Luke 2:8-20
The beautiful old Christmas carol asks the question, “What Child Is This?” Written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix, the hymn goes like this: “What Child is this who, laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.”
And, of course, that is the real question. Who is the baby in Bethlehem born at first so anonymously to anonymous Joseph and Mary as far as any public knowledge was concerned? Who is this child whose birth established the world’s calendars? Who is this child who is more widely known than any other child ever born? Who is this child whose life and work has impacted more souls than all other influential people in history combined? Who is this child who determines the eternal destiny of every human who has ever been or ever will be born? Who is this child?
The angel says in Luke 2:11, “. . . a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” There is no question; there is no need for clarification as to who this child is, because the angel tells us in very explicit terms just who He is. The passage I have sighted above breaks the silence. It puts an end to the question, “What child is this?” in a most remarkable way.
Heaven breaks loose as we read in Verses 8-9, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 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.” Heaven can only be restrained for so long – there must be a miraculous and astonishing other world announcement for an astonishing and miraculous other world birth. This monumental announcement that involves a whole heavenly host of angels praising God and affirming peace on earth toward men is not just prophetic in nature, it’s personal in nature. It’s about the person of the announcement, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (v. 11).
This text is the historical account of the birth announcement of our Lord. In it we have shepherds abiding in the field, angels of the Lord coming from heaven, and the glory of the Lord shining about them. We have the multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus lying in a manger.
What a beautiful scene to fix in our imagination. What a story to place in our hearts in word pictures. There they are, shepherds in their field watching over the flock at night and the stars in full constellation. Nothing is different or unusual to them. It is quiet; it is peaceful, and the shepherds on watch are doing their mundane work, watching over the fields and the flocks. Then all of a sudden, the angels come upon them, the glory of the Lord shining around them, and the heavenly host praising God. The ordinary mundane suddenly becomes extraordinarily electrifying! This is really a time when God chose to show in the grandest way the glorious announcement of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.
The focal point of all the praise and the great and glorious announcement was the babe lying in a manger, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (v. 12). There is no question what the main focus is. The focal point of this entire passage is summed up in one statement, “. . . a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (v. 11).That’s the heart of the entire event. There has been born for you a Savior. That is the main point – the focal point of verses 8-20. That’s what Christmas is all about!
Oh, there are several worthy messages oozing out of this passage – lessons to be taught and understood concerning this child. There are the shepherds, the angels, the Shekinah glory of the Lord shining round about them in the night, the heavenly host, the humble parents, and the manger scene. But the main focus, the focal point, the central theme of this passage is the announcement of the birth of the Messiah. That’s the main message! That is the brilliant story of the narrative! That is the message for every Christmas season. That is the personal message to you and I today.
This season is all about Him. It is all about a Savoir coming to save us and rescue us from our sin. God incarnate, Jesus Christ, coming to bring us salvation. You have heard that “Jesus is the reason for the season;” however, sometimes lost in the bright lights, decorations, gifts and events, He is only in the background. Let me challenge you to start this season by thinking deeper and more meaningful thoughts about Christmas, about the meaning of God manifesting Himself in human flesh to die for our sins as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21. It’s all about Him all the time, but especially this time of the year when we celebrate the fact that He did come to save us from our sins and provide for us eternal life, John 3:16.