GOD USES UNLIKELY PEOPLE
LUKE 2:8 -20
(December 15, 2019 – SUN p.m. – MBC baesa)
• Joseph and Mary were staying in an simple roofed structure of an animal shelter.
→ There were no special lights and no special announcements they heard from heaven when Christ was born, besides there is no direct instruction from God for months.
• Joseph and Mary had been forced to travel to Jerusalem as additional expense purposely for registration and taxation as required by Roman.
→ But when they arrived at Bethlehem, there was no place for them to stay so there is no choice but to stay in animal shed.
→ Both of them were confused, felt afraid, alone and abandoned. They probably looking from where they came and want to see nice places where others were staying.
• Mostly, with like that situation that need encouragement, people assume that Joseph and Mary would be visited by the High Priest, Emperor of Rome, or some very prominent Rabbi, Pharisee or Scribe.
→ But God in His providence send a very unusual encouragement to Joseph and Mary by sending shepherds from the side of the mountains to tell them that God was watching and caring for them.
→ When we experiencing depressing, unexplainable moments while you are doing faithfully the will of God, He wants to let you know He is always there with you, just trust Him. God will use some unlikely people to minister to you as God uses the shepherds.
• There are two documentary facts in history that Luke recorded:
I- SHEPHERDS RECEIVED THE REVEALED NEWS BY GOD ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST – v.8- 14
Luke 2:8 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
• The phrase “in the same country” in KJV translated “in the same region” in ESV and NASB is in Greek “chōra”, which Luke really emphasized.
→ The text says, “in the region, the same region.” Luke may have actual visited this regional area and have actual talk with the shepherds regarding this event.
• Shepherds were a somewhat disrespected type of people. They were regarded by the religious leaders as a low or worthless group of people.
1.) Shepherds were not allowed to be a witness because their word was not good according to the Jews.
2.) Shepherds was not supposed to receive help from anyone because they were regarded as people with a low life.
3.) Shepherds were declared by the religious leaders as unclean because they were unable to observe all the man made codes and traditions of pharisaical laws with their ceremonial purification. They were not trained or schooled in the law that is why they were considered ignorant.
• In verse 8 says, the shepherds were caring their sheep in the same region located somewhere in the vicinity out in the hills, they were in the area that is called the “shepherds field” which was two miles near Bethlehem.
→ It says in verse 8 that during the night these shepherds were watching and guarding their flock because of the predator animals and thieves.
• Interestingly, God chooses to give the great revelation to working men. These are not religious guys having meditation in a monastery, not men who were studying books, not ministers or scholars but to shepherds doing their job.
→ It is like in a way that God reveals His great prophetic plan to men working all night shift in a factory, or to some people who are farmer, janitor, a carpenter, a mechanic, truck driver, barber, widow or housewife, or a child.
→ Some of the great encouraging people God used in your life or you will ever meet are not those professionals but unlikely people. In the situation of Joseph and Mary it was the shepherds.
• In Luke 2:9 “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.”
→ An angel of the Lord suddenly stood before these shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone around them.
→ This is a bright shining glory that signaled the majestic presence of God.
→ Luke reveals the emotions of the shepherds that is why we believed that Luke interviewed some of these shepherds. The Greek “ephobēthēsan” means they were frighten, terrified, alarmed. in awe.
• Reasons why angel tells the shepherds to stop being afraid:
A. GOOD NEWS IS BROUGHT BY THE ANGEL – v.10
Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
• The angel is bringing the shepherds good news not bad news.
→ The word in verse 10 “glad tidings” is “Good news”, the Greek evenelizomai (ευαγγελιζομαι) indicating the proclamation of the Gospel. It is the good news of the Savior’s presence on earth.
→ You have a strong valid reason to be afraid in case an angel shows up and stand before you and bringing bad news as angels are used in carrying out judgments.
→ However, this particular angel in this particular instance bringing to the world through these shepherds a good, great, amazing and saving news.
B. GOOD NEWS BRINGS GREAT JOY – v.10b
Luke 2:10b “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
• This is great joy for sinners who want their sins to be forgiven.
• This is great joy only for those interested on getting right with God but whosoever not interested being right with God this news serves as a warning not great joy.
C. GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY IS FOR ALL – v.10c
Luke 2:10c “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
• Great joy is available for all the people.
• The article “the” before the noun “people” have interesting emphasis.
→ Great news for Israel.
→ Great news also for all the people of the world who want to be saved from their sins and live in peace with God.
• For born again believer this is a great joy to share to others but for those who are not this is condemning news
• There were two messages from that Good news:
• Notice this verse started by the conjunction “for”.
1. The Savior has been born – v.11a
Luke 2:11a “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
→ This Savior was born in David’s city which is Jerusalem.
→ This Savior specifically is for these shepherds as the pronoun “you” who were told could not be right with God
→ This baby Savior is not only for the shepherds but also our Savior.
2. The Savior is the Message and the Lord – v.11b
Luke 2:11b “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
→ This Savior is the Jewish Messiah of Israel and the Lord of glory. It is rare to have one verse with all these titles.
→ This Messiah (Christ) and the Lord is Jesus Christ as Paul identified as God the Savior – Titus 2:13.
→ Jesus Christ is the only One Savior of the Israel and the only One Savior of all sinners from hell.
• There were given exact and specific sign for the Baby:
→ Before shepherds could respond in verse 12, the angel give exact, specific sign describing after baby’s birth.
a. How the Baby was wrapped. (Like the average Jewish baby) – v.12a
Luke 2:12a “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
→ This God, Messiah, Savior baby will be wrapped in strips of cloth who looked normally like other babies.
→ This God, Messiah, Savior baby will not be wearing a crown of royalty or a robe of purple.
b. Where the Baby was lying (in a manger) – v.12b
Luke 2:12b “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
→ The God, Messiah, Savior and King baby was born in a smelly animal barn not in a palace.
→ If this happen today, the Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as the executive
department of the government being responsible for the protection of the social welfare of rights of Filipinos and social development with authority would take the baby away from Joseph and Mary.
→ The first sign is normal but this second sign is strange, unusual for the God, Messiah, Savior and King baby.
• Possibly the shepherds have some hard times thinking all the words of the angel, suddenly in verse 13 there were multitude of angels appeared and join this angel in praising God.
Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,”
• There were two parts of the Angels praise:
1.) Praise of Giving glory to the highest God – v.14a
Luke 2:14a “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
→ This multitude of angels are praising God and giving glory to God for the birth of this baby who is the highest God who lives in the highest and holiest place.
2.) Praise of Bringing peace relationship to men on earth – v.14b
Luke 2:14b “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
→ The truth revealed to the shepherds who are out in some field near Bethlehem is that the birth of Jesus brings glory to God because it bring grace to save sinners and resulted into a peace relationship with God.
II- SHEPHERDS RESPONSE TO THE REVEALED NEWS BY THE ANGEL ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST – v.15-20
• The Shepherds four responses:
A. EAGER RESPONSE BY WANTING TO GO AND SEE – v.15
Luke 2:15 “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
• The shepherds immediate desire is to go to Bethlehem to see which they knew as Lord’s revelation.
• The shepherds felt they were important to God unlike religious leaders consider them insignificant people.
• The shepherds knew that the city of David mentioned by the angel was Bethlehem they were not illiterate in the Bible as the Pharisees view them.
B. EXACT RESPONSE TO THE WORD OF GOD – v.16
Luke 2:16 “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”
• The shepherds hurriedly went and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus in a manger.
• The shepherds are like those people that God uses that are responding speedily to the Word of God.
• The shepherds visited the place and Luke mentioned Mary first, then Joseph, and then Baby Jesus in that order.
→ Assumingly, that Mary was nearest the door, Joseph was closest to the trough and Jesus was lying in the manger
C. EVANGELISTIC RESPONSE BY WITNESSING ABOUT THE SAVIOR AND GOD – v.17-19
Luke 2:17-19 “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”
• The shepherds testified of all they had been told concerning the child.
• The shepherds are the first evangelists in the New Testament who are witnessing the truth about the Savior
Jesus Christ to everyone they met who “wondered” in verse 18 which means people spend much time thinking about.
• The shepherds showed up with this news, then in verse 19 Mary realized she was right where God wanted her to be, entire scene was a divine plan of God. Everything she experienced as she was forced to travel to Bethlehem during her pregnancy, to sleep in a cold, damp barn, lay her baby in trough was a perfect will of God.
• The shepherds are used by God not the religious elite to bring great joy, tranquility and peace to Mary.
D. EXALTING RESPONSE AS THEY WORK BACK TO THEIR FLOCKS – v.20
• Luke 2:20 “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
• The Shepherds returned back to their work and never go to Jerusalem to give lecture the religious leaders of the different religious groups.
• The Shepherds went their flocks, they were exalting and praising God for everything they heard and seen.
CONCLUSION:
No matter how insignificant you are in your mind, God can still use you to influence others if you stay faithful to God.
Do not amazed if the people who encourage you in times when you are down are unlikely people you don’t expect.
You will have great joy in your life if you trust Jesus Christ, the God, Savior, Messiah, and King to be your redeemer and center of your life.
Amen and God bless!
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