by Ricky Chelette, Executive Director
Birth announcements are
important. They herald the arrival of new life into the world and are both delivered
and met with exuberance. Historically, the more important the person, the grander
the announcement, from simple word of mouth for the peasant to the ringing of bells
and feasting for a prince. When baby George was born on the 22nd of July
2013 to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the birth was announced outside Kensington
Palace by a brightly costumed town crier, complete with scroll, official words
from Queen Elizabeth II, and the ringing of church bells. Hundreds gathered and thousands watched by
television to hear the birth of the heir to the throne.
It seems only fitting that
the advent of the Son of God into our world would be met with similar extravagance,
and indeed it was, but not in the way you or I might expect. Luke’s gospel
records it this way:
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in
the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And
an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were filled with great fear. And the
angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” (Luke 2:8-11, ESV)
The magnificence of this moment—an
instant in which the glory of the Lord shines upon the creation—is almost
incomprehensible. The cosmos seems almost to pause for a moment as the angel
appears in all its splendor to proclaim the beginning of the world’s
restoration, news longingly anticipated for thousands of years. While this divine
proclamation contains numerous multifaceted truths, it can be broken down into
three primary announcements:
- The angel
announces “good news of great joy for all the people.” Good news because finally we, estranged from
God and enslaved by our sin, can be reconciled to Him and freed from our bondage.
This freedom could not be gained through our own effort, for we had proven our
inability to do so through our failure to uphold the law. Such liberty brings
joy, hope, and life.
- The angel also
declares, “unto you is born… in the city of David a Savior…” Unlike the angel
who made the announcement, Jesus did not simply appear, but instead experienced
birth. He was born like any other human because he was human. He had a
genealogy that not only connected him to humanity, but to the fulfillment of
ancient prophecies long awaited. Additionally,
note that the angel does not say that Jesus will become a savior, but that He was born a savior. The
very purpose of Jesus coming was not to become something, but to reveal who He
already was and to display the fullness of God in His person for all the world
to see and believe (Col. 2:9).
- The angel concludes his announcement by referring to Jesus’ title “Christ the Lord.” This is the first and only time this combination—χριστὸς κύριος or Christ Yahweh—is used in scripture. It boldly identifies this baby as both the long-awaited Messiah, who had been spoken of in ancient scripture, and the incarnation of I Am.
Despite the majesty of this
message, the juxtaposition of announcer and recipient in this text cannot be overlooked. The angel delivered this world altering news to
shepherds. Shepherds. These men were not scholars, nor aristocrats. No, they were
not the leaders of anything but sheep. They were simple, ordinary men, doing
honest work in an ordinary way. They
were watching, waiting, and anticipating something, but certainly not expecting
the message they received.
So, what are we to make of a resplendent
message delivered to the most ordinary of men? This apparent incongruity of announcement
and audience actually foreshadows the very mission of Christ, a one-of-a-kind
Sovereign announced to the common man to bring the most uncommon redemption.
His ministry consistently demonstrated His ability to defy the expected for the
extraordinary, to transform the lives of sinners to saints and murderers to
martyrs for his Kingdom. The power of the Gospel transforms lives for God’s
glory!
This Christmas, the
announcement of the Christ-child calls you to action. It invites you out of bondage and into
freedom. It invites you to abandon your way of thinking and living for a new
way of believing and loving that will transform you and the community in which
you live. It was the only hope of the ancient world and it is the only hope for
our modern one as well. Don’t get lost
in Christmas-business and miss the Christ-baby. Be like the shepherds. Heed the message of the coming King and run
to Him. See Him with new eyes and an
open heart. The shepherds did, and they were never the same again.
