Psalm 8
I think it would have been quite interesting to hear the dialogue among the angels that
took place in heaven during the creation week., especially when God formed man from
the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life.. Ps 8 tells us that man was
made a little lower than the angels, so I don’t think they would have felt threatened. But
they must have been intrigued with the whole thing, especially since God went down in
the cool of the day to fellowship with Adam. Angels were created to serve and worship.
But here God is fellowshipping with this being that was created a little lower then them. I
can imagine them rooting for Adam and Eve when their old nemesis came along with the
temptation, and when they fell into temptation I can’t help but believe there was a low
moan of disappointment from one end of heaven to the other. At least two angels were
placed at placed at the east of the garden of Eden with a flaming sword after the fall, to
keep Adam and Eve from the tree of life. Things got pretty bad on earth over the next
nine hundred years or so. And finally God made a drastic decision. He would destroy
man whom He had created, except for a righteous man named Noah and his family.
Surely after what Noah and his family witnessed of the sin of man they would begin a
righteous heritage. But it didn’t take long for sin to show it’s ugly head. For the next
5000 years there was an ongoing struggle in the world. No matter how righteous men
were at any given time, it seems they always succumbed at some point to sins
temptation. The angels were witness for these many centuries to this apparent failure.
Many were sent on various occasions to be influential for righteousness. We could read
a number of stories this morning where God sent angels on a holy mission.
I don’t know what kinds of things angels feel, but as those who are loyal to God there
must have been a heaviness in their hearts often. Yes there were moments of joy.
There was always rejoicing among the angels when a sinner repented. Luke 15:10
says,” ...there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.”
But sometimes it sure seemed that there were more failures than victories.
Then throughout every corner of heaven there were rumors. Talk of something radical
that would make a major difference on the earth. Something that once and for all would
break the power of sin. It must have seemed unbelievable when the plan was fully
revealed. The angel Gabriel was sent to a man named Zacharias, telling him that his
son to be born would prepare the way of the Lord. I wonder if the angels understood the
immenseness of what was about to take place. A couple of months later they did, for
Gabriel was sent this time to a girl whose name was Mary. Listen to what he told her.
Luke 1:28-31...
There that was it. It confirmed all the rumors. Somehow God the son was to enter the
human race through birth. God the Son who all the angels knew so well was going to
leave heaven, leave the side of His father, and limit himself to a human form. How
absolutely incredible, but yet how exciting. The angels were confident that He would
win. Sin had won against some pretty serious heavyweights through the centuries, but
this time it would fail. This time it would be outmatched. This time it would finally be
defeated.
For months the anticipation grew, till finally it was time. It was determined His entrance
into humanity would be low key. There would be no headlines, those who knew would
be few, and none would have much notoriety. His entrance into human history would not
be through the doors of a palace, or even modest housing, but in a place where any who
cared to could enter whether rich or poor, famous or infamous. His first bed would not
be gold plated or fixed with new sheets or sweet smelling, or even specially prepared.
He would be born in a stable in an obscure village. A simple announcment would be
made to some shepherds on a hillside. The scripture says in Luke 2:9-12...
Well so much for the plan to keep things low key, for it seems to me that the host of
heaven was so filled with excitement and enthusiasm, there was so much anticipation
that after the announcement was made to the shepherds, it was like a dam breaking...
The angels could contain themselves no longer. Vs 13,14 says...
This message seems to come spontaneously from the angels. In fact the word
suddenly means unexpectedly. They first magnify God, then it’s as if they say to us,
now you can have peace with God, now things on earth can be better as you experience
the good will of God and in turn express that good will to each other. There is no more
any reason for sin to win.
The peace that the Angels alluded to that night was not the absence of stress in life,
but rather the peace of reconciliation, literally the word used means "at one again". The
angels were saying that this newborn was the catalyst who would close the gap between
God and man that had been opened when sin entered the world. Unto you is born a
Savior, a deliverer, one who would make it possible to once again have communion with
God. Peace with God..., the possibility of mankind being set at oneness with God again
after being separated by sin, could only be accomplished by the requirements of Gods
law being fulfilled by one who was flesh and blood, and by that one tasting undeservedly
of death, and by that one overcoming death itself. All that was wrapped up in the angels
announcement of a Savior born that night in a stable in Bethlehem. A Savior who was
Christ the Lord. God sent His son to dwell among us in order to restore the fellowship
that was lost when sin entered the world. That’s what the angels couldn’t keep quiet
about.
I’m not sure as God looked down from heaven on the night of Jesus birth, that He
saw the manger scene as we do. For shadowed in the background of that creche was
the silhouette of a cross and the distant echo of the words, "My God my God, why hast
thou forsaken me". Gods good will toward men, that would allow the peace of his being
set at one with God again, came at a great price, the death of His son. Do you know that
peace this morning? Are you at one again with God? Have angels rejoiced over your
repentance? Have you received Gods greatest gift? If not, I would invite you to receive
the gift that God offers you. The gift of eternal life found in His Son.
You see eternal life and forgiveness is not automatic. It is not yours until you believe
that God is offering it to you and you reach out by faith and receive it, just as any gift
with your name on it does not really become yours until you take possession of it.
The possibility of Peace with God has been made available to you through the birth
and death of His Son. All you must do is say to God, I know I am a sinner, I fall far short
of Your perfect holiness. I believe that You sent your Son to pay for my sin on the cross.
I am now making a conscious decision to trust Him to forgive me and give me eternal
life. Thank you for such a wonderful gift.
If you can understand this concept, If you can comprehend what I’m talking about this
morning, if the angels announcements makes sense to you, if you can appreciate the
offer of Gods gift, consider yourself most fortunate. It wasn’t to the powerful or the
prestigious or the famous that the angel appeared with the announcement of a savior, it
was to ordinary people, to shepherds.
In the ancient world, if anyone had asked if there were more a more ordinary group of
people than shepherds, the answer surely would have been no, there are no more
"normal Joes" in ancient culture than shepherds they represent the lowly and the humble
of society. God did not send the angels announcement to Judea or Syria, or to other
places of honor and significance he sent it to a group of lowly shepherds who were
staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Listen to this passage from 1 Cor. 1:18-20... now drop to vs 26-29 ....
Just suppose the angels announcement came to the justices of the supreme court.
They might have reasoned, if we tell anyone we’ve been visited by an angel we’ll lose
our credibility. Or suppose it was joint chiefs of staff. They would probably tried to hush
up the alien invasion. Or suppose it had been the Leader of some country. By the time
an entourage had been assembled, and security had been set, Mary Joseph and Jesus
would have been long gone. Now, I’m not belittling any of these, or suggesting that they
cannot respond to the gospel, but when the shepherds heard the announcement the
scripture says, “they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying
in a manger.” They didn’t have a committee meeting to see if the announcement was
reasonable. They didn’t question whether or not God could become flesh. They didn’t
have to make arrangements to make the visit. The shepherds lost no time, but came
with haste to the place of which they had been told.
How sad it is when the wisdom or cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches fame
and power, or the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word of God and hinder
people from responding to the gospel. Not many wise, not many mighty, not many
noble... To the Jews this message was a stumbling block, to the Greeks it was
foolishness, to those who are perishing it’s absurdity. Again I say to you, if you can
understand the message of the angel concerning a savior, consider yourself blessed.
And if you have not yet responded in faith to receive Gods gift. Don’t delay, for tomorrow
your mind may be blinded to the truth and this message will seem as foolishness.
Matthew Henry points out that the shepherds came with haste, and they were
satisfied. I love that.... They were satisfied... They were satisfied, and made known
abroad concerning this child, that he was the Savior...
There was no question in their minds concerning the truth of the message of the
angels. Peace with God became for them a reality, and they were satisfied. That
assurance moved them to make known abroad the message of the savior. And that is
my challenge to you this morning. If you have understood the message of the savior, If
you have responded to Him and found peace and satisfaction, be faithful in sharing the
message with others, for it is in responding to that message that others can know the
reality of peace with God.
The announcement of the angels and the story of Christmas may be to those who are
wise by this worlds standards foolishness, to those who are mighty it may be sound
weak, to the noble it may seem contemptible but if you can understand it rejoice. Be as
exultant as the angels who could not contain their joy. If you have responded to the
savior, you have eternal peace with God. Now make it known: take the good tidings of
great joy, to all people. Tell them that a savior was born for them in the city of David, a
Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
