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You can turn in your Bibles to 
Luke chapter 2. Luke 2, we'll read from verse 
1 to verse 14. Luke 2, beginning in verse 1, 
once again, the Word of God. And it came to pass in those 
days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the 
world should be registered. This census first took place 
while Quirinius was governing Syria, so all went to be registered, 
everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, 
out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, 
which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage 
of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who 
was with child. So it was that while they were 
there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And 
she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling 
cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for 
them in the inn. Now there were in the same country 
shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock 
by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord 
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 
and they were greatly afraid. 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. For there is born to you this 
day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this 
will be the sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped 
in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there 
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising 
God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, goodwill toward men. Amen. Well, let's go again to 
our Lord God in prayer to ask His blessing upon the word preached. Heavenly Father, we ask now that 
you would help us in this act of worship, the preaching of 
your word. We do pray that you would help both preacher and 
hearer, that we might be engaged, that we might be attentive unto 
your word and spirit, that we might rejoice in the Christ of 
this passage, and that we might avail of the salvation that is 
herein offered. that saints would be strengthened 
in theirs, and that sinners would come to theirs, that you would, 
by your grace, cause them to be saved unto the praise of your 
glory, that they would, again, that they would leave this place, 
God, singing the praises of this Christ, just as the angels did 
so many years ago. Be with us now, and might this 
exercise be unto the praise of your Most High Name. And it's 
in the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Well, 
Whether people like it or not, and whether or not people attempt 
each and every year to jettison the name of Christ from contemplations 
every winter, every December, our thoughts are at this time 
of year drawn to that babe wrapped in swaddling bands lying in a 
feed trough. We come to this passage and we 
find one that is very often quoted and repeated at this time of 
year, whether in entertainment media, songs, these sorts of 
things as you walk through Walmart to buy your eggs and parsnips, 
you might hear a song containing the theology and the language 
of this passage being played over the speakers. All of that 
to say, our thoughts are drawn usually this time of year to 
thoughts of the baby Christ, the nativity, and the narrative 
concerning the birth of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 
With our Protestant freedom unbound by any holy day of observation 
or any such season, let's examine this wonderful passage and look 
at a number of things. We're going to look at three 
things, in fact, if the Lord will allow and if time will allow. 
Those three things are simply this, the natal exposition, the 
angelic proclamation, and the doxological exclamation. tion 
words in there, but we'll talk about what that means as we move 
along. We find in verses one to 14, 
the account of the baby Christ as Luke two moves along. And 
as we arrive at Luke three, we find the account moving from 
the baby Christ to the child Christ, to the boy Christ. And 
then finally time fast forwards, if you will. And we get to a 
biblical narrative concerning the adulthood of Christ and his 
earthly ministry. But we're concerned in verses 
1 to 14 with the birth of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And so first off, from verses 1 to 7, we want to note the natal 
exposition. What does that mean? Well, natal 
simply pertains to birth. And so we want to look at the 
opening up of the exposition, the disclosure of the facts of 
the birth narrative. And notice first, we find the 
noting of the period in verses 1 to 3. the period of Christ's 
birth. Notice in verses 1 to 3 what 
we find, and it came to pass in those days that a decree went 
out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 
This census first took place while Quirinius was governing 
Syria, so all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. We 
talk about noting the period, we're not talking about arguing 
for December 25th as the date of Christ's birth. That's not 
what we need to argue, and I would I would submit that no preacher 
should ever argue for that, whether in short or at length. We take 
the advice of Jencks, or we observe his comment. Learned and pious 
men have trifled egregiously on this subject, the exact month 
and date of the birth of Christ, making that of importance which 
the Holy Spirit, by His silence, has plainly informed them, is 
of none. In other words, as one old Roman 
historian have noted, there were about 136 opinions as to when 
the exact date of Christ was born, and some coming from each 
and every month of the year. We do know this, though, that 
Christ was born. That Christ was born 2,000 years 
ago to Joseph and to Mary, and that this Christ was no earthly 
child, but that he was the Son of the Most High, who took to 
himself man's nature, with all the essential properties and 
common infirmities thereof, yet without sin, and saves men to 
the uttermost, all those who come nigh by his blood." But 
noting the period, we do want to note, first off, historical 
veracity. That simply means, guys, that 
simply means, adults and children, the certain historical truthfulness 
of the account. Notice, and we've said this before, 
notice that the writers of Holy Scripture don't deliver the narratives 
to us. They don't deliver the biblical 
record and the history to us in the flavor of once upon a 
time. The incipit of Luke, that is 
the beginning of his letter, doesn't come to us in the manner 
of a dark and stormy night or on a dark and stormy night. Turn 
to Luke 1 and see. the historical veracity, that 
is, the certain truthfulness, that these things took place, 
what Luke discloses to us. Luke 1 verse 1, inasmuch as many 
have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things 
which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the 
beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered 
them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding 
of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, 
most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of 
those things in which you were instructed." You see, it is a 
good habit of Luke, a good pattern in Luke's writing to bring forth 
the time in which things took place. In this case, when Caesar 
Augustus sent the decree for these to be engaged in a census. Notice as well in Luke 3 at verse 
1, the same pattern of Luke introducing and always arguing for the historical 
veracity, placing things in their proper time period. Now, in the 
15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being 
governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother 
Philip tetrarch of Iteria, the regent of Trachonitis, et cetera, 
et cetera. You get the point. Luke is a 
tactician. He is a detailed historian, and 
he's arguing for the historical veracity. that these things most 
certainly did take place. But you see, there's more than 
that in this text, brothers and sisters. Ladies and gentlemen, 
there's more to this text than simply historical veracity, glorious 
historical truth and certainty, but there is as well prophetic 
fulfillment. I believe what Luke as well wants 
us to see, and what many commentators have noted, is the fulfillment 
of, among other passages, Genesis 49. and specifically Genesis 
49 and verse 10. What we find in that text, you 
can turn there if you'd like, if you're quick on the fingers 
and you want to find yourselves in Genesis 49-10, we have a prophecy 
there concerning the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in the passage 
here called Shiloh, who would come. Notice in Genesis 49-10, 
the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from 
between his feet, Until Shiloh comes and to him shall be the 
obedience of the people Well, Luke is announcing here that 
the scepter has departed and a lawgiver from the loins of 
Judah is no longer in power Shiloh has come in fulfillment of 4910 
and this announces the fulfillment of that particular Prophecy now 
the scepter is in the hand of the Roman Imperial conqueror 
Now the lawgiver is Rome and its imperial majesty, and so 
we have now a fulfillment of prophecy. But you see, it's even 
more than that as well. Not that there needs to be something 
more than that, and by more I don't mean higher and more perfect 
at all, but there's more than just prophetic fulfillment as 
well. Here Luke is coming up against royal imperial cult worship. He's saying, yes, a decree went 
out from Caesar Augustus. But you see, it isn't Caesar 
Augustus who is the one sent by Providence. He's not the Savior, 
as the worshipers of him would say. And he is not the Son of 
God, as he himself would claim. But rather, this Christ, born 
in Bethlehem, this Christ, born in Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling 
bands and laying in a feed trough, is the Savior. He is. the Son 
of God, an old calendar inscription in 9 BC, that is nine years prior 
to the Lord Jesus Christ coming. We find this with regards to 
Caesar Augustus. The author who inscribed on this 
calendar writing that Providence sent Caesar Augustus, filled 
him with virtue as a savior, The inscription goes on to say, 
since the birthday of the God Augustus was the beginning of 
the good news for the world. It's nine years before the coming 
of Christ and this Roman imperial cult of emperor worship is claiming 
that Caesar Augustus was sent by providence filled with virtue 
and is a savior and would even say, since the birthday of God, 
the God Augustus was the beginning of the good news for the world. 
We ought not to doubt why, not in whole, but in part, why Mark 
opens up his gospel by saying, the beginning of the good news 
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You see, the true Son of God, 
over and against the counterfeit, the Roman imperial leader, was 
Jesus Christ. You see, and it wasn't just some 
religious response in the first century to Roman imperial rule, 
but this one was promised even before Rome came to be. Micah 
5, 2, Isaiah 7, 14, Isaiah 9, 6. Jesus Christ is the true son 
over and against the counterfeit, the Roman emperor. This is why 
we have the angel singing, not any good news pertaining to the 
Roman empire, but rather we bring you good tidings of great joy, 
which will be to all people. Why? Because there is born to 
you this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord. Caesar Augustus is not your Lord 
and Savior. Jesus Christ is King of Kings 
and Lord of Lords. Notice as well the lineage in 
Luke chapter 2. With regards to the natal exposition, 
that is, the opening up of the birth account, notice the lineage 
in verse 4. Joseph also went up from Galilee 
out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which 
is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage 
of David. You see, we have the Bible not 
just setting forth to us, brethren, bare facts. We have the author 
Luke, inspired from on high by the superintending power of the 
divine magistrate, penning things and not just giving to us bare 
facts, but rather bringing out rich prophetic fulfillment. Hopefully 
when you read that, hopefully when you read Joseph and to the 
city of David, and then even more, the house and lineage of 
David, your minds are drawn back to 2 Samuel 7, the promise of 
a one who would come, the seed of David, from the lineage of 
David, who would be a king, who would set up a kingdom that would 
not perish, that would not fade away, but would endure forever. 
We know that that is a promise concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, 
because what do we find in Acts chapter 2? In Acts chapter 2, 
on this connection, Peter, preaching to the gathered assembly, says, 
Therefore, being a prophet, speaking of David, and knowing that God 
had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, 
according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on 
his throne, He foreseeing this spoke concerning the resurrection 
of Christ, that Peter is bringing together 2 Samuel 7, as well 
as Psalm 16, and he is preaching Christ as the one who is from 
the lineage of David. So when we read in the birth 
narrative that Joseph of the house and lineage of David comes 
to Bethlehem with Mary to be registered, we are to see the 
fulfillment of prophecy. We are to see the connection 
to the lineage of David, the connection to 2 Samuel 7, and 
the promise that a greater than David would arise from out of 
the loins of David, from his lineage, and his kingdom would 
have no end. Notice as well the place, as 
well in verse 4, Bethlehem. Joseph also went up from Galilee 
out of the city of Nazareth into Judea to the city of David, which 
is called Bethlehem. Again, brethren, hopefully as 
you read these things and as your mind is working, as the 
gears and the wheels are spinning and turning, you can draw connections 
to other places in Scripture. It's absolutely vital. Luke is 
not just, again, setting forth to us bare facts. He knows Micah 
5 too. He knows the prophecy in Micah 
5 too. Turn there with me. We have wonderful 
prophecy there that is being fulfilled as Luke is narrating 
the greatest story ever told. Micah 5 and verse 2, 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 goings forth are from old, from everlasting. What a wonderful thing. David 
is knitting together this masterpiece of a tapestry of a narrative. 
in order to disclose to his audience that this truly was the promised 
Christ. This isn't just one born in Bethlehem. This isn't just one born in the 
city of David. This is the one promised to be 
born in Bethlehem hundreds of years ago. This is the one promised 
who would come forth to be a ruler in Israel, whose goings forth 
are not from the time of his birth, but whose goings forth 
are from everlasting. What a blessed fulfillment. of 
prophecy and brethren it's it's no haphazard or lucky thing that 
Bethlehem is called house of bread. It's its meaning in the 
Hebrew, house of bread. Rich meaning there. Why? What 
would Christ say on that day when he would feed a multitude 
after he feeds the multitude and he feeds them with fish and 
bread. He says that I am the bread that came down from heaven. Jesus Christ, the bread from 
heaven that gives life to the whole world. Believe on me and 
you will not hunger, he says, because I am the bread of life. 
We have the promised one born in Bethlehem, the house of bread. 
The one who would come and give not physical bread, though he 
would in his earthly ministry, but to illustrate and to draw 
out spiritual and glorious truths that he is the bread of life 
who comes down from heaven. All those who believe in me. 
shall not hunger. Those who eat the bread and drink 
the blood, that is, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, all of 
those will have everlasting life. This promised one comes in fulfillment 
of Micah 2, and he's born in the house of bread. Brethren, 
when we come to the scriptures, hopefully you understand what 
we have before us in the Holy Bible. Remember, we don't have 
a book that is slapped together, 66 books that 
men just thought would be good to, you know, knit together and 
bind, and, you know, there you go. No real connectivity. You 
know, yeah, it talks about God, but, you know, there's stuff 
all over the place, and no. Inspired, inerrant, infallible. Our confession of faith says 
at the point of the Holy Scriptures, the heavenliness of the matter, 
the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the 
consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is 
to give all glory to God, the discovery it makes of the only 
way of salvation, and many other incomparable excellencies and 
entire perfections thereof, are all arguments whereby the Bible 
does testify to its own divine authority. It is inspiring. And it is the Holy Spirit coming 
with power and great efficacy to make these things real in 
our hearts. You're here this morning. Do your eyes land upon 
the pages of Luke 2, and you think it's just data? You think 
it's just an author so many years ago that penned some things? 
Remember, it doesn't come to us in the manner of once upon 
a time, but by the inspiration and the authority of God with 
rich prophetic fulfillment and meaning above all meaning. God 
giving, sending his son into this world that sinners might 
be saved. Lastly, under the natal exposition, 
notice the noting of the nativity, verses five to seven, the noting 
of the nativity. To be registered with Mary, his 
betrothed wife, who was with child, betrothed is probably 
a better way to pronounce that, betrothed wife, who was with 
child. So it was that while they were 
there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And 
she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling 
cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no room for 
them. in the end. Now, it might not seem so just 
from the bare reading of the language, but let it be known 
that when we read his betrothed wife, we are to understand there 
a reference to the weight that this is a divine child. Betrothed 
wife, remember that with betrothal is that they're not yet married. 
They're not yet married and not yet falling under the proper 
divine sanctions for marital and conjugal relations. And yet 
this one who is betrothed only to Joseph, and their betrothal 
back in that time was more weighty and more strong than our engagement 
in the 21st century. But all of that to come back 
to this. This stresses the divine origin because they were not 
yet married. They had not yet known one another. And yet this 
virgin was with child. This woman was with child. This 
speaks to what Luke wrote earlier in Luke chapter 1. The power 
of the Most High overshadowed Mary. And knit together in the 
womb of that one was this one who is from everlasting. This 
one who is God Most High. This one who would be the Savior 
of men. We come to marry his betrothed 
wife. We find that one who was with 
God in the beginning. That one who is God. That one 
who is the second of the blessed triune. Who now has come into 
time in history to save guilty sinners from their sins. It's 
interesting language that we have here as well in verse 7. 
And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling 
cloths and laid him in a manger. in a feed trough. On the point 
of the swaddling cloths, though, it was practice in the Jewish 
world to wash a baby, to cut the umbilical cord, to wash the 
baby, to rub it in salt, and to wrap it in swaddling bands. 
When we read swaddling cloths, or perhaps a translation out 
there has swaddling clothes, that's probably not the best 
meaning. The best meaning would be swaddling 
bands. They were pieces of cloth that 
babies would be wrapped in in order to keep their limbs close 
to their bodies for better development and those sorts of things. I 
want you to turn to a passage in Ezekiel 16 for a moment. Ezekiel 
16. Because there may very well be 
more meaning than simply facts again concerning how the baby 
was wrapped. Ezekiel chapter 16. Notice what 
we find there in verse 1. Again, the word of the Lord came 
to me saying, son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations 
and say, thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem, your birth and 
your nativity are from the land of Canaan. Your father was an 
Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your nativity, on the 
day you were born, your navel cord was not cut, nor were you 
washed in water to cleanse you. You were not rubbed with salt 
nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you to do any of 
these things for you, to have compassion on you, but you were 
thrown out into the open field when you yourself were loathed 
on the day you were born. We come to the nativity, the 
birth of Christ, and the opposite is true. This one is honored. 
You see, this one is the true Son of God, not an adopted son 
like Old Covenant Israel, who had to be taken from its low 
condition and brought to a position of glory. The one laying in the 
manger, in the feed trough, has glory essential to himself. There 
is an indication there, though there is, of course, humility, 
brethren, though there is the reality that the king of kings 
and lord of lords, well, we should say that's more pertaining to 
his, uh, the victory of his messianic work. The second of the blessed 
triune God is wrapped in swaddling cloths in a manger in a feed 
trough reserved for animals, yet there is dignity, because 
unlike Old Covenant Israel, He does have his umbilical cord 
cut, he's washed, he's rubbed in salt, and he's wrapped in 
swaddling bands. I believe there may be some weight 
to the language in Luke 2 to highlight this, that there's 
something of a reversal at the end of this baby's life, though. 
Is he, for the sins of his people, and he to bear the wrath of God 
and divine vengeance for the violation of the Decalogue, he 
is, at the end of days, naked, at the end of his days, naked, 
outside of the city, just like that Israel. He bears the curse. He is the one who takes upon 
himself the curse of God in the stead of all those who believe. But I commend you to commentators 
and to your own reading to further develop that and find if there's 
any weight there. But this is what we find. We 
find a woman with child. Hopefully, again, our minds are 
drawn to the mounting of Old Testament prophecy concerning 
the Savior when we see A woman with child. When we read in Galatians 
4.4, born of a woman, what are we to understand but the glorious 
weight of time in history leading to this time of Christ being 
born of a woman. From the first gospel promise, 
it was a promise concerning a woman who would be with child. Genesis 
3.15. Remember the hero born of woman who would crush the 
serpent with his heel. Victorious. Champion. Born of 
woman. We come to Isaiah 714, and what 
do we find? That prophecy, the woman will 
be with child, the virgin will be with child. His name shall 
be called Emmanuel, God with us. Isaiah 9.6, unto us a child 
is given, unto us a son is born. The government will be upon his 
shoulders, and he's not just human, but his name shall be 
called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince 
of Peace. The noting of the nativity when 
we are or if we are to note anything and we should, we are to land 
our contemplations upon the king of kings and lord of lords wrapped 
in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. This one who is God 
and yet for our sakes came down from heaven to redeem guilty 
sinners. Glorious nativity. Notice secondly 
and more largely as we move through three things, the angelic proclamation. the angelic proclamation in verses 
8 to 12. Verses 8 to 12. Notice, first 
off, the recipients of the proclamation in verse 8. Now, there were in 
the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch 
over their flock by night. The recipients of the angelic 
proclamation are shepherds. Once again, we come and we need 
to rehearse this. It's not just a fact. Oh yeah, 
the angels came to shepherds. Hopefully the first thing that 
we would want to note here is the fact that the angels bring 
a message in such a way that only God would ever plan or purpose. You see, if we were, the Bible 
brings out this truth, God speaking, my ways are not your ways and 
my thoughts are not your thoughts. You see, if we were to pen, Men 
were trying to launch a false religion in the first century. 
Would they say that angels came to shepherds to announce? Shepherds were not looked upon 
as the most favorable folks in the land. They were the tenders 
of the sheep, outside the city, in the fields, tending to the 
lambs. And yet, the record by divine 
inspiration comes and it tells us in truth that the angels came 
and they proclaimed the word to shepherds. You see, God's 
ways are not our ways. We would have this Christ come 
to the royal courts in, you know, not as a baby. We would have 
him come in robes of splendor and in great majesty with light 
shining around him, with divine power and proclaiming a booming 
message to the religious leaders of the day. And yet God's ways 
are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. He brings 
the lowly things to convey high things. He brings to bear the 
base realities in order to communicate high truths. And we see here 
that the angels come to shepherds. A beautiful thing. I think it 
illustrates the humility of angels. And it's instructive for us, 
you see, because we find ourselves in our pride and find it sometimes 
below us to condescend to things that are beneath us. You know, 
I'm not gonna eat at that place because, you know, they don't 
serve X, Y, and Z. I'm worth a ribeye and a more 
expensive wine. I'm not gonna, you know, oh, 
you want to take me to that place? You know what? No, I don't want 
to go there. Or you're paying for the meal? Can you take me 
somewhere else? You see, you could multiply the 
examples, but there are things that we can do in our lives and 
that we can demonstrate that illustrate that we need to kill 
our pride and to put on humility. The angels eternally, not eternally, 
the angels upon their creation and ever and always after sing 
praises in the courts of heaven before the throne to God most 
high and yet here they are in a field in, you know, outside 
Jerusalem, in the fields outside Jerusalem proclaiming to those 
who tend sheep. Brethren, learn, be instructed 
by the angels, put on humility and cast off pride. They bring 
their message to angels, as Gil notes, to the shepherds. The 
first notice of Christ's birth was given, not to the princes 
and chief priests and learned men at Jerusalem, but to weak, 
mean, and illiterate men whom God is pleased to choose and 
call and reveal his secrets to when he hides them from the wise 
and prudent to their confusion and the glory of his grace. And 
this was a presage of what the kingdom of Christ would be. and 
by and to whom the gospel would be preached. Isn't it interesting? The greater than David, Davidic 
son, the great shepherd of the sheep, who is also the Lamb of 
God, who in due time, as a sheep before its shearers is silent, 
would open not his mouth, is born in the place where David, 
a shepherd, tended his father's sheep, and is announced to shepherds 
who became some of the first sheep of that great shepherd's 
flock. If you didn't really track with 
that, I'll email it to you later. But the richness of shepherd 
and sheep in our Bibles. The great shepherd, his birth 
is being proclaimed by angels to shepherds who would become 
the first sheep of that great shepherd's flock. That great 
shepherd who is also the Lamb of God, who as a sheep before 
its shearers is silent, would open not his mouth, as he walked 
diligently and bore the cross for the salvation of all of his 
people. Brethren, the Bible is rich. The Bible is glorious, 
and it's packed with blessed truths concerning the King of 
Kings and the Lord of Lords, and it's delivered to us in such 
a majesty of style. Notice as well the herald of 
the proclamation, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood before 
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. and they were 
greatly afraid. The Bible tells us the angels 
were the messengers of the law in Hebrews chapter 1 and 2 and 
other places. The angels brought the ministration 
of the law to men. You see, there is a reality here 
that most certainly is true. They were greatly afraid. But 
you see, this angel comes and it delivers not the thunderings 
and the quakings of a Mount Sinai. He says, do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you tidings 
of great joy. This angel who was in the service 
of God, who would sing to God before his throne, who would 
cast his eyes, if you will, upon the splendor of God's unapproachable 
light, singing, holy, holy, holy, comes to these shepherds to bring 
the message of Jesus Christ the Lord. It was not beneath his 
station to come to earth and to preach to tenders of sheep. Notice the nature of the proclamation. Hopefully we can spend much of 
our time here. Well, we've spent a number of 
minutes already, but the nature of the proclamation as we find 
it here in these verses, notice beginning at verse 10, 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. For there 
is born to you this day in the city of David, a savior who is 
Christ the Lord. The first thing we should note 
here in the nature of the proclamation is that it is a message of the 
highest importance. It is a message of the highest 
importance. This is seen, among other things, 
in the word, behold. Remember, a number of Sundays 
ago, we spent much time on 1 John 3.1, where John writes, behold, 
what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should 
be called the children of God. We come here and the angels say, 
behold, you see, it is to bring pause to the occasion. It is to gather hearts so that 
they might soberly be paying attention to what follows the 
behold. It isn't just a simple look. 
Hey, this is what I want to say. It is a majestic and an authoritative, 
but a joy filled behold, because the message that follows that 
word is glorious and of the utmost importance. The message is of 
the highest importance and it is a message of joy. Secondly, 
it's a message of the highest importance and it's a message 
of joy. Do not be afraid, the angels 
say, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. Jenks, and I would say maybe 
even rightly knowing our understanding of the word, translates that 
I evangelize to you great joy. The language translated good 
tidings there, actually those four words, bring you good tidings, 
is the word euangelion, which we translate evangelion, where 
we get the words evangel, evangelical, those sorts of things. The angel 
is saying, I evangelize to you great joy. In other words, I 
bring you the gospel. I bring you the gospel of the 
highest joy. I evangelize to you high things 
of great happiness concerning Jesus Christ the Savior. I evangelize 
to you great joy. You see, again, the angels do 
not come with the stuff of Mount Sinai, but the stuff of the city 
of our God, the New Jerusalem. The stuff of light and joy and 
happiness. The stuff of gospel. They come 
and they bring good tidings of great joy. which will be to all 
people. Does this come to you this morning 
and there is no joy? I know, I know I've said before 
that, you know, big smiles from everyone in the pulpit is not 
an indication that you're rejoicing in your Lord because a straight, 
a straight mouth can hide and can veil the joy of the saints. But are you here in that straight 
mouth? Is hiding or veiling emptiness, 
void, barrenness of joy and happiness? Do you come to this passage and 
kind of, you know, rolls around a little bit in your mind, but 
you're gonna leave and you're gonna go home and eat your ravioli, 
gnaw on a carrot, and not give any consideration to the things 
of great joy? the things of our Savior and 
our God and his Christ. This is a message of great joy. 
Understand, understand that things may make you happy in this world. 
Things may make you, you know, may bring pleasure to you. They 
could be lawful things or they could be unlawful things. But understand that you do not 
have true joy unless you have Christ Jesus the Lord. The angels 
come with the evangel. to these shepherds, and it is 
a message, it is a gospel, the highest joy. Why? Because though 
they are sinners and though they should, by right, incur the just 
and heavy wrath of God and His wholesome severity for violating 
His majestic law, nevertheless, Christ is the Savior of men and 
He's being announced, the Savior, the King of kings. I hope this 
comes to your heart and you're found with the highest joy. whether 
your mouth presents or whether behind a straight set of lips 
is veiled the joy of your heart. I pray that you would rejoice 
in such a blessed message that Christ Jesus came into this world, 
sinners to save. That is a faithful saying, worthy 
of all acceptation. He came into this world, sinners 
to save. That is the message of the Bible. 
That is the message of Christianity. If you want to, and we should 
never boil the Bible down to things, But when the dust of 
Revelation settles, when the glorious proclamation of these 
words are brought to their own biblical summation, we can find 
them in places like 1 Timothy 1.15. That is a faithful saying 
and worthy of acceptation that says, Christ Jesus came into 
this world, sinners to save. Have joy. Have happiness. Have the utmost pleasure in the 
riches and the excellencies of a babe wrapped in swaddling bands, 
lying in a feed trough, the Savior of men, the one who would go 
to the cross to give his life for guilty sinners. Notice as 
well that it is a message for all men. It is a message for 
all men. Do not be afraid, for behold, 
I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. This is not a gospel and evangel 
confined to the shepherds. It's not an evangel confined 
to shepherd folk only, but around the world. It's not an evangel 
confined to Bethlehem or Jerusalem. It is a gospel. It is good tidings 
of great joy to all people. It is a message of universal 
proclamation that goes to every tribe and tongue and people and 
nation. We prayed this morning. We pray for people. We get letters 
from Arbca, for example, with regards to things to pray for. 
We pray for saints in Mexico, Honduras, Cuba, the Middle East, 
France, all over the world. 2,000 years ago, yes, the gospel 
was confined in its first shining of light, placed in a feed trough 
in Bethlehem, in these fields where the angels came to shepherds. 
But you see, the light has spread out, the light has gone out to 
the uttermost parts of the earth. And we can pray for saints in 
Sri Lanka. We can pray for fellow brothers 
and sisters in the cold of Siberia. We can pray for Christians all 
around the world. Because this message that first 
came to shepherds tending their flock by night, this message 
of great joy is to all people. And it has gone out after the 
power of Almighty God by the Spirit for the salvation of man. And notice, lastly, under the 
nature of proclamation, it is a message of salvation by a divine 
Savior. It is a message of salvation 
by a divine Savior. Verse 11, for there is born to 
you this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. This is a message of salvation. 
That's why it is of the utmost importance. And that's why it 
is of the highest joy. And that's why it goes out to 
the entirety of the earth, because it is a message coming to men 
dead in their trespasses and sins. All have sinned and have 
fallen short of the glory of God. And this message comes. And it is a message of salvation. Though you are dead in your trespasses 
and sins, though you have transgressed the law of Almighty God, be of 
good cheer if you believe in this one, because He is the Savior 
of men. He lived a perfect life of obedience 
to that law that was broken by you. And He died upon Calvary's 
tree to save sinners just as you. And so, believe on this 
glorious Christ, and you will be saved. It is a message of 
salvation by a divine Savior. Hopefully, you see the connection 
here. If you turn with me to Isaiah 52. Isaiah 52. Connection again to the fulfillment 
of prophecy, and that is throughout this passage. Throughout the 
Gospels completely, no doubt. But the fulfillment of prophecy 
here at the point of Isaiah 52 and verse 7. Notice the same language that 
we have in Luke 2. How beautiful upon the mountains 
are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, 
who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, 
who says to Zion, your God reigns. I would think and I would hope 
that you would see The intimate connection between the language 
there and Luke 2, not just the similarity of language because 
it is God's word, but the connection because it is a fulfillment of 
the prophecy. Who brings gospel things, who 
proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns. The language of glory to God 
and peace closes this particular passage of scripture, glory to 
God and the highest, and honor of peace, goodwill toward men. 
The message, the nature of it is such that it is a message 
of salvation. And notice, by a divine Savior. A Savior who is Christ the Lord. That's deliberate. And the language 
Lord there, as applied to Christ, corresponds with Lord as used 
in verse 9. And behold, an angel of the Lord 
stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 
and they were greatly afraid. And then we have this message 
of salvation is about a Savior who is Christ the Lord. You see here the divinity of 
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not just a man upon whom 
divine favor rests, but not divine, truly. He's not just one uh, 
who is given or who is enfleshed and animated as the impersonal 
word that endured since, uh, from all eternity, that now in 
humanity that somehow the, an impersonal word became an animated 
and fleshed individual blasphemy of blasphemies. He is the Lord. He is truly God. When the fullness 
of the times had come, what happened? The second of the triune God, 
the exact image of the Father, the brightness of His glory and 
the express image of His person took to Himself man's nature. 
He is spoken of here as a Savior who is Christ, the Anointed One, 
the Messiah, and the Lord. He is truly God. He is one who 
has the same resplendent glory and majesty as we read in verse 
9, the angel of the Lord and the glory of the Lord. This is 
a message of a divine Savior. This is Cyril of Alexandria on 
this particular point. He wrote for Very many holy prophets 
had been born from time to time, but never had any one of them 
been glorified by the voice of angels, for they were men. And 
according to the same measure as ourselves, the true servants 
of God and bearers of His words. But not so was Christ, for He 
is God and Lord, and the sender of the holy prophets. And as 
the psalmist says, who in the clouds shall be compared unto 
the Lord, and who shall be likened unto the Lord among the sons 
of God. Your eyes land upon this page, 
or the word preached lands upon your ears, and you're confronted 
with this blessed truth. Jesus Christ is Lord Most High. He is God of God, light from 
light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being 
with the Father, who for our sakes and for our salvation came 
down from heaven. The blessed truth. Notice the 
instructions before we move on to the doxological exclamation. 
Lastly, under the angelic proclamation, the instructions attending that 
particular proclamation. Verse 12, and this will be the 
sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped 
in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. The kindness of the 
angels and divine revelation. You see, we don't have a religion 
that is incoherent mystery. and that is, depends upon, you 
know, a burning in the bosom. The angels didn't say, you know, 
get a feeling and find yourselves upon a trail and, you know, when 
a certain bird, you know, caws, you'll be guided. They speak 
with clarity and perspicuity, with prophetic fulfillment, that 
the woman born of child, that the Isaiah 7, 14, 1, that the 
Isaiah 9, 6, 1, will be a babe wrapped in swaddling 
cloths lying in a manger. That should be easy to find. 
Angels are kind. We gotta find a manger. We gotta 
find this stable or a cave or just an attached barn or place 
for livestock attached to a residence. And there's gonna be a babe wrapped 
in swaddling cloths in a feed trough. The angels give these 
attending instructions concerning the fulfillment of the woman 
who will be with child and the shepherds. and go about their 
business after that instruction to find this glorious king, born 
of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who are under 
the law. Notice finally then the doxological 
exclamation. The doxological exclamation, 
what does that mean? Well, exclamation just means 
something that is spoken perhaps with great reverence and with 
great weight. There is an emphatic declaration 
of something, and it's doxological. That is, it's rich with praise. 
It is delivered in the manner of praise, and we have that in 
Luke 2, 13 and 14. Notice, and suddenly, there was 
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God 
and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, 
goodwill toward men. The first thing that we want 
to note is the choir that sings. Now some say that this isn't 
necessarily a song. It doesn't say that they were 
singing. And suddenly there was with the 
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 
is the text. But hopefully with a little bit 
of preaching liberty, as Spurgeon says, this was the first hymn 
of the incarnation, or it was the first Christmas carol. Glory 
to God in the highest was the angel's song, he preached. And 
so we have the choir that sings, the announcing angel, and the 
multitude of the heavenly host, more angels, those who are not 
the recipients of the saving work of Christ, being ministers 
to the ones who do enjoy that salvation, nevertheless sing 
of him being the savior of men. You see what's going on here 
again, an example of angelic humility and service unto God. They're not, the angels are not 
the recipients of the finished and perfect saving work of Christ. 
They're elect angels who have never sinned, needing no redemption, 
needing no blood salvation. They nevertheless come and they 
deliver the message of atonement to men for the salvation of their 
sins. And they sing a song to this 
glorious king. Glory to God in the highest was 
the angel's song. In that same sermon, Spurgeon 
writes, yet angels did not envy men. Though they remember that 
he took not up angels, that is, he did not take upon himself 
the nature of angels, yet they did not murmur when he took up 
the seed of Abraham, that is, taking on the nature of Abraham. 
And though the blessed master had never condescended to take 
the angel's form, they did not think it beneath them to express 
their joy when they found him arrayed in the body of an infant. Isn't that wonderful? They sing 
this song when they cast their angelic eyes upon a babe wrapped 
in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. These are now adding 
as one man has said to the hymn book of redemptive history. They were present on that August 
occasion when God fashioned things by his divine power, singing. It's Job 38, 7. All the sons 
of God sang glory to God with respect to his creative power. 
Now at the new creation, these angels are gathered to sing. 
the hymn of the new creation. It's a blessed thing. On that 
again, as we move to a close, this is Spurgeon speaking about 
this event, and hopefully this brings to bear upon your minds 
the glory of redemption. You see, our minds can think 
about creation, and they think rightly when they think this 
way. What an amazing thing. Out of nothing did God create 
all things. By His power, by the Word of 
His power in the space of six days and all very God did God 
create all things by His power and for His glory. The heavens 
declare the righteousness of our God and the firmament shows 
His handiwork. And yet is not redemption the 
whole purpose of creation? You know that creation and redemption 
are not like this. But they're like this creation 
and providence serving the divine and glorious redemptive plan 
to save sinners from their sins. Spurgeon, they had been present, 
the angels had been, on many August occasions. That doesn't 
mean the month of August, which by the way is named after Caesar 
Augustus, but August, reverent, high in value and significance. 
They had been present on many August occasions, and they had 
joined in many a solemn chorus to the praise of their almighty 
creator. They were present at the creation. 
The morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted 
for joy. They had seen many a planet fashioned 
between the palms of Jehovah and wheeled by his eternal hands 
through the infinitude of space. As when first created, their 
first breath was song. So when they saw God create new 
worlds, then their song received another note. They rose a little 
higher in the gamut of adoration. But this time, when they saw 
God stoop from his throne and become a babe, hanging upon a 
woman's breast, they lifted their notes higher still, and reaching 
to the uttermost stretch of angelic music, they gained the highest 
notes of the divine scale of praise, and they sang, Glory 
to God in the highest, for higher in goodness they felt God could 
not go. You see, this is why we have 
what follows then in verse 14. We have the choir that sings, 
those angels who sang at creation and now at redemption, but the 
song that is sung, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, 
goodwill toward men. Truly a song. that marks the 
majesty and the glory of God and the fact that he deserves 
the praises of angels and men. Glory to God in the highest and 
on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Now, some have seen here, 
glory to God in the highest, as an exclamation to God the 
Father, perhaps, for sending the Son into the world. This 
babe now wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, the 
angels Sing glory to God in the highest with emphasis on the 
person of the Father. Others might say, generally speaking, 
this is glory to God in the highest with reference to the triune 
God as essentially and largely considered. Others have seen 
that this is singing glory to Christ. Hark the herald angels 
sing glory to the newborn King. citing Luke 2 14 in our hymnal 
that is the lyrics to that song and We don't just gain our authority 
though from the Trinity hymnal in the notation at the top of 
the page Think of Hebrews 1 6 notice what we find there And I promise 
as a preacher's promise that I am coming to a close in prayer 
notice in Hebrews 1 6 Hebrews 1 6 we have this exclamation 
or this disclosure of the glory of Christ We can back up to verse 
four. Speaking of Christ, we read that 
he purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty 
on high, having become so much better than the angels as he 
has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For 
to which of the angels did he ever say, you are my son, today 
I have begotten you. And again, I will be to him a 
father and he shall be to me a son. But when he again brings 
the firstborn into the world, he says, let all the angels of 
God worship him. We have reason to suspect that 
the angels who had just proclaimed to the shepherd, this savior 
born in the city of David, wrapped in swaddling bands, lying in 
a feed trough, are now singing praise to that self-same Christ 
who is the second of the blessed triune. Cyril, writing, believes 
thus, and he says, when therefore thou seest the child wrapped 
in swaddling cloths, stain not thy thoughts solely upon his 
birth in the flesh, but mount up to the contemplation of his 
godlike glory. Elevate thy mind aloft, ascend 
to heaven. So wilt thou behold him in the 
highest exaltation, possessed of transcendent glory. Thou wilt 
see him set upon a throne and high and lifted up. Thou wilt 
hear the seraphim extolling him in hymns and saying that heaven 
and earth are full of his glory. Yea, even upon earth this has 
come to pass for the glory of God shone around the shepherds 
and there was a multitude of the heavenly armies telling Christ's 
glory. And this it was which was proclaimed 
of old by the voice of Moses. Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, 
and let all the sons of God worship him." The angels singing praise 
to the majesty and to the glory of God. And that could be terminating 
upon the second of the blessed triune who took upon himself 
man's nature and is found wrapped in swaddling bands, lying in 
a feed trough. And lastly, what does this message 
say? It says, glory to God in the 
highest, and then there is this parallelism, but on earth, peace, 
goodwill toward men. Many have noted a threefold parallel 
here, and perhaps the language might even be better translated, 
an on earth peace among men of God's good pleasure. But however 
we interpret it or translate an on earth peace, goodwill toward 
men, We have glory and peace, we have in the highest and on 
earth, and we have God and men. And this last stanza, if you 
will, of angelic doxology is an on earth peace. What does 
this mean? It means that in this babe wrapped 
in swaddling cloths, lying in a feed trough, in him only do 
we have true peace. In him only do we have peace 
with God. We have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, some people will seek 
to find peace in all manner of things and leave aside the only 
one who is peace himself, Jesus Christ the Lord. In Him you have 
peace. You don't find peace in a bottle. 
You don't find peace in a capsule. You don't find peace tying your 
arm with a surgical tube and injecting a needle. You don't 
find peace in anything save for Christ Jesus, the Lord, true 
and lasting peace. You're here, and your face doesn't 
even want to look up at the preacher. You're here, and your face is 
a little bit red because, man, do I ever just want to get out 
of this place. You're here, and the preacher's gone too long, 
and can I just go? Mom and Dad, can you just pull 
me out of here even before the prayer? You perhaps are looking 
for peace, All manner of things. You're not going to find it save 
for in a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger who 
would be that one left naked and bloody upon a cross for the 
salvation of sinners. Make no mistake. Make no mistake. A shadow of a cross is cast upon 
Bethlehem and this manger at the time of his birth because 
he was born into this world that he might go to that cross. Go 
to that Roman gibbet of execution to be put to death for guilty 
sinners that all who believe in him might have everlasting 
life. Later on in Revelation, not the book of Revelation, but 
New Testament scripture, we find in the book of Colossians that 
Christ makes peace, how? By the blood of his cross. On 
earth peace, goodwill toward men. If we were to read further 
along in that prophecy of Micah, Notice what we would find. Remember 
Micah 5, 2. 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 goings 
forth are from old, from everlasting. Notice verse 5, and this one 
shall be peace. This one shall. Again, brothers 
and sisters, Luke 2, and the angelic song. They don't just 
say, and peace on earth, willy nilly, and oh, didn't that work 
out great, because Micah 5, No. They sang that by the decree 
and by the emphatic majesty and power of God in order to bring 
to bear the reality of the fulfillment of Micah 5, 2, and this one shall 
be peace. If you're here this morning and 
you're finding peace in everything else, you're looking for peace 
in all the wrong places. There is peace solely and alone 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe on him and you will have 
everlasting life. And brothers and sisters, if 
you already believe on this one who is peace, the Lord Jesus 
Christ, praise God. Praise God. Fill your minds with 
this word that is inerrant, infallible, inspired, that brings forth glorious 
truths of historical veracity concerning the prophetic fulfillment 
of this one promised from the beginning, who would come to 
be born of a woman, who would bear his people's sins upon Calvary's 
tree, who would rise again, who would ascend in great victory, 
who by his ministers would say, believe on me, and you will have 
everlasting life. Rejoice in that Christ, brothers 
and sisters, and not just this time of year, but throughout 
the year. Bring your eyes to the pages of this, contemplate 
even with closed eyes the glorious riches of the revelation from 
on high concerning this Christ, and in him, find true peace, 
day upon day, when all the world rages against us, when we're 
beset on all sides by unbelief, by apostasy, and by the madness 
of false religion, realize that this babe wrapped in swaddling 
cloths, lying in a feed trough, brought peace into this world, 
and you, by belief in him, you by faith in him, are united to 
that perfect one, and will be brought into everlasting life, 
where you will sing forever with the angels, glory to God in the 
highest. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we rejoice in 
our Savior, and we rejoice in this account of His birth, and 
we rejoice in the fact that He came into this world, sinners 
to save, and we pray that You would cause us to rejoice in 
Him each and every day, that we would sing the praises of 
such a Christ as we have breath in this lower world, and that 
bringing us into that state of eternity, we do pray that You 
would help us to rejoice in Christ, that state of everlasting life, 
that we would forever sing with the angels, glory to God in the 
highest, We thank you that you have brought peace to us by virtue 
of this Christ. And we pray that others here 
this morning who are outside of him would even now by your 
spirit and word be brought to a knowledge of this blessed Christ 
that they might believe and rejoice in the King of Kings. We pray 
that you would go with us now and help us to rejoice in Christ, 
help us as well to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ 
that we might bring honor to you. And we pray in the name 
of Christ Jesus the Lord, amen.