(Mat 1:21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luk 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Luk 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luk 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
Luk 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Luk 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Luk 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Intro: We began this series talking about the great joy the angels had announced at His coming…
Today, as we finish the series, we find we are not disappointed! It seems that almost everyone in the bible account is rejoicing.
The angels rejoiced and sang
The shepherds
The Wisemen
Mat 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
I. Why were the Angels rejoicing?
a. This wasn’t about them!
b. They had seen the havoc the devil and sin had brought upon mankind
c. They knew how satan wanted to steal kill and destroy man
d. They saw how he had lifted himself up and tried to overthrow God
e. They knew that what God started, He is always able to finish
f. To God begun, is as good as done…!!!
g. (Php 1:6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
h. If you started serving God, you can finish by His grace and His help.
i. They knew the truth that Nahum had said
j. (Nah 1:3) The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
k. Like Elijah praying, when he saw the cloud as a man’s hand, He knew He was on the way!
II. Why The Shepherds?
a. Usually when you send out birth announcement of a king you send them to the heads of state, silver engraved announcements to dignitaries
b. But God announces the birth of His Son, not to dignitaries, but shepherds.
c. He did send out a star !!!
i. To them that look for Him shall He appear!
ii. It is still the same today.
1. He is here
2. He is coming
d. Why? Maybe because God wanted the shepherds, the ordinary everyday man to know that this is good news for them. They can be forgiven! They are not forgotten about.
i. Sometimes that is how we feel, especially around the holidays
ii. Did someone forget you? NOT GOD!
e. What did they think when they came in contact with Jesus?
i. Questions…I am sure…
ii. A king…but in a stable? A feeding trough for animals? The Savior? God still confounds the wisdom of the wise. Sometimes the power of God is in the little crowd, not the big multitude but the faithful few!
III. Herod….He Got Mad, Not Glad
a. Wisemen announced the coming of Christ
b. Where is He that is born king of the Jews?
i. Herod inquired and this is what he found out
ii. (Mat 2:6) And thou Bethlehem , in the land of Juda , art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel
iii. Herod didn’t want to give up the leadership, the rulership of the kingdom.
iv. Christ is never Co-regent of your life!
v. He is never co ruler…He is Lord of All or Not Lord at all
vi. Same today…many come in contact with Christ, what should be joyful announcement is a terror to them.
vii. They see it as a threat to them and losing control of their life
viii. They get mad that someone would tell them what to do and what they have to give up etc and therefore never experience the joy that God intended for them to have!
ix. If you love me…Obey my commandments
IV. Wisemen
a. They came looking for the king
b. They came ready to worship
c. They came ready to give (offer)
d. They weren’t put off by the humble surroundings!
e. We have got to meet the king
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