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins. Christ is Just, and He is the Justifier of all who truly come to Him for salvation. Look to Christ, and be ye saved. Next time we will learn about the good tidings of great joy. Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
