CHRISTMAS SERMON

 

• And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)

What a surprising message! The promised Messiah – the hope of Israel – would be born in a filthy, smelly, fly-infested animal stall. No humbler circumstances could be envisioned! But there was another feature of this announcement that was even more startling. The Savior would be “wrapped in swaddling cloths” as a “sign” for them. How would this constitute a sign? Babies have to be clothed in something, don’t they? Why not in swaddling cloths? Well, swaddling cloths conveyed a shocking message. According to one source:

·       Swaddling clothes were typically used on new-born lambs that were bred for sacrifice. The shepherd would swaddle [or wrap] the lamb and place it in a manger until it settled down from the birth. This would protect it from possible injury that would disqualify it as a sacrificial lamb. 

The sacrificial lamb had to be perfect, without blemish. The swaddling cloths were used to protect the lamb against possible injury or blemish. Since these cloths represented death, no parent would ever think of wrapping their newborn in these cloths!

For the shepherds, this sign was unmistakable. In the most dramatic way, the cloths informed the shepherds that, instead of their sacrificial lambs, this Child had come to die for their sins!

The angel had disclosed the divine identity of this Newborn, but he did not disclose to the shepherds where to find Him, other than in “the town of David” – Bethlehem. No address was given, but perhaps none was needed. The renowned theologian, Alfred Edersheim suggests that they would have known the address. How? Through the rabbinic writings and also the prophecy of Micah 4:8:

·       And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem."

The shepherds knew this tower. It was their tower, which they used to watch over their sacrificial lambs. Reportedly, it had a sheepfold on the bottom floor. However, the shepherds were presently “out in the fields” with their sheep, leaving the sheepfold empty and unattended – a welcomed invitation to a desperate mother ready to deliver.

Consequently, the shepherds didn’t need to ask the angel for traveling instructions. They knew exactly where to go, and therefore they “hurried off” to the sheepfold, according to Luke 2:16. Afterwards, they spread the Good News abroad that the awaited Savior has finally arrived.

The shepherds, who already understood the Law, knew that there had been no real peace between Israel and her God. He remained  distant and foreboding. The Temple signified the fact that Israel could not enter the presence of God; nor did they have the courage or desire to do so. The endless sacrifices signified that this God continually required blood, signifying that they were never truly free from their sins. Therefore, grieving over their sins clung to them as a ball and chain, relieved only by one thought – the advent of the promised Savior who would utterly take away their sins and grant them peace – the very Good News of the angel!

It is this Good News that sustains me and gives me the courage to confidently face my shameful sins.

The more I have come to know my Messiah and my own unworthiness, the more I have come to adore Him. Oddly, the more my own self-esteem dies, the more my esteem for this Child grows. In my poorness of spirit, I have been blessed, and through my mourning, I have found freedom.