WEBVTT 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:03.120 Did you see the thing? 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:21.519 Good morning. 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:26.960 It's a great uh great passage to look at here this time of year. 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:29.519 I don't know why we why we talk about it this time of year. 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:30.160 No, I'm kidding. 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:35.280 Um if you don't know me, my name's Ben, um, and I'm one of the leaders here at City Church. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:39.439 If you know me, you'll know I have four children. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:47.679 And so every time one of them turned up, one of them came along, um, we'd make some kind of formal announcement for them. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:01:00.320 You know, we'd do something, we'd we'd we'd share a photo, we would uh give, you know, height and weight and the time and date of birth, and we would give their full legal official name. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:01.600 You know, even Zeke. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:04.000 Zeke joined our family when he was in primary school. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:06.239 We we even did something for him here. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:07.760 Um, yeah, there he was. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.480 See, this was at the family court when we adopted him. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:27.599 And um the the the text that we put out with that adoption was uh with that announcement was introducing Ezekiel Benjamin Lynn, seven years old, four feet two inches, fifty-three pounds, nine ounces, adopted forever, February 3rd, 2014. 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:28.640 And that's sweet. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:29.680 There we go, there we go. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:32.640 Put that up there in the second service to embarrass the poor kid. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:37.120 But but but uh that's that's really what we're dealing with in some ways this morning. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:46.159 This passage is a bit of a birth announcement, but instead of, you know, height and weight, time, date of birth, we've got some other details. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:51.840 So we'll have to take a look at that, but first let's go to the Lord and ask his help as we look at this passage. 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:55.359 Sorry. 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:56.959 Lord God, thank you for your love. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:58.959 Thank you that you're with us all the time. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:06.719 Thank you that we can come to your word and see a passage that perhaps we've we've seen before, we've heard before. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.800 Perhaps it's new to us. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:21.759 And Lord, we rely upon your spirit to make this clear to us, to help us to understand what you have for us this morning, that we might be changed, that we might be transformed by your word. 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.000 We thank you for this in Jesus' name. 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:24.879 Amen. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:30.159 So I've titled this talk, Jesus Has Come. 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:32.080 What are you gonna do about it? 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:36.319 So maybe it's a call, a birth announcement, and a and a call to action. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.639 But if you look at verses 8 to 14, this is kind of the Jesus has come bit. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:44.400 And 15 to 20 are the what are you gonna do about it bit. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.199 So let's start with Jesus Has Come. 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:49.120 And I really see two main subpoints. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.520 So not trying to be too much like Mark here, but two points, two subpoints, all kinds of stuff here. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:58.560 We want to look at why he's come, and we want to look at how he has come. 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:01.199 So we'll start off by looking at how he has come. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.319 If we take a look at verse 10, I'll read I'll read this for us. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:14.960 It says, And the angel came to them, said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:16.400 Now, fear not. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:22.639 This is the third time in less than two chapters in this in this uh Gospel of Luke that we've seen an angel appear. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.919 And every time the angel starts off with, Don't be afraid. 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:31.039 I think this would be a pretty overwhelming experience to see an angel appear before you. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:34.960 But it's not meant to terrify, it's not meant to overwhelm us. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.840 And I think we can see that in the reaction of the of the shepherds. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:41.680 They're not they're not running away, they're not fainting, they're not freezing up here. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.639 But the angel gives them good news. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:48.960 He says, This is good news of great joy, and it's for all the people. 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:54.080 Now, we're all individuals, we all have different tastes and different things that are interesting to us. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:04:00.240 So the idea of good news that's for all the people, that's that's a pretty big deal. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:01.599 Give you an example. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.360 Good news for me this year, my favorite baseball team won the World Series. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:09.039 How many of you put up your hands if that's good news of great joy for you? 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:10.159 Okay, not very many. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:11.280 I'll try a few more. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:16.399 Pennies, the store, they're doing all night shopping. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.199 Just so you can get just put your hand up if you think that's good news. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:20.879 All right, very good, very good. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:24.800 Um, the Fast and the Furious movie franchise has announced they're done. 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:26.000 No more movies? 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:27.199 Okay, all right. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:32.079 On the other hand, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has announced ten more movies in the next three years. 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:36.399 So there's loads of things that we could look at. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:38.560 But good news is something that we can all differ on. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:44.480 You remember at the beginning of the lockdown how John Krasinski came out with the you know, some good news YouTube show? 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:45.360 We all watched that. 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:47.439 We're like, oh, that's sweet, that's really cool. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:52.800 And then he did seven more episodes that I don't think anybody else watched, but that's how it works. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.879 So, good news of great joy, this is this is something that's a big deal. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.800 It's it's an important thing. 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:07.759 Verse 11 spells it out, and it says, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:14.079 Well, now we have something to dig into a little bit and see what this good news is all about. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:18.160 We can see how the angel describes Jesus. 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:21.839 He says, He's a savior who is Christ the Lord. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:25.600 There's three three terms in there that we want to look at, right? 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:26.319 Savior. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:27.600 He says he's a savior. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:30.720 This is not really a term that we use outside of the church. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:35.759 You know, we think about a savior at something that's kind of a fairly Christianese word. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:43.600 Um, but a savior is just somebody who rescues, someone who saves, someone who protects, someone who makes makes whole. 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:52.800 Um Gandalf in the second movie, yeah, when he came and and they were all under siege and he he brought the army, and yeah, he was the savior there. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:54.319 That was that was a pretty cool thing. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:55.439 I think I remember that. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.079 But um that's that's what a savior is. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:00.240 The next term that he gives is Christ. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:05.920 And again, this is a word that we only really use with Jesus, or if we've stubbed our toe or something like that. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:09.759 But what does Christ mean? 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:10.800 What does it mean? 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:14.639 It's not it's not a word that we use, it means anointed one. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:19.360 All right, so it's it's it's the same as the Hebrew word for Messiah. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:24.319 Now, in the Old Testament, uh, we can see this, because this is how the shepherds would have understood it. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:36.480 In the Old Testament, we can see that anointing was a sign that uh that God was going to use someone for a special purpose, that prophets, priests, kings, they were all anointed. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:44.560 A great example of this is in 1 Samuel chapter 16, if you want to look back into the Old Testament there, where King David was anointed. 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:49.279 He was proclaimed to be God's king over God's people. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:51.040 So that's what Christ means. 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:55.360 And finally, we have the Lord, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:07:02.480 And this one here is probably the easiest one for us to figure out, because he's talking about the Lord Almighty, the Lord God. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:17.279 So, what we have, if we're to sum up what the angels are pointing to, it says that this is a rescuer who's designated by God for special work in the kingdom, who is also God Himself. 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:22.000 This is something that can only really point to Jesus. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:26.079 And so this gives us an idea of our first sub-point here. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:27.600 Why has he come? 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:32.959 He's come to save, he's come to rescue, and he's come to do God's work of salvation. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:41.279 So if we look at in verses 13 and 14, the angel says this is good news of great joy. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:44.240 And we see the proper response. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:56.959 The angel, this one angel, is joined by a whole group of other angels, and they start into a chorus of glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:08:06.240 So the heavenly choir here, the appearance of these guys up in there, really gives us an idea that this is a big event in the history of the universe. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.800 This is where the kingdom of God breaks into our world. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:19.839 This is where the descendant of Eve, who will crush the head of the serpent and break the curse of Genesis 3, way back at the beginning of the Bible, the promised one. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.199 This is where he's born. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:25.759 This is where the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 makes his appearance. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:28.480 In fact, it's in Isaiah chapter 9. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.519 This is 700 years before this moment that this was written. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:37.679 Isaiah chapter 9, we read about a child who would be born and who would be the prince of peace. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.039 The angels are proclaiming peace on earth. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:50.639 This is peace that has been fractured, that has been damaged ever since the fall of man, ever since the first couple chose to sin in the Garden of Eden. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:58.559 And this is the beginning of God's plan to repair that, to restore that, to redeem, and to reconcile. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:05.120 Everything before this moment in Scripture is looking ahead to this moment. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:16.799 The Apostle Peter writes about the age before Jesus where prophets and angels alike longed to see when the Savior would appear. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:18.879 Now he's appeared. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:21.360 And so the angels are gonna sing. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.480 So keep the angels in mind as we move over to our second point here. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.519 We've seen why Jesus has come. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.279 But let's look now at how he's come. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:37.120 Luke calls the angels a heavenly host. 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:39.759 Now, heavenly host, this is a military term. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:45.120 Nowadays we might say like a squadron or a regiment, you know, or division of angels. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.759 It's a military term, but they're coming proclaiming peace. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:10:00.879 So a group of soldiers singing about peace, well, that's almost as unexpected as the God of all creation coming as a baby and lying in a manger. 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:03.120 How has Jesus come? 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.480 He's come in ways that defy our understanding. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:11.360 The angels are declaring the biggest news since creation, and who are they telling? 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:14.000 They're not up in Jerusalem telling King Herod. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:23.519 They're not at the temple talking to high priests and worshipers there, not talking to the rich and the powerful in the upper crust of you know Bethlehem Jerusalem society. 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:26.000 They're out in the field. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.480 They're talking to shepherds, right? 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:42.480 I've nothing against shepherds, nothing, nothing to say bad about them, but the news could have gone to any number of people who were higher up on the food chain, better financed, more powerful, more important. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:47.440 But this is, we've talked about this before, this is the upside-down kingdom. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:53.519 Mary sang about this in chapter one, in the in the sermon that Mark preached two weeks ago. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:11:00.399 It says, He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:02.240 Now, why is that? 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:02.799 Why is that? 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:07.360 We we we like to look at that and say, well, that's because the hungry and the poor, maybe they're maybe they're more virtuous. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:08.799 And I don't think that's it. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:11.440 I think it's because we're all poor. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:14.080 We're all hungry, right? 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:22.000 It's when we let our own goodness and our good wealth, you know, distract us from the fact that we're poor and hungry. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:28.320 The sooner that we recognize that we're poor and hungry, the sooner we see our need of the Savior. 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:39.440 So the angels have appeared to the shepherds, told them that a Savior who is Christ the Lord is a newborn lying in a feeding trough. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:43.600 It's not exactly the way we would expect him to come. 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:46.639 So, what does this show us? 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:50.080 I mean, it shows us that God's ways are not our ways. 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:53.919 He operates on a completely different program than we do. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:59.440 But more than that, we see that God's power is not rooted in the power of this world. 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:03.759 This world is broken, this world is tainted by sin. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:10.080 And so God's power in a lot of ways stands in opposition to the power of this world. 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:19.759 So it should be no surprise that this great moment of redemptive history is played out in ways that seem weak and foolish to the world systems there. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:30.240 Paul, the Apostle Paul, wrote to the to the Corinthian church that the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.440 This Christian economy is so different. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:38.000 It's where it's where God's strength is made perfect in weakness. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:44.720 It's where we're healed through Christ's wounds, it's where we're blessed in our suffering. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:48.159 So, our first point here, Jesus has come. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.120 I hope we're getting a taste of how big of a deal this is. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:55.679 Uh, his his advent inaugurated the kingdom of God. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:01.679 And just to give us a just to give us a picture of this, one month from today there's a different inauguration going on. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.600 In my home country, the U.S., we've got uh got our presidential inauguration. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:10.720 Now, shift shift your attention just for a minute from Bethlehem's Fields over to uh Washington, D.C. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:11.120 for me. 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.200 Just picture this in your mind with me. 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:17.759 So be a hundred thousand people packing them all. 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:30.320 There'll be news crews, there'll be cameras, they'll be, you know, the marine band and all of these exalted old buildings and monuments, historical places and stuff like that. 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:41.600 And it will all be focused, all the attention will be focused on the one podium where the president to be will stand up and he will give a speech and he will address and all of these things. 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:44.799 The world watches eagerly. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:49.200 But imagine, imagine if he didn't turn up. 00:13:49.440 --> 00:14:00.879 Imagine if the person who's been elected president, imagine if he just wasn't there, and you've got all of these people, all of these plans and parades and pomp and circumstance ready for him, and he's not there. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:08.480 Instead, you find out later, maybe, maybe he went off to some homeless shelter or a soup kitchen and took the oath of office privately. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:09.279 Right? 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:20.879 And I'm not talking about like for for camera crews and making himself look good, not with a bunch of hype, but just kind of quietly did it in an inconspicuous place with regular people. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:22.639 What would that tell you? 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:29.039 What would that communicate without saying anything about what that presidency would be about? 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:33.440 So shift us back into uh back into our passage here. 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:35.120 Think about our shepherds. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:44.399 How do you think they would have understood this idea of good news, of great joy that will be for all the people? 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:47.519 Friends, Jesus has come. 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:53.200 He's come to carry out God's plan of rescue, and he's come in a way that sets aside the power structures of this world. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:58.559 Much later in his life, Jesus would say, My kingdom is not of this world. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:02.399 And can you see how this has been true from the very first day? 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:08.799 Going on with our passage, we come to our second point. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:11.440 Second point is, what are you gonna do about it? 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.720 So we started with the shepherds. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.440 So let's see how they answer this question. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:22.080 In verse 15, it says, The angels went away from them into heaven. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:31.200 The shepherds said to one another, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:34.960 Verse 16 says, They went with haste. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:36.960 Now the angel didn't tell them to rush over. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:39.120 He didn't say, you know, this is a limited time offer. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:41.759 Didn't say, you know, they're only going to be there for a few minutes. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:46.799 Women who've just delivered their babies usually don't just pick up and move along to the next town. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:55.519 But the news they had received was so compelling, was so exciting, they just couldn't wait to go and see for themselves. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:59.279 So it says that they that they hustled on over there. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:01.120 We get the sense that they left right away. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:03.440 They left their sheep up on the hillside there. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:08.240 And we might be tempted to think, oh, it's because of the spectacle, right? 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:14.960 They saw these angels and it was a very big, bright, flashy show, and so they were just running on adrenaline. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.320 But look at the way that they talk about it. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:23.360 It says, let's go see what the Lord has made known to us. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.559 See, they understood that it wasn't about the angels. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:28.960 The angels, the angels were just God's messenger. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:35.039 Angel means messenger, but they understood that this was a revelation from God. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:36.799 And that's why it was important. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:42.399 Their focus was on God, and it was God who sent the angels to share this good news. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:59.679 So the fact that they left right away, the fact that they that they hurried down to Bethlehem, the fact that they turned up and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, that they were telling everybody what they were told, these are actions that are based in faith. 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:07.039 They believed the God of the Bible, they had confidence that he would follow through on his promise to redeem. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:11.519 They had hope and expectancy in all of this. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.319 So, really, that's what faith is. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.319 That's what faith does. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:18.799 It leads them to action. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.799 This is faith lived out in the real world. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.799 If the shepherds had seen the angel and said, Yeah, that's cool. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:28.319 Maybe we'll maybe we'll uh ask around about that tomorrow or the next day. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:30.720 Maybe we'll maybe we'll look into it then. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:35.599 What would that have said about the faith that the uh shepherds had at that time? 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:38.400 But they didn't, they hurried down. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:44.400 Verse 18 says, and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.559 Now we don't know how many people the shepherds told. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:51.359 Uh the angel said, Born this day. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:56.480 The angel said, a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:02.079 So Bethlehem probably wasn't a huge town, you know, a thousand people or less. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:10.400 But the shepherds probably had to go around and ask around, knock on some doors, try and figure out, you know, does anybody know what this means? 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:13.119 Does anybody know where we can find this child? 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:19.920 So they probably knocked on a few doors, and then when they finally did turn up at this inn, probably would have been fairly disruptive, right? 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:24.079 A bunch of shepherds coming in and they're talking about an angel and lights and this and that. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:38.559 So the all who heard from that verse could have included townspeople, could have included kind of the staff at the inn, the family that ran the inn, could have included the other guests at the inn. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:41.519 Remember, the angels said the good news was for all people. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:45.519 Maybe they wanted to start getting the word out as they went. 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:47.920 But how did these others respond? 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:50.079 That's what I want us to look at here. 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:54.960 The ESV, the Bible translation that we're looking at here, says that they wondered. 00:18:55.839 --> 00:19:02.079 Other Bible translations say they were amazed or astounded or surprised. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:11.119 Funny thing about those words is they don't tell us, is this a good surprise or a bad surprise? 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:17.599 Is this a joyful wonder or an I wonder if this even matters? 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:24.240 We don't know if this is an I'm amazed at what God is doing, or I'm amazed that you woke me up with this. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:28.640 It seems like Luke maybe leaves it vague intentionally. 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:31.839 But in verse 19, we get a little contrast here. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:38.400 He says, but Mary treasured up these things, treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:40.079 It starts with but. 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:47.200 And that tells us that that's a different kind of response than the other people maybe had. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:51.359 So remember, Mary, Mary here is the insider. 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:58.079 She's known that this Jesus was coming, she's known that this was God's plan of redemption. 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:01.599 She's known for, you know, at least the last nine months. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.640 Um, so it's not new to her. 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:09.200 She's she's had time to grasp kind of the significance of the moment. 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:12.079 And her attitude is more reflective. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:17.359 I I don't think it's that the moment is leaving her cold, I don't think that she's, you know, kind of immune to it. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:20.319 It says that she treasured up these things. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:31.279 And we know that what uh what her response was in the beginning when this was first shared with her back in chapter one, was her response was worshipful. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:32.880 It was humble. 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:42.880 So there's a thread of Jesus has come that's all through the second section, even though this is our you know, what are you gonna do about it section? 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.920 It's what are you gonna do about the idea that Jesus has come? 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:49.839 Verse 15 is Jesus has come, let's go see. 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:54.319 Verse 17, we're here because we heard Jesus has come. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:59.440 Verse 18, everyone wondered at the news that Jesus has come. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.480 Verse 19, Mary treasured the news that Jesus had come. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:15.920 And finally, verse 20 says, And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen, all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:26.480 In other words, they heard, they saw, they heard that Jesus had come, they saw it, and they went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:33.839 God's revelation to them that Jesus has come had been heard, had been acted upon, and it had been confirmed. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:42.160 And the result with the shepherds is right where the angels started with glory to God in the highest. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:47.440 So again, our second point is what are you gonna do about it? 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:51.200 We can see a variety of responses in the text. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:58.079 We see wonder and surprise, we see excitement and worship, we see quiet reflection. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.680 And now 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.640 Think we really have the opportunity to look at these responses for ourselves. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:06.480 Jesus has come. 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:08.559 What am I gonna do about it? 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:13.119 Well, maybe you're listening this morning and you're like the shepherds. 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:22.240 Maybe this is just such an exciting thing that stirs you up, it energizes you, it stirs up your faith and it drives you to action. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:26.480 This is good news of great joy for all people. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:28.160 And you're in. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:31.039 Maybe you're more like Mary. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:36.640 The news that Jesus has come draws you to quiet reflection and thankfulness. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:41.920 It's a familiar story, but the familiarity hasn't taken away its impact. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:50.319 And let me say both the response of Mary and the response of the shepherds, I think these are good biblical responses. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:23:02.319 They both result in worship, they both drive us to action, and they're both kind of normal expressions of the Christian life. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:12.480 The same gospel that stirs us up sometimes in joyful praise will also sometimes lead us into somber contemplation and reflection. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:17.599 Maybe you're listening and you're more like the onlookers. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:21.359 You're surprised, you're in wonder, maybe, maybe a little bit uncertain. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:23.119 Maybe you've never heard this story before. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.000 I don't know. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:27.599 Maybe you've heard it and you're understanding it in a new way. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.519 If that's you today, I'm glad you're listening. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:34.319 And can we invite you to find out more? 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:37.920 Can we invite you to follow up on this Jesus? 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:40.880 The idea that Jesus has come is intriguing. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:46.640 And so there are people here who would love to answer questions, who would love to talk through the gospel. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:49.440 I'd be glad to do that after the service. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:56.720 Even in January, in the new year, we're going to be offering a four-week course that just looks at the basic claims of Christianity. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:05.759 If you're intrigued, if you're in wonder, if you're just unsure what this is all about, that might be a good place to get some questions answered. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:09.279 And, you know, in the meantime, we would love to talk with you. 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:13.119 And the passage doesn't mention it. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:18.160 But it stands to reason there was a fourth response in Bethlehem that night. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:19.920 Those who did nothing. 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:22.559 Maybe you're listening today. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:23.519 And that's you. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:26.160 Maybe, maybe you don't see what all the fuss is about. 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.519 And if that's you, again, thanks for listening. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:36.880 But like the group I just addressed, I would encourage you to lean in, to get your questions answered. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:42.400 Because the truth of this passage is that Jesus has indeed come. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:45.440 And it's good news for all people. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:53.359 Not just for people who are good enough, not just for people who are religious enough, not just for people who are of the right background. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:03.519 The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in his first letter to him, he says that God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:08.720 And he also writes that this is only possible through the one mediator who is Jesus. 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:10.799 All people to be saved. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:12.799 This is good news for all people. 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:14.720 So Jesus has come. 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:16.960 What are you going to do about it? 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:26.960 Finally, City Church, us as a gathered group of believers here, let's be like the shepherds. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:33.119 Let's be encouraged to let the good news, the gospel, drive us into action. 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:38.079 Let's watch with expectancy to see God at work. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:46.559 Let's hurry to be part of this story and let's live our lives to glorify and praise God wherever we go. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:49.279 Let's pray. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:59.279 Lord God, we thank you for this passage and just all the different responses that are recorded in Luke's gospel there, Lord. 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:05.599 We thank you that that we can see different ways that we might respond to this, Lord. 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:12.880 I pray that our response in all of it would be worshipful, that it would be to come to you. 00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:14.240 Jesus has come. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:16.799 So let us respond in faith. 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:31.519 Lord, I pray that if there are those who are listening to whom this is new information, that you would uh encourage them and that they would be uh able to come forward and and speak to people and get their questions answered. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:38.720 Lord, thank you as we as we as we turn now and sing uh songs that uh celebrate the birth of Jesus. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:44.079 Lord, let us uh let us sing them in light of this wonderful news that we've just heard. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:46.559 It's in his name we pray. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:47.119 Amen.