Scripture
For the past few months we have been studying the life of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. This evening I would like to reflect on a previous text we looked at only very briefly.
Several weeks ago we examined the birth of Jesus, who was born in a stable in Bethlehem (2:1-7). On the same night of Jesus’ birth, an angel of the Lord appeared to some shepherds in the vicinity of Bethlehem, who were keeping watch over their flock by night. After their initial shock and fear at having seen an angel of the Lord, the angel gave them good news of great joy.
This evening I would like to focus on what the angel said in verse 11, where he described Jesus as Savior, Christ, and Lord.
Let’s read about the angel of the Lord visiting the shepherds in Luke 2:8-11, although I will focus on verse 11:
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 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. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)
Introduction
Luke said that in the same region where Jesus was born, which was Bethlehem, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night (2:8).
These shepherds were simply going about their regular work. They watched the flock of sheep by night. It was probably a night just like every other night of the many thousands of nights that they watched the flock.
Although there was a time when shepherds enjoyed a good reputation, that was now no longer the case. Shepherds were near the bottom of the social ladder. Because they lived and worked out in the fields, they were unable to keep the religious, ceremonial law. Therefore, they were treated as unclean. Furthermore, they were regarded as liars and thieves, and so they were not allowed to testify in a court of law. The people despised shepherds. In fact, with the exception of lepers, shepherds were the lowest class of men living in that day.
It was to these men that the angel of the Lord appeared that first Christmas night and gave them a message of good news of great joy that would be for all the people.
Lesson
So, this evening let’s examine the content and the recipients of the angel’s message. In Luke 2:11 we learn about:
1. The Content of the Angel’s Message (1:11b)
2. The Recipients of the Angel’s Message (1:11a)
I. The Content of the Angel’s Message (1:11b)
First, let’s look at the content of the angel’s message.
The angel said in verse 11b, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The angel used three titles for the baby, Jesus. He said that Jesus is Savior, Christ, and Lord. Let’s look at each title.
A. Jesus Is Savior
First, Jesus is Savior.
The description of Jesus as Savior is an apt one, since the reason he was born was to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
This obvious truth is often obscured in contemporary presentations of the gospel. Too often Jesus is presented as the one who will rescue people from unfulfillment in their marriages, families, or jobs; from a debilitating habit they cannot overcome on their own; or from a sense of purposelessness in life. But while relief in those areas may be a by-product of salvation, it is not its primary intent.
Our true problem, of which those issues are only symptoms, is sin. Everyone (Romans 3:10, 23) is guilty of breaking God’s holy law and deserves eternal punishment in hell.
The true gospel message is that Jesus came into the world to deliver people from sin and guilt—not psychological, artificial guilt feelings, but true, God-imposed guilt that damns unbelieving and unrepentant people to hell for all eternity.
B. Jesus Is Christ
Second, Jesus is Christ.
Christ is an exalted title for a baby born in such humble circumstances.
The title and its Old Testament counterpart, Messiah (Daniel 9:25-26), both mean “anointed one.” It refers to one placed in a high office and worthy of exaltation and honor.
Jesus was anointed first in the sense that he is God’s appointed King, the “King of kings” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16), who will sit on David’s throne and reign forever, as Gabriel told Mary (1:32-33).
He was also anointed to be the great High Priest (Hebrews 3:1) for his people; the mediator between them and God (1 Timothy 2:5) who makes intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
Finally, Jesus was anointed as a prophet, God’s final and greatest spokesman (Hebrews 1:1-2).
C. Jesus Is Lord
And third, Jesus is Lord.
Lord in a human sense is a term of respect and esteem, given to someone in a position of leadership and authority.
Lord was the title especially used by slave owners; Lord (kurios) and slave (doulos) were connected. To call someone Lord was to acknowledge one’s subservience to that person.
But in the context of our text Lord is no mere elevated human designation. It is a divine title. To say that this child is Lord is to say that he is God. When used in reference to Jesus, Lord (kurios) conveys all that is implied by the personal name of God, Jehovah. In fact, the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, translates Jehovah as Lord.
The most fundamental and basic confession of Christianity is, “Jesus is Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:3). No one who does not affirm the full deity and equality of Jesus with God the Father can be saved for, as he warned the Jews, “Unless you believe that I am [God], you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Romans 10:9 declares that “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
So, the angel described Jesus as Savior, Christ, and Lord.
Jesus is Savior in that he alone delivers from sin and guilt.
Jesus is Christ in that he is the anointed one who is prophet, priest, and king.
And Jesus is Lord in that he truly is God.
II. The Recipients of the Angel’s Message (1:11a)
And second, let’s look at the recipients of the angel’s message.
The angel said in verse 11a, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Normally, a baby is born into a family. They are the ones who receive the gift of the child. But in this case, the angel said that the baby was born for the shepherds. Why is that significant?
Given that God was sending Jesus, the Savior, the Christ, and the Lord, to earth, we might have expected that the news of this message would have first been given to the most important people on earth at the time.
We might have expected that the angel should have gone to the civil leaders of that day: kings, queens, governors, rulers, or people like that.
Or, we might have expected that the angel should have gone to the religious leaders of that day: the high priest, the members of the Sanhedrin, the priests, Levites, scribes, Sadducees, Pharisees, or people like that.
But the angel did not go to any of those people. He went instead to the shepherds who were watching their flock by night in the field near Bethlehem. And what makes this astonishing is that, as I mentioned earlier, shepherds were near the bottom of the social ladder. People in those days despised shepherds. With the exception of lepers, shepherds were the lowest class of men living in that day.
So, why did the angel of the Lord make the announcement of good news of great joy to shepherds? It is because the gospel is for everyone, even those who might be considered lowest on the social ladder.
But the child is not just for the shepherds. Jesus is for everyone who receives him by faith. Jesus is for you too! The good news is for you because unto you is born a Savior.
You may be here today loaded with burdens or shame or guilt. You may feel that the world is against you. I want you to know that the gospel is for you! Just as God announced good news to the shepherds, he has good news for you today too!
Conclusion
And that good news is that God sent his son, Jesus, who was born in a stable in Bethlehem. The angel of the Lord said that Jesus is Savior, Christ, and Lord. And the angel of the Lord also said that Jesus is for you; for the shepherds, yes, but also for you and me.
How does the good news become personal? It becomes personal when you believe that Jesus is the only one who can deliver you from your sin, that he is your prophet, priest, and king, and that he is your God. Believe that tonight, and you will become a child of God. Amen.
