The good news of Christmas should compel our hearts to worship, share that good news, and give Jesus the central focus of our hearts. The infinite became finite. The immortal became mortal. The Creator became the created. The omnipotent lived inside a young girl’s womb. The Almighty became a helpless baby. The Deity was wrapped in rags. The King of the Universe was born in a stable and laid in a feeding trough. That’s the Incarnation—it’s the central miracle of the Christian faith. The love of God comes to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ. The inclusion of shepherds in the announcement of a Savior further demonstrated God’s gracious intentions to rescue all people from their sins and restore the world. Like the shepherds, our response to this good news of joy should be one of worship and celebration.

KEY VERSES

LUKE 2:8-20 (NASB)

8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will bea sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

JOHN 3:16 (NASB)

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

TITUS 2:11 (NASB)

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

GALATIANS 4:4 (NASB)

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

PHILIPPIANS 2:6-7 (NASB)

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

I TIMOTHY 3:16 (NASB)

16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.

JOHN 1:14 (NASB)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

ROMANS 10:9-10 (NASB)

9 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; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

UNDERSTANDING

• If you received amazing news, what is the first thing you would do? Who would you tell?

• What joy do you receive in sharing the good news with other people who haven’t heard it?

  Is good news that isn’t shared isn’t really good news? The word “news” implies that there is a message that needs to be communicated to a wider audience. Sharing good news is a worshipful experience. This week, we will focus on the good news as it was first delivered to the shepherds in a moment of worship.

• What had already happened right before this encounter with an angel? Where are we in the story?

• In this time, shepherds were a despised or lowly class of people. Why might this not be the whole story? How else are shepherds described in Scripture?

  Prior to this encounter, Jesus had been born in a manger. Now the angels found these shepherds “in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.” Much has been made of the shepherd’s status in Israel. They were possibly viewed by the religious elite as unclean because of their constant contact with animals, but the Word of God continuously applauds the work of shepherds. Abraham, Moses, David, and God Himself are all seen as shepherds in Scripture. This line continues with these nameless shepherds who were chosen to receive the news of the birth of Jesus Christ.

• What three titles were given to Jesus in verse 11? What was significant about each of these?

• Read Genesis 12:3. Why is the news of Jesus’ birth good news for “all people”? In what sense did this fulfill God’s promise to Abraham?

• How has this news been good news for you? How does this news for “all people” make

  Christianity distinct from all other faiths?

  The angels said that Jesus would be “Savior”—the One who is uniquely qualified to

  bring restoration to the broken relationship between all people and their God. He would be the “Christ”—which means “anointed one”— the one who had been chosen from eternity past to lead God’s people to His intended and sovereign purpose. Lastly, Jesus would be Lord—the omnipotent ruler of all creation who is one and the same with God the Father. Yet, this baby born king would not be the regional deity for a particular people, but the Savior, Christ, and Lord of all people who would put their faith in Him. Jesus is a global God with a global message. We worship Him just as the angels and shepherds did.

• What is the gospel message found in verses 11- 14?

• What do we learn about the good news through the shepherds’ encounter with the

  angels?

  Between the angel’s announcement and the angelic song, we get an incredible picture of the gospel. The Messiah is here, He brings with Him our salvation and peace, and that deserves our praise and worship.

• What does it take to have a God who is pleased with you (v. 14)? What difference should this make in our day-to-day experience?

• The shepherds hurried to find Jesus (v. 16). Is meeting Jesus and finding time to be with Him a priority for you? What illustrates this in your life?

• Compare and contrast the shepherds’ response to Jesus (vv. 15-16, 20), and to Mary’s (v. 19) response. How do both responses reflect a posture of worship and submission to the gravity of Jesus’ arrival?

  Jesus did away with the penalty and curse of sin by taking it on His own body on the cross. We have received the same news that was delivered by the angels in Scripture. This news caused shepherds to rush to Him. It caused Mary to meditate, or reflect, on what happened, and it should cause us to worship Jesus and share Him with others. This is the best news that we could have ever received; we must not allow it to become commonplace.

• During this time of year, how do you keep the experience of Christmas from being commonplace?

• Is Christmas a time that is joyful or hard for you this year? No matter where you find

  yourself, what comfort is there to be found worshiping the Savior of all people?

• It seemed obvious to the shepherds that they needed to take this news and share it. Is the same thing obvious to you? With whom will you share about the person of Jesus?

  APPLICATION

• How is sharing the good news of the gospel a form of worship?

• How can we encourage one another to always share with a sense of urgency, as the shepherds did?

• Pastor Jeff challenged us to put Jesus front and center in our lives. What specific steps will you take this week to make Jesus central? How can this group help you turn your focus further to God?

WANT TO DIVE DEEPER?

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