R.C. Sproul (0:00)

Instantly there was beside this single messenger from heaven, this angel, the entire heavenly host. There was with the angel a multitude of that army of angels that inhabit heaven and surround the presence of our eternal God. And now it's not Zacharias who's singing, it's not Mary who's singing. It's the angels who bring a chorus from heaven.

Nathan W. Bingham (0:39)

And it's that chorus, that song of the angels, that R.C. sproul will consider on this Sunday edition of Renewing youg Mind. Hi, I'm Nathan W. Bingham. And in preparation for Christmas Day today, you'll hear Luke's account of the birth of Jesus and that incredible moment as this heavenly host sings praise to God. Don't forget that this sermon is part of a much larger series through Luke's Gospel. And those sermons eventually became Dr. Sproul's commentary on Luke. So if you'd like a copy of that commentary, we'll send it to you as our way of saying thank you for your year end donation in support of Renewing youg mind@renewingyourmind.org but be quick as this offer ends tonight. Well, here's R.C. sproul in Luke chapter two.

R.C. Sproul (1:30)

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 cloth, lying in a manger. 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, good will toward men. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. Now, when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them. The first thing we see about Luke's narrative is found in the opening words. He begins his account by saying, and it came to pass. And then he goes on to speak of the activity of the emperor of the Roman Empire and of Quirinius, the governor of Syria. Real people, in real places, in real history. This story does not begin with the words once upon a time, because this is no fairy tale. This is sober history announcing the entrance into this world of our Savior. And so Luke sets his narrative squarely in. In the context of real history. And it came to pass, he says in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This story in this narrative, friends, is about three kings. We one of those kings sits on the throne as the ruler and emperor of the greatest power on the face of the earth, in Rome. The second king sits not on a throne, but is wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in the manger. This little king is the king of kings. He rules over the king in Rome. And it's about the eternal king, the Lord God omnipotent, who reigns from the moment of his work of creation till the moment of his work of fulfillment of his cosmos. He is the great king who reigns over all things. And so the story proximately speaks of an earthly decree that is issued and executed by the emperor in Rome. But that emperor in Rome is issues this decree that all return to their home cities to be registered for the census in order to be taxed by imperial Rome. This decree is done in obedience to a decree that took place much earlier, even in eternity, when God decreed that his son would come into this world to do his work of redemption for his people and that he be born at a specific time. In the fullness of time, at a specific place in the village of Bethlehem for a specific mission to save his people from their sins. Caesar Augustus, probably the most celebrated of all of the Roman emperors. Augustus, meaning the supreme, sublime, majestic one, a title that the Jews shrank from in horror because they believed that only God would was worthy of the title August. And the true August one was in the manger because there was no room for Jesus Augustus in the inn. Caesar Augustus celebrated the memory of his great uncle. Julius took it upon himself to build a temple in his honor, acknowledging the deity of Julius Caesar. What a foolish mistake that was. The only deity within the confines of the Roman Empire again was to be found in the manger in Bethlehem. But in obedience to the decree of Caesar Augustus, Joseph left his home of Nazareth and Galilee and he went up into Judea to the city of David that is called Bethlehem. He did this because he was a descendant of the line of David and he brought his wife with him. Roman law did not require that the man bring his wife to register for the tax. And we can speculate as to why Joseph subjected his wife to such an arduous journey. And again, approximately the reason is clear. He knew that the time had come for her to deliver, and he did not want her to have to do that without his presence. And so he brought her with him. But the ultimate reason that trumps the proximate one is that this also had been decreed from all eternity that the babe be born in Bethlehem, as Micah had announced centuries before, that thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be small among the princes of Judah, yet out of you will come the one whom God has anointed. So it was, days were fulfilled for her to be delivered. She brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The entrance of Jesus into this world is, against the backdrop of humiliation, no place for him to lay his head. However, at that very moment when the babe is wrapped in the cloth of humiliation, the Father God is not satisfied that the circumstances of the birth of his son be only in terms of humiliation, but must also be accompanied with exultation that that shame must be balanced with glory. Not in the manger, not in the cave or the stable where they were, but on the outskirts of the village, out in the fields where the lowest evaluated people of the land, the shepherds, were keeping their flocks at night, living outside, being sheltered by crudely built huts while they're overlooking superintending the flocks that belong probably not simply to them, but to others as well. And they would watch these flocks through the night, and they would take turns sleeping and keeping vigil over their sheep, lest the sheep be attacked by wild animals or by rustlers of sorts. And so out there on the plains where the sheep were being watched that night, it was quiet. It really was a silent night. And as most of the shepherds were sleeping in that silence, there would only be an occasional punctuation of the silence by the bleating of a sheet. But that would be it for the noise. And then suddenly, no prior announcement, no warning, no human messenger coming out to them, shaking them awake and saying, watch out. This night is an incredible night. You won't believe what's going to take place in just a few moments. No, there was none of that. But suddenly, out of nowhere, an angel from heaven and appeared to whatever shepherds were awake at the moment. The angel of the Lord stood before them. And the angel was accompanied with the glory of God. The glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke gives us this notation that when the Shekinah glory appeared, that the shepherds were greatly afraid. I like the old King James. They were sore afraid. Because it's one thing to be afraid, but it's quite another to be sore. When you are sore afraid, beloved, you are afraid. You are afraid like you've never been afraid in your whole life. Who wouldn't be trembling in fear at the manifestation of the glory of God at that moment? The angel said, don't be afraid. Why not? Because I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Don't be afraid, because there is born to you, to us, to the shepherds. The angel says, there's born to you. Unto you a child is born. Unto you, despised shepherds, a son is given unto you. This day is born in the city of David, a soter, a savior. Don't be afraid, because this is the birthday of the one who will save you. This is the day your Savior is born. And not only is he Savior, but he's Christ the Lord and the shepherds understood the meaning of the word. Christ was the New Testament translation of the Old Testament word for Messiah. Today your Savior is born. Today the Messiah is born. Today your Lord is born in Bethlehem. And this will be the sign. You must go and look, see the sign, because the sign is significant. You're going to find a baby wrapped in cheap cloth, not on a throne, but in a manger. No sooner had the angel said that than instantly there was beside this single messenger from heaven, this angel, perhaps even Gabriel again. He is surrounded by the entire heavenly host. There was with the angel a multitude of that army of angels that inhabit heaven and surround the presence of our eternal God. And now it's not Zacharias who's singing. It's not Mary who's singing. Glory. It's the angels who bring a chorus from heaven saying, glory, Dokesang Glory, Augustness to God in the highest. And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. This was the first singing of the Gloria in excelsis Deo. And so it was, Luke tells us, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began to speak one another. Did you see that? Did you hear that? Here the heavens open in that choir of angels singing the Gloria. What are we doing standing here? Let's go right now. Let us now go even unto Bethlehem. Let's see this sign that the angel has just announced. And so they came with haste and they found Mary and they found Joseph. But beloved, they weren't coming to see Mary. They weren't coming to pay homage to Joseph. They were coming to see the babe that was lying in the manger. And once they had seen him, they made widely known the saying that was told them concerning this child. Widely known. They told every single person they knew. They didn't just try to live a good life after that and have people come up to them and say, what's changed you from a sin blistered soul into a valorous saint. They didn't just do evangelism by example. They opened their mouths. They told everyone what they heard and what they saw. And everyone who heard it marveled at the things that were told them by the shepherds. You know, you wonder how long they marveled. You wondered how long the excitement lasted. The duration of their zeal and happiness. From their experience, which had to be a converting experience. Maybe every Christmas they made mention of it. Not Mary. Mary kept these things. Everything that she saw, everything that she heard, she kept it and pondered it in her heart. Eight days later, when she took the child to the temple for circumcision, she pondered that. When the boy was 12 and confounded the doctors in the temple, she pondered that every night that she tucked her son into bed, she pondered these things and pondered them and pondered them till that day she stood at the foot of a cross and watched him die. She pondered that until Sunday morning came. And he arose not in humility, not in shame, not in disgrace, but in glory. In triumph, in exaltation. And the shepherds left doing two things, praising God and glorifying him for everything they heard and everything they had seen. That's the lot of the Christian to give glory, honor, dominion, power and praise. We join the angels saying, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive the fullness of the glory of God. That's Christmas.