Bundled Joy

Or, Unwrapping God’s Unreasonable Good Pleasure

In this great passage there are three titles for the main character, two lines of exceptionally good news, two responses for all who hear, and all around a one-of-a-kind event.

This is probably the story told and celebrated more than any other in the world. It may be the most surprising event in the universe, including more surprising than the creation of the universe. It's one thing for an eternal, omnipotent God to create a cosmos, it's an entirely other thing for God Himself to enter that cosmos, taking on the limits of human humility, and come as a baby. We are still unwrapping the implications.

If you have ears to hear the origin story of the Savior's body, then it will not be hard to hear of His power to rise again from the dead in His body. In that respect, the birth of God in flesh works to increase our certainty in the things we have been taught, just as Luke wanted for those who read his book (Luke 1:4).

So what do we have here? We have the meeting of heaven and earth. We have the praise of men and of angels. We have the announcement of peace and grace and joy. We have shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night, and we have the Chief Shepherd come to save His flock and make all things right. We have bundled joy. We call babies bundles of joy, but there is more joy in this baby’s birth that we are still trying to wrap our minds around. As we unwrap the bundle we still haven’t gotten to the ends of understanding God’s unreasonable pleasure.

The story in Luke 2:8-20 has two main movements, with a transition in verse 21, then we'll try to see how much we can put together.

The Great Joy of Heaven Unwrapped (verses 8-14)

Because we know God is sovereign, we know that nothing about this event is haphazard. One speculates, and I think we can do this with a biblically shaped imagination, that there were some planning meetings about this particular day. It seems reasonable to think that one day we'll get to talk to some of the angels that participated, and what their preparations looked like.

Instead of showing up outside of Caesar's palace, or over the temple in Jerusalem, or even over the manger, an angel of the Lord appeared to some graveyard shift shepherds outside of Bethlehem. These guys aren't outcasts, but they are no-names. They are important because they received this announcement, they didn’t receive the announcement because they were important. They were just “people,” people just like us. While minding their own business the glory of the Lord shone around them. The heavens declare the glory of God already, and this must have been like being five feet from the sun.

The angel's message is evangel/good news! "Let me have your attention, please. A bundle of joy is being delivered that will change everything in Israel. A child is born at this hour in the city of David, the Savior, the Christ, the Lord. You can find Him bundled up, wrapped in cloths and laid in an animal’s food trough as a sign.”

And without a moment for the shepherds to think the angelic army choir enters with their great lyrics:

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!

From heaven to earth, from the highest to the lowest, from glory to glory, peace from God to men even as God is born a man. Gloria in Excelsis!

You've probably heard or seen a variation of the second line: "on earth peace, good will toward men." This is not wrong, but it's based on a different reading found in some Greek copies that isn't likely to be original, though the KJV is hard to get out of our minds, and that’s fine. But the more likely angelic lyric (as translated in the ESV) emphasizes the sovereign grace of God, similar to the Lord's response to Moses when Moses asked to see God's glory. Glory is most visible when God shows grace to those He chooses for grace, and mercy to those He chooses for mercy (see Exodus 33:19). In Jesus is God’s own good pleasure unreasonably shared with men, though not every man receives His favor.

The center of the announcement is in verse 11, and it provides the reason for the good news of great joy in verse 10. The reason is the identity of the one born. He is three things: 1) Savior, 2) Christ, 3) Lord. The combination of these three titles in one person is not found in any other Scripture prophecy or passage.

Savior, one who delivers. It could be one who delivers from enemies or disease, one who rescues from physical or spiritual dangers. Jesus saves.

Christ, is an English word derived from the Greek word that translates the Hebrew word for the Messiah, the anointed one. This title especially connects with the Davidic expectations (so He was born in the city of David), and it refers to His royal position and work. Jesus fulfills, He is the promised One.

Lord, master, one who is in charge over another. But as Luke especially keeps attaching to Jesus (37 times in this gospel), He is Lord of all, the transcendent ruler with all authority. Jesus reigns.

The Great Joy on Earth Unwrapped (verses 15-20)

The angels are done. They got one shot. Did they ever appeal to God to get permission to come back at other key moments in Jesus' life? Did they wonder why it wasn't a worldwide show?

The shepherds do go, but it's not a foregone conclusion. The angels don’t guide them or watch to make sure. There are sheep to watch, right? They weren't out in the field just camping under the stars like that was fun. They talk it over, and decided to do it.

How did they know which place had a manger? A couple of these details point toward a particular inn for guests. They likely would have known most of the residents, and maybe even knew that one of the out-of-towners arrived pregnant. The comment about the presence of more than just Joseph and Mary to hear the shepherds' story indicates a more public place, a group was already gathered. Some might have been called to help in the delivery; child labor isn't a silent night deal.

The towns people heard what the shepherds said and wondered. Is that enough?

Mary herself treasured...pondering in her heart (verse 19). The boy arrived just as the angel had announced to her (Luke 1:31). But why didn't the angel/s let her hear this update? Why the shepherds? She’s giving it thought, we’d say she was “mulling things over” (Darrell Bock), trying “to put the pieces together” (Mark Coleridge). Treasuring any revelation from God is a theme so far in Luke’s record. She’ll be doing that for years.

The shepherds themselves went back to work, glorifying and praising God. “Can you believe that?” And, yeah, they do.

Conclusion

Verse 21 is a transition, and it fits more at the end because less time takes place between verses 20 and 21 (eight days) than between verses 21 and 22 (at least 40 days). But it also fits here because Jesus' circumcision focuses on His name: Jesus.

Jesus is His human name, the proper noun, the given name from His earthly parents, the name Gabriel told them before Jesus was born (Luke 1:31). But under the doctrine of Christology, there is no one else like Him. There is salvation in no other name, "Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (Acts 4:10, 12).

"Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36). He is "Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:4). We confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and we are saved (Romans 10:9).

Jesus saves. Jesus fulfills the Word. Jesus rules the world.

This is the bundle of joy! Jesus is the one through whom unreasonable good pleasure comes to earth. Mary was not a reasonable choice, the shepherds were not reasonable, Bethlehem itself was not reasonable, except that God had already chosen it to receive this gift.

Mary was trying to put all these things together. Are you still wondering and wandering, or have you received the great joy in Jesus?

Charge

God shows grace and mercy in Jesus. Jesus saves, Jesus fulfills, Jesus reigns. This is a story of great joy among men, a story of highest glory for God. Beloved, like the shepherds, return to your work glorying and praising God for all you have heard and seen as it has been told to you.

Benediction:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 ESV)