You can tell it wasn’t normal practice for this kind of thing to happen to this group of shepherds because although they were used to the sights and sounds of the night–the sound of an approaching wolf maybe, the hoot of an owl, the rustle of leaves, the moving shadows, the wax and wane of the moon light–this one caught them by surprise. The Bible simply says that they were terrified. I suspect that this was something of an understatement.
So shaken were these poor shepherds that the first thing the angel says to them is “Don’t be afraid!”. Easy for an angel who has just appeared from nowhere to say, not so easy for a group of boot-quaking shepherds to do.
But then comes the announcement:
I bring you good news of great joy to all the people. Today, in the city of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ, the Lord.
And then more angels appear and join in singing: Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.
Three things for Christmas
#1 It’s a Celebration
Christmas is an opportunity for each of us to set aside all the pressures of our daily lives and focus on God. The amazing thing is that God loves us so much that he became one of us in order to communicate with us. He became a human being so that he could reveal the full extent of his love for us.
Of all the ways he could have entered the world–descending on a royal throne surrounded by angels maybe; arriving in a whirlwind riding a majestic horse perhaps; walking down some magnificent stairway possibly–he entered the world the same way we all enter. Born as baby.
I wonder if the reason he did that was simply because the one thing he didn’t want us to be was to be afraid of him.
#2 It’s an opportunity for salvation
Salvation is not a word you hear very much these days. Although you might often hear someone say, “Thank you, you saved my life,” when what they actually mean is, “thank you for the change, now I won’t get a parking ticket.” But when the Bible talks about salvation, it is talking about the chance to rebuild a broken relationship with God. A relationship shattered by rebellion but rebuilt through the coming of Jesus.
Put simply, salvation is forgiveness for the past, the power to manage the present and a secure hope for the future.
But be careful, this is a gift and the thing about a gift is that you need to accept it.
#3 It’s an opportunity for reconciliation
I knew a pair of twin brothers. They had their rivalries, their ups and downs together, but once they they fell out big time. They refused to talk to each other, they cut themselves off from family connections. They avoided each other at all costs. Do you know what they fell out over? Rabbits. Yes, rabbits. They both bred them and took them to shows. And somehow, don’t ask me how, they managed to fall out over them. I don’t know if they ever spoke to each other again, but when the angels sang on that hillside they sang about peace on earth.
The Bible says that through Jesus Christ you can make peace with God, and if you do that then you will receive peace from God. When you’re at peace with God and you’re experiencing peace from God it becomes easier to make peace with other people.
Conclusion
Tonight we’ve talked about the coming of Jesus, we’ve read about the events and we’ve reflected on those event. But here’s the challenge: When Christmas is all over will Jesus go back in the box with all the other Christmas decorations? Will the nativity get forgotten until next year’s Christmas plans are being made? Or will you let it make a difference all year round. Will you accept God’s good news of great joy that a Saviour has been born to you, and that you can know forgiveness and hope and reconciliation with God and with others.
This is God’s precious Christmas gift to you, will you accept it?
