The Christmas Experience – Week Five
Experiencing God’s Joy
Luke 2:8-20 - Victory Fellowship
December 24, 2023 – Christmas Eve PM
Dominant Thought: When you know who Jesus is, it’s hard to stay quiet about Him.
Introduction (Luke 2:8-10)
• Tell a story about a time when you didn’t know the language. (dreams I had before a Hebrew or Greek test) Everything that was said was meaningless. Or, maybe you began to make up or try to guess what everyone was saying. It would have been much more meaningful and helpful if you knew what they were saying.
• When an angel appears to the shepherds, he makes an announcement that is “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” So we know that the message that comes next is extremely important. We just need to make sure we understand the language…
• The three main points in the form of the three main words the angels use to announce Jesus will benefit from some word studies and historical context study. The main goal of this sermon is to be sure that we all “understand the language” of Christmas, because these three words are some of the most significant in all of Christianity. But if they are only “churchy” words that lose their meaning, if we just try to guess what they mean since we don’t understand what is meant, we will miss much.
Savior (Luke 2:11)
• The angels say that a “savior” has been born. This is not just another baby, not just another child who will grow into a man and wait for God’s salvation. He is God’s salvation—the savior who had been promised. He will save His people. Self -explanatory, I know, but so significant.
Christ (Luke 2:11)
• “Christ” means “anointed one” and is the Greek version of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. This baby is not just someone who will grow up to try to save God’s people—lots of leaders had been trying to do that (especially the Zealots). This is not just someone who will save on his own power, this baby is God’s solution to the problem. This is the Messiah promised thousands of years ago. This is God’s chosen, appointed leader for His people.
Lord (Luke 2:11)
• This baby is not just someone sent by God, He is God. He is the Lord Himself, the King. He is a leader, a ruler.
Conclusion (Luke 2:12-20)
• All three of those words had been used by Romans to describe Caesar Augustus when he took the throne in Rome—savior, christ, and lord. They put their hope in that king. But here, the angels’ announcement to the shepherds flies directly in the face of Caesar’s claim to power by saying that this baby was the true king.
• The shepherds’ reaction to this “good news” is to go find the baby. Once they do, they can’t stop talking about Him (vv. 17 and 20). When you understand the language and you know how significant this birth is, it’s hard to keep quiet.
PRAYER / Gospel Reading (Jaime)
Song: Joy to the World (Third Day)
Luke 2:8-20 NASB 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
