Bibles. If you want to read along, you can. If not, you can just listen. We're going to
talk a little bit about Christmas and what it's all about.
If you would, please pray with me before we start.
Lord, we thank you for this gathering and we thank you for this season and for the
joy and the blessing it is to many of us. And Lord, we pray now that you would help us.
Help us to hear this story afresh. Help us to see it with new eyes. Lord, help us to
hear the good news of great joy for all people that we see in this story and in this holiday
season and what Christmas is all about. Lord, I pray for your help. Lord, that I would speak your
words and for all of us that we would hear your voice and your word. We pray this tonight in Jesus'
name. Amen.
Well, there's something special about Christmas, isn't there?
Oh, some of us may be curmudgeons and sort of resent the demands and the expectations and the
busyness that often comes along with it. But there is something special. The city is lighted up.
People greet one another on the street a little more happily. There is a lightness and a joy
and a beauty of it. I wonder why that is. I wonder what it is about Christmas that
allows our whole society even to take a deep breath and be caught up in something.
I wonder if it speaks to a longing in our hearts, to a desire that the world would be
a place full of more light, more joy, more warmth. That in Christmas there is in fact a
promise that the world could be something more than what it is.
I propose to you tonight that there is. And that we see this in the story that we saw in the book
of Luke. That in fact what Christmas points us to is glory. Now what do I mean by glory? Well,
if you look it up in the dictionary in the OED, it has a number of different definitions. But
something that has high renown and honor, something that has magnificence and great beauty.
So we think of, use it in terms of the glory of the Sistine Chapel with its architecture and its
artwork. We would use it for glory as of a Hawaiian sunset. We'd use it of the glory of the one who wins
the New York Marathon. It is a characteristic of something that is awesome, beautiful, and great.
Something with transcendent worth and value that is on display.
And I would propose to you tonight that we were made for glory and that we thirst for glory. And as
we encounter these things and whatever it is for you, these things that tap into our hearts and make us
feel this longing for something more. It is that thirst for glory that is being expressed.
And yet even as we feel that and hear that, we hear the words of the writer C.S. Lewis who warns us
this, they are not the things themselves. They are only the scent of a flower we have not found. The echo of a tune
we have not heard. News from a country that we have not yet visited.
These glimpses of glory that we have in life are meant to point us to something
that is real and is eternal.
And it is in fact at the very center of Christmas.
The Christmas season, I believe, is so special to us
because it points us to glory.
In the passage we just read in the book of Luke,
we actually see glory
breaking in.
The word glory breaks
through the narrative in three
different places. And it teaches
us a little bit about what this is
and what we are made for.
So as we look at it
briefly together, I hope we'll
be able to see that together.
First of all, we see
starting in verse 8, the story of the shepherds
out in the fields at night
and the glory of God
comes into the darkness.
And that darkness is a literal darkness, isn't it?
For they're out in their fields at night
watching over their sheep.
But it is much more than that, isn't it?
It is coming into the darkness of
the plight of the nation of Israel
under oppression
from foreign rule,
suffering under
the Roman leadership.
It is the darkness
of a nation
disappointed with God.
Could it be better than this?
Is this all that you have for us?
And it comes
not to palaces
or to
places of great wealth
or prosperity,
but it comes to shepherds.
shepherds
the dark margins
of society.
Shepherding was not
a respected
profession.
And a shepherd
would be more likely
shunned than welcomed
even in a gathering
like this
tonight.
And yet
what we see
in this story
in verse 9
is that the angel
appears
and the glory
of the Lord
shone,
literally bright light
that lit up
the darkness.
it turned
what was dark
into light.
But more than that
it came with a message
of glory.
The angel
came and said
behold I bring you
good tidings
of great joy
which will be
for all
the people.
And the shepherds
sitting there
were reminded
that God
has not forgotten
them
or abandoned
them
and that the
darkness
does not win.
Maybe tonight
you have come
here
bearing much
darkness
in your life.
Maybe the darkness
of grief
and loss.
Maybe the darkness
of despair
at our country
and how broken
our society
and our world
are.
Maybe you have
seen the darkness
in your own life
well up
and spill
out
in destruction
in your
relationships
and in your
life
and you hate
it as much
as you feel
helpless
to change it.
Maybe you feel
like you're
one of those
on the margins
of society
like the shepherds
and maybe
like Israel
you're here
wondering about
your life
really God
is this it?
Is this as good
as it can get?
Does it get
any better
than this?
Into our
darkness
God has come
in glory.
The angels
show up
and there's
this bright
display of glory
with this
pronouncement
but then you
see in verses
11 and
following
the story
goes on
because the
glory isn't
just nice
platitudes
be warm
and well fed
it's the most
wonderful time
of the year
it's not
a platitude
the Christmas
message comes
with glory
that is centered
on a person
you see glory
in verse 14
as it's shown
the heavenly
host shows up
and sings
glory to God
in the highest
but what is it
that they are
singing about
that causes
them to say
this?
It's in verse
11 and 12
the announcement
for unto you
is born
this day
in the city
of David
a savior
who is
Christ
the Lord
and this
will be
a sign
for you
you will
find a
baby
wrapped
in swaddling
claws
and lying
in a manger
you see
when God
displays
his glory
he doesn't
do it
simply
with platitudes
but he does
it with a
person
and what a
person
it is
for this
person
has been
given
grand
titles
he is
the savior
the one
to come
to deliver
his people
from their
plight
he is
the Christ
which is
Greek
for Messiah
the anointed
one of God
the long
hoped for
one
who will
make things
right
he is
called
the Lord
the one
who comes
with authority
and sovereign
power
who will
not bow
to any
other
and who
comes
to reign
the announcement
of the angels
was that
there is one
who would
come to do
all these
things
and yet
he is
a baby
wrapped
in swaddling
clothes
and lying
in a manger
not a crib
not a home
not a maternity
ward
but an animal
stall
and a feeding
trough
the way
that God
shows his
glory
in the world
is so
unlike
the way
we seek
glory
in our own
lives
isn't it
for when
we seek
glory
when I
seek
glory
it is
by me
performing
and producing
and then
calling everyone
else to say
look how
great I
am
and so
often
on the
pursuit
of my
own
glory
I find
that I
use
people
I find
that I
discard
them
when they
are unhelpful
in my
pursuit
of glory
I find
that all
of my
life
becomes
warped
about
me
being
seen
as
great
but
when
this
baby
comes
he
comes
with
this
incredible
juxtaposition
for he
is
labeled
to be
great
he
will
be
the
great
one
who
will
do
all
these
great
things
and yet
he
comes
in
humility
and in
meekness
and in
weakness
imagine
what the
shepherds
must have
thought
could it
be true
could it
be true
that God
has come
for
one like
me
is it
possible
that the
deepest
longings
of my
heart
could be
met
tonight
in this
baby
could it
be the
things that
I barely
hope to
dream
or hope
for
because they
seem
impossible
might
actually
be true
that God
might have
heard me
in my
crying out
for help
and that
he has
done
something
about
it
the glory
of God
in this
baby
continues
in the
glory
of this
one
Jesus
as he
grows
and as
he lives
his
life
you read
the rest
of the
gospel
of Luke
which the
author
Luke
called
an
orderly
account
so that
his
readers
might have
certainty
concerning
these
things
regarding
Jesus
that
is
he's
trying
to lay
out
a
faithful
rendition
of who
this
man
was
that
he
would
come
with
both
this
greatness
and
this
humility
and that
in that
would be
his
glory
for
he
would
come
and as
an
adult
man
he
would
come
and he
would
do
amazing
things
he
would
heal
the
blind
he
would
raise
the
dead
he
would
feed
the
hungry
he
would
set
the
captives
free
from
oppression
he
would
come
and do
all of
these
wonderful
things
transforming
the
lives
of those
that he
came in
touch
with
and yet
he
would
do
so
as an
outsider
not in
the halls
of power
but wandering
in the
fields
not as
one
revered
but as
one
reviled
by those
in
power
culminating
his
life
and
ministry
at the
cross
where he
the
lord of
life
the
god
of
the
universe
come
to
earth
become
a
human
being
humbled
himself
and
laid
down
his
life
taking
on
the
darkness
of
this
world
so
that he
might
rescue
us
from
it
he
laid
down
his
glory
in
order
to
pick
up
a
different
kind
of
glory
he
muted
his
glory
in
his
divinity
for a
season
so that
he
might
take
it
up
as
a
savior
forever
in
his
death
he
died
to
rescue
us
from
the
darkness
and
in
his
resurrection
he
proved
his
power
that
death
and
darkness
would
not
have
the
last
word
but
that
he
the
giver
and
the
author
of
life
would
give
to
all
who
received
him
to
all
who
believed
in
his
name
this
is
the
glory
of
this
baby
this
is
the
trajectory
of
the
story
of
what
Christmas
is
all
about
friends
God
has
come
to
this
world
he
has
come
to
us
in
our
darkness
and
he
has
met
us
in
the
person
of
Jesus
and
that's
why
we
celebrate
Christmas
but
it's
not
just
a
historical
looking
back
to
2000
so
or so
years
ago
to
historical
event
that
happened
back
then
but
it's
meant
as
it
did
for
the
shepherds
then
is
meant
for
us
now
for
the
story
continues
in
verses
15
through
20
the
shepherds
having
heard
this
great
announcement
abandon
their
livelihoods
abandon
their
field
and
they
go
to
Bethlehem
they
go
to
find
this
one
who
has
been
announced
and
when
they
find
him
in
the
manger
as
they
were
told
they
tell
Mary
and
Joseph
what
they
had
seen
and
heard
and
all
there
marveled
at
the
account
and
as
they
leave
we
see
the
third
breakthrough
of
glory
in
this
for
they
went
away
glorifying
God
you
see
what
that
means
is
that
they
were
so
caught
up
in
the
glory
that
had
been
announced
and
the
glory
that
they
saw
as
they
were
able
to
see
this
baby
they
realized
that
this
was
the
hope
of
all
their
hearts
longings
and
desires
and
that
in
this
baby
they
would
find
all
that
they
were
looking
for
that
they
would
be
caught
up
in
his
glory
by
believing
in
him
that
they
would
be
glorified
and
then
would
in
turn
glorify
God
that
is
they
would
by
believing
in
this
son
they
would
find
their
own
glory
given
not
by
their
own
effort
but
bestowed
upon
them
by
being
connected
with
this
Jesus
in
the
coming
of
Jesus
glory
has
come
it's
come
with
an
invitation
for
us
come
follow
me
come
believe
in
me
come
trust
in
me
Jesus
says
to
us
let
all
your
lesser
aspirations
your
lesser
successes
your
lesser
moments
of
beauty
and
wonder
your
lesser
glories
point
you
to
the
author
of
all
glory
the
glory
that
you
were
made
for
being
God's
being
God's
person
and
knowing
him
and
when
we
abandon
ourselves
to
the
glory
of
Jesus
we
find
that
we
are
caught
up
into
a
glory
that
fills
us
with
a
glory
that
is
inexpressible
and
filled
with
great
joy
the
invitation
is to
come
and
worship
come
and
worship
come
find
the
glory
of
this
baby
Jesus
fall
on
your
knees
and
worship
him
tonight
Jesus
Christ
the
newborn
king
let's
pray
together
Lord
we
come
to
you
tonight
recognizing
that
you
have
broken
into
this
world
Lord
with
glory
for
us
Lord
we
confess
that
we
often
seek
glory
on
our
own
apart
from
you
Lord
I
pray
tonight
that
Lord
you
would
help
us
to
know
that
the
glory
that
we
long
for
is
found
ultimately
and
only
in
you
Lord
that
you
would
turn
our
hearts
towards
you
tonight
in
faith
and
in
hope
in
joy
and
in
worship
we
pray
these
things
in
Jesus
name
Amen
Well
friends
as we
come to
near the
end of
our
service
tonight