Good morning, folks.
Well, I didn't know you could get a dry mouth, but sweaty hands at the same time.
I've also had to quickly modify this after this quiz.
I don't think I would have got it right either with some of the questions.
How are we all this morning?
Good.
I wonder what your favourite Christmas carol or song is this year.
A few years ago, there was a song that came out.
You might remember it.
It was called Hope Christmas Gets You to Me.
I don't know if you remember it.
It was sung by a chap in Glasgow.
And it's a song that produces a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of you.
There's a line in it that goes like this.
I couldn't care what's under the tree.
I don't know what I'm getting for Christmas.
But I hope it gets you to me.
This was a song that was written at the end of the first COVID year,
when we were all fed up of not being able to see each other.
But I wonder what your favourite is this year.
I wonder, is it the melody or the tune?
Is it the words that speak to you?
Because of what's going on in your life right now.
Each one of us will find a different Christmas song that speaks to us for some reason.
And in fact, actually, I was smiling this morning because these hymns were written for this message this morning.
But Christmas songs will speak to us because of the circumstances that we're going through.
Or just because the tunes are new and catchy.
Each year, the BBC announces the official Christmas number one.
It's the track that tops the UK singles chart the Friday before Christmas.
And it's announced, in fact, it'll be announced today on Radio 1 at 4pm.
So, maybe tonight, in fact, there's probably a lot of people already doing this this morning,
but maybe tonight or maybe tomorrow you will be driving home for Christmas.
Back to family or to get away.
And maybe you've already got that playlist primed.
Well, in our passage today, there are three long journeys, but there's only one song.
I don't know if any of you have got kids.
There's lots of kids here today.
It's actually quite good to see all the kids here.
But sometimes kids like to hear the same song played over and over and over again.
And I, well, I don't know what that's like yet.
But there's one song in our passage this morning, but yet there's three long journeys.
We've also sung this song, and I was pleased that we sang it again this morning.
We've also sung this song in Brunsfield, a sing with the song of Emmanuel.
And that's probably my favourite Christmas song this year.
One, because it's new.
Two, because it is full of truth and it communicates some of the things that we've been thinking about here at Brunsfield.
Whatever song you've been enjoying over the past month,
I hope you've also been enjoying the songs that we have been thinking about
as we've been looking at Luke's Gospel.
Mary's song, My Soul Magnifies the Lord.
Or Zechariah's song, Blessed Be the Lord God of Israel.
Both of these songs are pregnant with the truth and meaning and with worship.
And we can see in the language that they were waiting to be brought forth.
Well, today I want to think about another song, and it is the angel's song.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Glory to God in the highest.
Now, this account that we have in Luke chapter 2 is a wonderful story about the Lord Jesus entering into time.
The story of his birth is not even the beginning of the story, and it's not the end of the story.
In fact, it's right in the middle of the story.
It's the heart of the story.
It's the centre point of all of history.
God, who is outside of time and a space and matter, comes right into the centre of it all.
Even our calendars today remind us of the fact that we count history from the moment that Jesus entered the world.
Before Christ and after Christ.
And even if you're an atheist and you don't use these terms,
you might use terms like before the common era and the common era.
Well, it still points back to this point in history when Jesus was in the world.
Jesus is not a one-hit wonder.
And neither are the songs that we've been considering over the last few weeks.
They are really the Christmas number one.
Week after week after week after week after week after week and for eternity.
We see in our text that the shepherds came and they saw and they returned.
Overflowing in the worship of God.
And the angels came praising and worshipping God.
Mary.
Zechariah.
And for us, as Christians, we never tire of singing praise and worship to God about his son.
Well, I know that this passage today is very well known.
And often with passages that are very well known, there's a tendency just to switch off.
But I just want to ask you today just to bear with me for a few minutes as we remind ourselves of the wonder of this account in Luke chapter 2.
Luke reminds us in the opening verses of this chapter.
In fact, in chapter 1.
That he has set out an orderly account of these things for Theophilus.
And then also for us as readers.
That we may have certainty about the things that we have heard.
He detailed that Caesar Augustus was ruling.
And that the registration was taking place at the time of or in preparation for Quirinius, who was going to be the governor over Syria.
If anybody's studied that in detail, then you'll realize that there might be some slight timeline that we can't quite line up.
But Luke records this so that we can have certainty that these things took place.
I think it's important for us to affirm what we know about the birth of Jesus, even by its historical narrative at the time.
The story is not a once upon a time fairy tale in Bethlehem.
It's anchored in place and time in history.
And Luke sets this out for us.
Now, I wasn't much of a studier.
I'm still not.
And when I started to look at this, some of the things that you studied at school.
Some of the poems and the text that you have studied.
Some of the names and the occurrences come flooding back.
But Caesar Augustus, I don't know if you remember this, was the adopted son of Julius Caesar.
When Julius Caesar was murdered, the empire was split and controlled by three men.
One of them was Caesar Augustus.
And wars and trouble and famine echoed right across the whole of the Mediterranean for years and years until two of these individuals pushed out the third.
And then Caesar Augustus defeated his opponents in a remarkable way.
And he made his mark on the landscape.
For that whole Mediterranean basin there, he changed it in a very remarkable way.
First of all, he brought about peace for the whole region.
And that was mainly because he had defeated his rivals.
If you haven't got anybody to fight with, then you have peace.
Secondly, he brought a political and administrative skill.
Some would even say political and administrative brilliance, which propelled the Roman Empire.
And thirdly, he brought vast sums of money from Egypt to pay the soldiers and to help that Roman economy.
He then declared, as we've read in verse 1, he decreed that all should be organized.
They should be registered.
They should be taxed.
And although that we read a many different census in the Roman Empire,
it's believed that the records of the censuses that were taking place were still available hundreds of years later
to verify this account that Luke records and the account that we've come to believe.
The fact that a baby boy was born in Bethlehem is not really that hard for us to accept.
But although Caesar Augustus might have been ruling,
God was in charge.
We as mankind, we like to think that we're in charge.
But as Christians, we soon come to realize that God is in control.
And that he orchestrated the time for Mary to be ready to have her firstborn
while they were in Bethlehem being registered under Caesar Augustus.
I think it's important for us to notice this because this is the fulfillment of the prophecy
that we read about in Micah chapter 5, where it says,
Jesus being born in Bethlehem is not a random chance.
God promised that the Savior would be human,
that our Savior would be a Jew,
that he would be from the tribe of Judah,
he would be from the family of David,
he would be born of a virgin,
and in Bethlehem, the city of David.
And so you see, for all of these things to come together at that time is not a coincidence.
There's a reason and a purpose that Jesus was born at that time,
and in that place, and in that way.
Now, I mentioned in our text that there are three,
and you'll maybe see this if you've still got your passage open,
but don't worry if you have not.
In our text, there are three long journeys.
The first journey we can mark is the journey of Mary and Joseph.
A journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem,
probably quite a difficult trip.
Somewhere between 70 and 80 miles,
with a pregnant wife,
and I guess probably a fairly busy route,
as everyone else would have been moving about to register themselves,
so that God's plan would be fulfilled.
We don't really know how far in advance that they travelled,
or if the census had taken place,
or if they had remained in Bethlehem afterwards,
but the Bible says that while they were there,
the time came.
And as I've been reading this passage in Luke,
and as we've been working through chapter 1 and chapter 2,
I really enjoyed this next sentence that Luke records for us.
And it says this,
And she gave birth to her firstborn son,
and wrapped him in swaddling cloths,
and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
I want you to notice the simplicity
in the way that this is recorded.
It's probably one of the greatest events
ever in the history of all time.
And yet it's just detailed in three simple phrases.
She brought forth her son,
wrapped him in swaddling bands,
and laid him in a manger.
I really enjoyed the fact that there is something simple,
and straightforward,
and understated in that.
Jesus was born into poverty,
and also he was born into an outside place.
The creator, the maker, the sustainer,
enters the world as a baby
in humility,
in dignity,
and poverty.
The expectation was that the Messiah
would become as a mighty hero,
as a conquering king,
and as a strong warrior,
most likely bursting onto the stage
with noise and fanfare.
But instead, we find the promised saviour
coming into this world
in the weakness of a baby.
We just sung,
maker of Mary,
now Mary's child.
Now I can't imagine,
for those of you who don't know,
Rachel, my wife, is expecting,
but I can't imagine that Rachel
would like our firstborn
to be placed in a stone feeding trough,
or in a stable,
or a cave.
But Jesus was.
And it's interesting,
if you like to study,
you could do a little study
into this feeding trough,
have a look at
what happened
during the Passover
when they would select a lamb
and they would take care of it.
Well, it suggested that the lamb
was kept safe and clean
by placing them
into the same kind of manger.
Which is,
if that is true,
then it would be a beautiful picture
of the lamb of God
lying in a manger
like the lamb,
the Passover lamb.
I haven't done a huge amount of study.
I've read one or two bits.
So if you do want to study that,
then maybe over the next week
at Christmas time
when you've got some time off work,
that could be something
for you to look at.
But not only do we see
that Jesus was born in poverty,
in his birth,
we trace that through his life
and we see it in his death.
We read elsewhere in Scripture
that he became poor
for our sakes,
that we might be rich.
Jesus didn't come
to seek out fame
or fortune,
to be born into a palace
with money and wealth.
You know,
the only thing that Jesus
came to seek was the lost
and he is still seeking.
I think it's amazing
as we start to understand
the story of Jesus' birth
and his life
and his death
that we can really be taken up
with this simplicity
in what we are asked to believe.
What happened roughly
2,023 years ago
is recorded simply
and accurately
so that we might understand
how the God of creation,
the God of eternity,
is a God who wants
to be known by us.
A God who has made
the way known
to know him,
not something
that only the clever
or the wise can attain.
For Jesus reminds us
that it is the simple faith
that is required
to believe.
Which leads me on
to the second journey
in a reading
in this chapter.
And this is a journey
that the angels made
from heaven
to a hillside.
It's not the first
angelic appearance
in our song trilogy
over the last three weeks.
The angel appeared
both to Zechariah
and to Mary.
And in keeping
with the other appearances,
he invites the shepherds
to not be afraid.
We sometimes have
a rosy view
of the nativity scene.
I guess maybe
some of our Christmas cards
depict it in a way
that creates that soft,
fuzzy feeling within us.
But interrupting
this dark, quiet,
excuse me,
interrupting this
quiet and dark night,
this quiet and dark
hillside scene
was the presence
of an angel
and with him
the brightness
and the glory
of the Lord.
This angel
brought about
a message
to the world.
And in fact,
it is probably
the first gospel
message.
See, the angel
brought good news.
Literally,
it is the same word
that we use
for gospel.
And it is a good news
of great joy.
I think there is
no better message
and I guess
for all of us here
who are Christians
and we would agree
with this,
there is no better message
than that of the gospel
and we should not
be afraid of it.
It is a message
of God's love
and God's justice,
a message of his mercy
and his compassion,
but also of his righteousness
and his holiness.
It is interesting
that we see
this message
is declared
to shepherds.
Again,
I think we have
sometimes
a rosy
understanding
of what a shepherd is.
But in this day
that we are thinking about,
shepherds were not
people who were trusted.
They were
a kind of
outcast class
of society
and they were
unlikely to be
well educated either.
That they should come
and see the saviour
first of all
and to witness his birth
is quite remarkable.
We are told
that the shepherds
were so untrustworthy
in other places
that they weren't
even allowed
to be a witness
in a court
and yet God
chooses them
to witness
the birth
of his son.
The message
that the angels
brought was this,
a message
that a saviour
was born.
And I want to
emphasise that point
this morning.
Jesus is first
announced on the stage
as a saviour.
Not a king,
not a wise man,
not a judge
or a reformer,
but a saviour.
His name means
that he will save
and this is why
it is good news.
Not just good news
for the shepherds
or the Jews
or the people
of that time,
but for all people,
the angels said.
And the reason
for this is because
this is exactly
what this world
needed
and still needs.
A saviour
who would take away
the sins
of the world,
a saviour
that would reconcile
man to God.
I think it's still
amazing news
for all people.
You know,
we live in a world
as we've been thinking
about this year,
in fact the last two years
we've been thinking
about this a lot.
We live in a world
not unlike the world
that we've described
around the time
of Caesar Augustus.
There is war
going on,
there is unrest,
there is sadness.
Not just here in Edinburgh
or in Scotland,
but across the globe
this is the same.
But our message
of great joy
is just as powerful
today
as it was
then.
good news
that is indeed
great joy.
So what was the news then?
We thought about
how good it was
and how much joy
it would bring,
but what is this news?
Well, the angel said
to the shepherds this,
for unto you
is born this day
in the city of David
a saviour
which is Christ the Lord.
Probably a memory verse
that you came to Sunday school
or any other
church related activities.
Certainly in your schools
this is a verse
that children
would have learned
from whatever age.
And it's probably,
we often say that
John 3.16
is probably the best
known verse in the world
and it likely is.
But I would hazard a guess
that this is probably
one of the most
well known verses.
But even if you are
an atheist
or even if you don't
believe in God
then this is a verse
that you'll have seen
at Christmas time
over the years.
A saviour
who is Christ the Lord.
This is an amazing title.
It's not just
an announcement.
It's not just
a sentence.
It's a title.
Firstly, because
the word saviour,
he is a saviour
is expressed in his name
Jesus.
We know that that name
means that he will save.
Secondly,
he is the Christ,
the anointed of God,
the Messiah of Israel.
And thirdly,
he is the Lord,
God manifest in flesh.
The angels tell the shepherds
what's happening
down in Bethlehem
and not only
what's happening
but why it's happening.
It describes the scenes
and what to look for.
A baby wrapped
in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger.
They don't have to hope
that they're going
to find this baby.
The angel told them
that this would be a sign.
I don't know how many
other babies
would be born
in Bethlehem
at that time.
I mean,
certainly if you
go to your appointments
in the Simpsons Memorial
then you'll see a string
of people coming in and out
and I'm not sure
if it would have been
the same in Bethlehem
at that time
that there would have been
a number of babies born.
But this was the sign
that the angel told them
that a baby
wrapped in swaddling cloths
lying in a manger.
And then,
in stark contrast
to our first scene,
we see this good news
of great joy
erupting
in song
as suddenly
there is a great
heavenly host
joined with the angel
praising God
saying,
glory to God
in the highest
and on earth
peace,
good will
toward men.
Gloria
in excelsis
deo.
Glory to God
peace on earth.
We thought earlier
about Caesar Augustus
bringing peace
to the region
after he defeated
his enemies.
But peace
isn't just
the absence
of war
or the absence
of poverty
or the absence
of famine.
Augustus
couldn't bring peace
from passion
from grief
from envy
or guilt
and he cannot
give peace
of heart
for which
man yearns
more
than anything
else
even for
outward peace.
Now,
Jesus' life
in ministry
would bring
both glory
to God
in the highest
and it would
bring peace
on earth,
good will
towards men
or,
depending on
which version
you read,
peace among
those with
whom he is
pleased.
God is
well pleased
with those
who repent
of their
sin
and receive
Jesus Christ
as their
Lord and
Saviour.
The peace
that Jesus
offers us
is not,
as he reminds
us in John
14,
as the world
give peace.
It's not a
temporary,
fragile,
only to be
disturbed at
the slightest
offence
peace.
The peace
that is offered
by him
is deep
and eternal
and meaningful
peace.
One of
having no
enmity with
God,
not being an
enemy of
God,
in fact,
being a
friend of
God,
and if you,
I was smiling
as we sung it
because it's
in one of the
lines of the
hymns that we
sung this
morning.
Becoming a
friend of
God,
having no
burden of
our sin
or the guilt
of our sin
to deal with,
instead,
having our
sins removed
as far as
the east
is from
the west
and having
them remembered
no more.
Jesus takes
our sin
by his
atoning death
on the cross.
His death
is what brings
about peace.
And as
he becomes
our saviour,
he leads us
in a way
that allows
us to
enjoy that
peace that
passes all
human
understanding.
But in
order to
die,
he must
have been
born.
And that's
what we're
thinking about
this morning.
Well,
we've come
to our
third
journey.
As soon
as the
angels
departed,
the shepherds
hurried to
Bethlehem,
which is
probably the
first Christmas
rush.
I'm not sure
that they
would have
been dashing
through the
snow because
shepherds out
in the fields,
it was probably
quite a mild
winter in
Israel that
year.
But the
shepherds
rushed from
the hillside
to Bethlehem
to find the
one whom
they had
been told
about.
the third
journey in
our passage.
And oh,
did they have
a playlist.
They found
Mary and
Joseph and
Jesus lying
in a manger
and they
found him
because they
sought him.
They looked
for what was
told by the
angels and
they found
him.
Now, this
reminds me of
a verse in
Isaiah.
It says this,
you will seek
me and you
will find me
when you seek
me with all
your heart.
That's a
challenge for
us this
Christmas amid
the noise and
the chaos.
Are we
looking for
him?
Are we
seeking him?
The shepherds,
they came and
they gave a
complete report
of the angels
visit causing
probably quite
considerable
surprise amongst
those who had
gathered in
the stable.
As it says,
for all who
heard, they
wondered.
But Mary had
a deeper
understanding of
all these
things and she
treasured them
up in her
heart and
she knowingly
pondered them.
When you
leave here
today, I
wonder if I
can ask you
to wonder
about these
things and
to ponder
them in
your heart.
Do we
really
understand the
Christmas story?
Or do we
just understand
the historical
facts that we
thought about
this morning
about this
great episode
God in
Luke chapter
2?
Or does
the meaning
behind it
really create
a spark of
light and
joy in our
lives?
You see, the
shepherds returned
to their flocks
overjoyed in
all that they
had seen and
heard and
overflowing in
the worship of
God.
I think the
shepherds are
good examples
for us to
imitate today.
They received
by faith the
message that
God had
sent them
and they
responded with
immediate
obedience.
They came to
Jesus and
after finding
him, they
reported the
good news to
others, glorifying
and praising
God.
And then they
humbly returned
to their
duties.
Well, by
doing that,
they weren't
just the same
men going
back to the
same old
job.
You see, when
we find Jesus,
our lives
are changed.
You can't
come face
to face with
Jesus and
remain unchanged.
Now, I said
at the beginning,
the passage is a
fairly well-known
passage, and
just bear with me
for a few
minutes.
You see, even
though our
passage is very
well-known, it's
a story that
still requires a
response from
us.
Now, I
wonder if the
words of that
song that I
mentioned at the
start can be
changed slightly
for us.
I couldn't
care what's
under the
tree.
I don't
know what
I'm getting
for Christmas
this year,
but I hope
it draws me
to thee.
Verse 21
says this,
and on the
eighth day,
he was called
Jesus.
Why?
Because that
was the name
that was given
to him by the
angel before he
was conceived.
And because
that is the
name that
means he
will save
his people
from their
sin.
Whatever you
do today,
and whatever
you do
tomorrow,
maybe, and
even as we
sing this last
hymn, maybe
that we do
think about
this message
this morning,
that we
wonder about
it, that we
ponder about
it.
We don't
just think of
these journeys,
we don't
just think of
the songs,
we don't
just think of
the narrative
that we
read, and
if you don't
have a
Christmas tradition,
then maybe
this is one
tradition that
you could
take.
Read this
narrative every
Christmas.
But more
than that, I
wonder if we
could just
wonder and
ponder at
this so
that we
really understand
the real
meaning of
Christmas,
that Jesus
came to be
born in
order that he
might save
people from
their sins.
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