Lord’s Day, Vol. 10 No. 52
Rejoice, the Saviour Is Born (2)
In the coming of the Saviour, Luke 2:1-18 delivers for us a three-fold witness. The Bible bears witness to the truth recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:1 “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” The Saviour’s birth was witnessed most intimately by Mary, mother of the holy child together with Joseph, whom Mary was betrothed (v1-7), a homely witness.
It was ascertained by a multitude of angels from heaven who by a heavenly choir, proclaimed the Saviour’s birth, a heavenly witness (v9-14).
And affirmed by lowly shepherds, whom the angels bore witness to, who immediately travelled to Bethlehem, according to the direction, and identification instruction by the angel, to look for “a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger”, a humble witness (v8, 15-18).
What was unique is that the Saviour was born in a lowly manger. There was no place in the inn. This allowed the shepherds to identify Him according to the direction of the angels. This is the Saviour of the world!
(2) A Heavenly Witness
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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.
An angel made the announcement and other angels appeared to this group of shepherds to herald the birth of the Saviour in Bethlehem. The shepherds may have been caring for lambs that possibly were designated for sacrifice during the time of Passover. The appearance of the angel and of the radiant glory of the Lord… terrified them. The shepherds were sore and afraid, describing the intensity of their fear. But the angel’s message was one of comfort.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The message was that “a Saviour,” Christ the Lord, was born. The birth of Jesus Christ is unique because it took place exactly as the angel of the Lord, the messenger of God, told the shepherds in the field that day Jesus was born.
This was good news of great joy. Throughout the Book of Luke “joy” is often associated with salvation.
This news was to be proclaimed to all the people. These were specifically the people of Israel, but perhaps Luke also declared that the Saviour would be for all people. The angel was then joined by a great company of other angels engaged in praising God in the highest.
What a sight! What a proclamation from heaven by the testimony of the angels to the shepherds.
This good news is to be given to all people. A commission that the local church is to carry forth as her witness to all people! We begin here in our locality and we are commanded to spread the good news just as the shepherds did.
(3) The Humble Witness (v15-18)
The shepherds were uneducated people, simple folk with a heart to receive and believe. God found them the kind of people to whom He could communicate such news. And entrusted with publishing the message as they have heard it fully, wholly, clearly, courageously, with conviction, convincingly, and compassionately! What would Mary and Joseph say to the shepherds that come to worship the Holy Child? Rejoice, this is the Saviour.
Luke 1:46-55 (KJV) And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
This was Mary’s song of praise as she consecrated herself to God to bear the Holy Child. Notice her humble attitude and adoration as she witnesses God’s glory.
It is with the lowly that have the heart to see God – blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.
God did not reveal the coming of His Son to the wise men (the worldly wise) but to the shepherds in the field in Bethlehem, the illiterate, men little versed in human learning and yet selfless men caring for sheep who will perhaps understand the heart of the Chief Shepherd — the angels’ choral song made known the birth of the Saviour, Christ the Lord, and they hastened to Bethlehem to see the great sight.
With humble hearts, we bow in adoration before this Child, gift of infinite love, sent from on high to purchase our salvation that we might dwell with Him forever. That we might dwell with Him forever above. What graces is untold to leave the bliss of glory. And die for sinners guilty and forlorn.
The time was right, the place was right, and the circumstances were right. It was not to the high and mighty in Israel that the first coming—the incarnation—of Messiah/Christ was celebrated by “a multitude of the heavenly host” (Luke 2:13) in heaven and on earth. It was to a group of lowly “shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8).
As one writer rightly observed, “There was no occupation lower than being a shepherd in those days. A thousand years earlier, David, the youngest of eight children, was assigned that humble and dangerous task by his father Jesse (cf. 1 Sam. 16:10, 11). It involved sleepless hours
during cold nights on a grassy hillside, sometimes threatened by wild animals.”
Jesus explained that a mere hireling would not do this: “12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” (John 10:12-13)
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds nearby were not mere hirelings. They responded immediately to the heavenly announcement: “15And 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.
These men were humble and obedient servants of God! But that was not the end of their response to the angelic proclamation. They became the first evangelists, and missionaries to proclaim the good news of the Saviour that has come.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
These shepherds who were told to go to Bethlehem went and they found the Saviour that night. And what did they do after they saw the Saviour, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child!
They were so happy spreading the good news that verse 20 tells us they returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.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. (Luke 2:20)
If you are already a child of God, may this Christmas story warm your heart and give you the strength to go forth with the glad tidings to spread this great joy to your loved ones and friends. Are you hearing the true Christmas story for the first time, may that same joy and rejoicing fill your heart. Jesus came on this earth to save you and He suffered, bled and died on the cross for your sins and He was buried and He rose again from the dead the third day – Romans 10:8-10 (KJV) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Come to the Saviour today! Amen.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee