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Songs of the Advent
Part 3
“A Concert in the Sky”
The Third Message In A Series Exploring
The First Coming Of Christ.
Pastor Larry Goding
Community Church At Sun Village
Surprise, Arizona
“A Concert In The Sky”
Luke 2:8-20
Concerts are commonplace during this season of the year.
Those that center on the birth of Christ remind us of the
joy and peace that was promised by the coming of the
Messiah. They remind us of what God promised and was
spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name
Immanuel” [Isaiah 7:14 NKJV]. Matthew tells us what
the name Immanuel means – “God with us.” The
amazing truth is that God chose to come to this earth in
human form for the express purpose of becoming the
only sacrifice that would atone for man’s sin.
We have already observed that throughout the Old
Testament, prophesies concerning the Messiah are
numerous. Every prophesy concerning his coming was
magnificently fulfilled on the night of his birth. In
addition, Micah tells of the exact place at which the
Messiah, the one who would deliver God’s people from
their sin, would be born.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall
come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose
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goings forth are from of old, from everlasting” [Micah
5:2 NKJV].
After a long period without any further revelation God
broke His silence by sending His angel to announce that
the time was right for the coming of the Messiah. The
angel spoke first to Zacharias then to Mary and finally to
a group of humble shepherds with a message of hope and
peace.
Let’s join the shepherds in the fields surrounding
Bethlehem as they tend their sheep in the quietness of the
evening. All is quiet except for some distant bleating of a
few sheep while most of the flocks are bedded down for
the night. Most likely the shepherds are sitting around a
camp fire talking quietly among themselves about the
events of the day or perhaps telling stories about
individual sheep that have done something that makes for
interesting conversation.
As the evening progresses there is a sudden burst of light
in the night sky, so bright and spectacular that it frightens
the shepherds. It has its own radiance, brighter than
anything they had ever seen. It was more than some
celestial light that could be explained by the astronomers
of the day. Luke calls it the radiance of the Lord’s glory.
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It was the radiance of the God of the universe, God of all
creation, revealing himself to humble shepherds.
The angel reserved his most glorious announcement of
birth of the Christ child for the least likely recipients. He
appeared at night to a group of lowly shepherds. We
might ask, “Why did they deserve such a privilege?”
A Privileged Audience [vv. 8-9].
Shepherding is one of the oldest professions in the world.
Adam was charged with having dominion over the animal
kingdom. Abel is called a “keeper of the sheep” (Genesis
4:2). Throughout biblical history, noteworthy men were
experienced shepherds including Jacob and his sons,
Moses, and David.
Shepherding is also a prominent theme in Scripture.
Remember Psalm 23? “The Lord is my Shepherd….”
God, as shepherd, is all over the Old Testament, and
Jesus also is described as a shepherd in the New
Testament. Believers are comforted by Jesus’ words in
John 10, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays his life down for the sheep…I know my own and my
own know me…I lay my life down for the sheep.”
3
In many respects, shepherding is a noble occupation. But
there is also a downside to it. Shepherds in Jesus’ day
had a hard time maintaining religious purity as the
Pharisees defined it. They couldn’t keep the Sabbath
because sheep need constant protection. They spent most
of their time in the fields away from society and had no
influence in it to speak of.
In Jesus’ day, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the
Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same
unenviable status as tax collectors. They were deprived
of all civil rights. They could not fulfill judicial offices
or be admitted in court as witnesses. It was said of them,
“To buy wool, milk, or a kid from a shepherd was
forbidden on the assumption that it would be stolen
property.”1 In modern terms they would be like bluecollar workers largely unnoticed by those in power.
Shepherds were in the lower classes of society.
That raises some important questions: “Why would God
choose members of the lower class of society to be the
first to hear the announcement of the birth of the Christ
child? Why would God choose to make His most
spectacular announcement to a group least able to spread
1
John MacArthur, Grace to You.
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it? Why did the announcement come to them at all?
Why not to priests and kings? Who were those shepherds
that they should be eyewitnesses of God’s glory and
receive history’s greatest birth announcement?
In that spectacular moment the angel brought a message
of “Good News” to the world. It was a message that
clearly expressed the will of God toward men who had
put Him out of their hearts and minds and had turned to
following the evil intents of their own hearts. Jeremiah
the prophet expresses the true nature of men’s hearts.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked; who can know it?” [Jeremiah
17:9NKJV
The apostle Peter helps us understand that God earnestly
desires that all people on planet earth be saved from their
sin.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as
some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance [2 Peter 3:9 NKJV].
Think about that for a moment. As putrid in the sight of
God as sin is, He has willed that sin can be forgiven
completely. That is why Jesus came – “God with us” –
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the holy Son of God whose death upon the cross of
Calvary satisfied God’s anger toward sin. By his
sacrifice we can be set free from the bondage of sin.
God chose to share that good news first with a handful of
shepherds who were marginalized by the social and
religious elite, and to break the silence of centuries,
heralding Messiah’s birth.2
The shepherds themselves may have been asking, “Why
are we the ones to get this good news? We cannot even
tell anybody about it because we are isolated from
society. “Why us?” The apostle Paul gives us some
insight into how to answer to that question.
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Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you
were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy
when God called you. 27Instead, God chose things the
world considers foolish in order to shame those who
think they are wise. And he chose things that are
powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28God
chose things despised by the world, things counted as
nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what
the world considers important. 29As a result, no one
2
Randy Alcorn, in Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Nancy Guthrie, Editor (Wheaton,
IL: Crossway Books, 2008), pp. 85-89.
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can ever boast in the presence of God [1 Corinthians
1:26-29 NLT].
This was God’s way. We cannot fully understand the
mind of God and how He chooses to operate in the world.
But, we can know that His ways are always right. You
can confidently trust His ways. The prophet Isaiah
reminds us of what God says:
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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9“As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts [Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV].
Those men who were on the fringe of society heard a
message of joy and peace, something that they did not
experience in life. Angelic appearances were rare and
this scene made it clear to the shepherds that in God’s
mind and heart they were just as important as anyone
alive.
In bringing the message first to the shepherds God
revealed His heart for all the world. No one in God’s
vast world is outside the reach of God’s love, mercy, and
grace. He reaches down from heaven to welcome all who
will reach up to Him.
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A Profound Message [vv. 10-14].
Like Mary who showed signs of fear when the angel
appeared to her, the shepherds also showed signs of fear.
“What is this bright light in the sky? Where is it coming
from and why is it shining upon us?” What they saw, but
did not realize, was the radiant glory of God. The
message that the angel was to give was one of enormous
significance to the whole world. It is an essential part of
God’s eternal plan to redeem mankind and pay the
penalty for sin.
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Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which
will be to all people. 11For there is born to you this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
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And this will be the sign to you: You will find a
Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger”
[Luke 2:10-12 NKJV].
The glad message is that the Savior has been born. First,
one angel appeared in the night sky and gave the glad
announcement; and then a chorus of angels joined him
and gave an anthem of praise.
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And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men!”
For the first time in centuries, the glory of God returned
to earth. There was no mistaking the presence of God
that night as He appeared to the shepherds. If brave
shepherds were afraid at what they saw and heard, then
you can be sure it was real!3
What was the Good News? Not that God had sent a
soldier or a judge or a reformer, but that He had sent a
Savior to meet man’s greatest need. It was a message of
peace to a world that had known much war. The famous
“Pax Romana” (Roman Peace) had been in effect since
27 B.C but the absence of war doesn’t guarantee the
presence of peace.
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “While the emperor
may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to
give peace from passion, grief, and envy. He cannot give
peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for
outward peace.”4
Life was difficult at that time. Taxes were high,
unemployment was out of control, morals were slipping
3
4
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament.
Wiersbe.
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lower, and the military state was in control. Roman law,
Greek philosophy, and even Jewish religion could not
meet the needs of men’s hearts. Then, God sent His Son!
The Jewish word “shalom” (peace) means much more
than a truce in the battles of life. It means well-being,
health, prosperity, security, soundness, and completeness.
It has to do more with matters of the heart than
circumstances.
The song the angels sang was one that the world of Jesus’
day needed to hear. It is just as important a message for
the world of our day. Just how the shepherds understood
that message is unknown. But what is known is that they
received it with eagerness and went in haste to check out
what the angels has declared to them. Just how the
message is understood in the world today is sometimes in
question, but one thing is for certain, there is no substitute
for the peace that God brings to the heart of those who
seek Him.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to
you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” [John 14:27
NKJV]. In speaking of Jesus, the apostle Paul declares:
“For He Himself is our peace…” [Ephesians 2:14
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NKJV]. Therefore, says Paul, “Let the peace of God rule
in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body;
and be thankful” [Colossians 3:15-16 NKJV].
A Glad Response [vv. 15-20].
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So it was, when the angels had gone away from
them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one
another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this
thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made
known to us.” 16And they came with haste and found
Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
What was it that drove the shepherds to decide to leave
their sheep in the pasture and go to Bethlehem? Did they
understand the full impact of the message from the
angels? Was it curiosity or was it belief?
Most importantly, they believed the message and went to
confirm it for themselves. This was much like the action
of Mary after she had heard the message of her own
special calling – “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!
Let it be to me according to your word.”
Such an attitude contrasts sharply with that of the
religious leaders who knew where the baby was to be
born but did not take the time or the effort to confirm it
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for themselves.5 Such is the attitude of many today who
refuse to seek after Christ and who choose to reject him.
Notice the reaction of the shepherds. This was, indeed,
good news. Being outcast from society did not matter
now. They had seen the Messiah of whom they had most
likely heard much. They could not keep it quiet. You
can almost see them running through the streets of
Bethlehem spreading the word about what they had seen
and heard – “You’re Messiah has come!”
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Now when they had seen Him, they made widely
known the saying which was told them concerning
this Child. 18And all those who heard it marveled at
those things which were told them by the shepherds.
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But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in
her heart. 20Then the shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all the things that they had heard
and seen, as it was told them.
Conclusion
The event was not just some spectacular light show in the
sky, but a song of victory for the world. Sin had blinded
the eyes of men and hardened their hearts toward God.
Throughout the course of history, the evil intent of men’s
hearts has dominated the earth. Just as in the days of
5
Walvvord and Zuck, Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.
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Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and because of
their disobedience, all men are separated from God
because of sin.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord [Romans 3:23;
6:23 NIV].
The only way for that to change is for the penalty for sin
to be paid. The apostle Paul makes it clear that God has
made it possible for the penalty of sin to be paid.
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…[You] are justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God
presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through
faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate His
justice, because in His forbearance he had left the sins
committed beforehand unpunished— 26He did it to
demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be
just and the one who justifies those who have faith in
Jesus [Romans 3:24-26 NIV].
Let me illustrate this with the following story: “He Took
My Whipping.”
The story I am going to tell you today took place at
the Oak Ridge school some time ago. There was
great excitement in the old school house this
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morning. Big, tough looking boys had begun to
gather on the school grounds. This was the first day
of school, and the new teacher would soon be there.
Big Jim, the meanest boy in the district, spoke:
“Guys, I promise you that school won’t keep three
days. We chased away the last three teachers, and
we’ll run this one out before sundown if he gets
bossy! Here he comes now!”
Around the bend, riding a sleepy old horse came a
slender man, who sat confidently in the saddle
holding a black leather-bound book under his arm.
Riding deliberately to the hitching post, he calmly
tied his horse and walked boldly toward Jim’s gang.
Smiling, he said, “Good morning, boys,” and then
walked into the school room.
“How’d he get the job?” someone inquired. “He
told the school board something about God bringing
him here.” “Yeah, God might have brought him
here, but Jim’ll be the one to run him out, I betcha,”
said another. This brought a laugh from the crowd.
Just then the bell rang. Jim took his old seat at the
back of the room with his gang conveniently near
him. The new teacher stood behind his desk. “Boys
and girls,” he began, “we want to have a good
school this year, and to have a good school we must
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have a good beginning; so let us stand and bow our
heads and ask God’ blessing on our school.”
The students of Oak Ridge were too shocked to do
anything but obey. Most of them bowed their heads,
even Jim. The teacher kindly thanked God for
bringing him to Oak Ridge. He asked God to give
him wisdom and to help every boy and girl to do his
part in making the school a good one, and above all
else to help him lead everyone to the Savior. The last
petition none of them understood, but the teacher’s
voice was so tender that all of them were strangely
moved.
After the prayer the teacher continued, “If we are to
have a good school the next thing is to have good
rules, and I want you to make the rules.” Jim gasped
in amazement. Then someone suggested “No
Cheating” as one of the rules.
“No cheating? That's fine. We shall just put it on
the board.” “Now a rule is of no value without a
penalty. What do you think would be a fair penalty
for anyone who cheats?”
“That’s purty bad,” someone volunteered. “I'd say
five lashes with the whip.” “All right,” agreed the
teacher. “Is that agreeable to all?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s have another rule.”
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“No cussin’,” prompted a boy.
“All right.”
The words “No Swearing” were then written on the
board.
“Teacher,” said another, “I got a good one-No
lying.”
Then someone suggested “No stealing.”
One by one the rules were made and a just
punishment was set for anyone who broke them.
This was so different that even Jim and his gang
soon became interested.
All went well for several weeks. Then one morning
the teacher said, “Boys and girls, put up your books.
I’m very sorry to say that for the first time someone
has broken one of the rules. Someone has stolen
Jim's lunch.”
The room was still and fear was written on the faces
of many. The teacher continued, “I know who took
the lunch. I wonder if the guilty one wants to
confess or to have me call his name.”
Little Johnnie, sitting on the front row, stood and
said tremblingly, “Teacher, I took it. I’m sorry, but
I didn’t have any breakfast, and I just couldn’t help
taking it. I’m guilty and I’ll take my punishment.”
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The teacher pointed to rule three – “No stealing:” the
penalty, ten lashes on the bare back.
Some of the children were weeping. They knew that
Johnnie was poor and often was hungry.
All felt sorry for him, but the teacher explained that
the law had been broken and that the penalty must be
paid.
“Come to the front, Johnnie,” said the teacher. “I’m
sorry, but the law says ten lashes on the bare back,
so you’ll have to take off your coat.”
Slowly Johnnie took off his ragged coat. He didn’t
even have on a shirt.
As the teacher lifted the whip Jim cried out, “Stop!
Don't whip him. It was my lunch, and I’ll forgive
him!”
“That’s kind of you, Jim, but you made the rule, and
we all set the penalty. I’m sorry, Jim, but the
penalty must be paid.”
The whip was raised again. Again Jim cried out,
“Then let me take his whipping. I’m big and strong,
but he is little and frail.”
“Well, Jim, the law says ten lashes on the bare back.
It doesn’t say who shall pay the penalty, so you may
take Johnnie’s whipping for him.”
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Big Jim, no longer the school bully but the hero,
took off his coat, bared his back, and took the
whipping. Little Johnnie ran forward and threw his
arms around Jim, crying out between sobs, “O, Jim,
I love you for taking my whipping.”
The teacher wiped his eyes and then put one arm
around Jim and the other around Johnnie, and said,
“Boys and girls, it was a wonderful thing that Jim
did just now. He was innocent; Johnnie was guilty,
but he volunteered to take Johnnie’s place and take
his punishment upon himself.”
Then the teacher reached for the Bible that lay on his
desk. “Now I want to tell you about someone who
took your punishment. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says,
‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in
Him.’”
“Boys and girls, that refers to Jesus, God’s only
Son, who left heaven’s glory and came to this earth
to suffer and bleed and die for our sins. You and I
have broken God’s laws just as Johnnie broke our
school law. We all have sinned and deserve to be
punished. The Bible says that the wages of sin is
death, and so we are condemned to die because of
our sins; but Jesus loved us so much that He said,
‘Father, I will take the punishment Myself.’ Jesus
went to Calvary and was nailed to the cross, and
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there He paid for our sins. Now Johnnie doesn’t
have to be punished, does he?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Jim took his punishment.”
“That’s right. Now, you see, since Jesus took our
punishment we don’t have to die for our sins; but
there is one thing we do have to do – we have to be
willing to let Jesus pay our debt. You see, Johnnie
was willing for Jim to take his whipping. Now, I
wonder if any of you are willing right now to confess
that you are a sinner and to receive Jesus as your
Savior and let Him pay your debt of sin. Then,
because the debt is paid, God can forgive your sins
and make you His child. Remember the verse, ‘For
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that
we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’”
Many of the children accepted the Savior that day,
including big Jim. How about you? Just as Johnnie
broke the school law you have broken God’s laws.
The penalty is death, and it must be paid; but Jesus
came and died for us – in our place. Will you
believe and receive Him as your Savior just now?6
6
Rev. J. C. Brumfield, from whose book, “Radio Gospel Stories,” this story is
taken.
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The good news is that the Savior has come. He came as a
light into the world that was darkened by sin. He came to
set his people free from the bondage of sin. The blessed
truth is that anyone who will call upon the name of the
Lord will be saved.
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your
heart…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the
heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.” For the
Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be
put to shame” [Romans 10:8-12 NKJV].
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