Born for the Least Expected

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[0:00] Our next reading comes from Luke chapter 2 verses 1 through 20. At that time the Roman Emperor Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. This was the first census taken when Quirinus was governor of Syria. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for the census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth and Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no lodging available for them. I That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them, Don't be afraid, he said. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David, and you will recognize him by this sign.

[1:33] You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth lying in a manger. Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds had said to each other, Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph, and there was the baby lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished, but Mary, kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

[2:45] At this time we will light the Christ candle. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. While nobody expected it to happen quite like this, there were prophecies, certainly. And when you go back and read the prophecies, it almost makes you want to facepalm, because it was spelled out so clearly by the time Jesus had died and risen again. All those prophecies made so much more sense.

[3:28] What people did expect was a king to deliver God's people from the hand of earthly political powers that had long oppressed them. There were experts. They were looking for the coming of the Messiah. They'd been looking for years and years and years. High priests and Pharisees and teachers of the law, they all knew what they were looking for, and they hoped fervently for the coming Messiah to hurry.

[4:02] And word had long since passed to experts in other lands. They were people trained in reading the stars, and they were on the lookout for this star that would signify the coming Messiah. So when the star appeared, these wise men followed eagerly. These wise men were used to dealing with and advising rich and powerful leaders, they expected to be received by royalty, and they expected good, solid treatment. So of course, as they were on their journey, they decided to pay a visit to King Herod, because they were used to being met by kings.

[4:47] And they eagerly relayed to him the rumor of the newborn Messiah. And all of that makes sense. A long-awaited, celebrated king should be celebrated and known amongst other royalty. But, the wise men and the kings were not the first to hear about Jesus's birth. In fact, the Magi arrived somewhere around two years after Jesus was born. And King Herod's reaction to the new Messiah was less than welcoming or receptive. He was so protective over his life, and so protective over his own kingship, that when he heard the news he had all the babies in his kingdom slaughtered as a precaution, just in case this child actually grew up to become a threat to his own throne.

[5:42] So no, they were not the first to hear, and we're glad they weren't. The first to hear the news of Jesus's birth were the lowliest in all of society. And we sometimes talk about how, in those times there were certain despised people. The lepers, the prostitutes, the tax-collectors.

[6:05] Those were people who were unliked by society. By all of society. And we know that as an adult, Jesus had fellowship and passed on God's forgiveness to each of those people but none of those were nearly as despised as the shepherds. And we romanticize shepherds today in our nativity scenes and at our Christmas pageants. And why do we romanticize them?

[6:38] Because God deemed them worthy. He deemed them worthy of spreading the news of Christ's birth. And that's a strange choice, or at least it was at the time. Because shepherds were among the poorest in the land. They stayed with flocks day and night, and they didn't have weekends, and they didn't have holidays, and they didn't take days off. They couldn't.

[7:05] They were considered dishonorable because they left their wives and their children for weeks on end with no protection. People locked up their valuables when the shepherds were going through town. And if something was missing, it was very obvious who was at fault. It was always the shepherds. Shepherds were not allowed to give testimony in the court of law because they couldn't be trusted to tell the truth. They were filthy. They were unable to attend religious ceremonies because of their job. They weren't able to leave the sheep.

[7:43] And they were considered ceremonially unclean because of the duties of their job. And they couldn't even take time to send up an offering or to receive ritual clothes. cleansing. No magi's and kings, they were a far better choice to receive God's most important message. Or maybe even the Pharisees or the religious leaders, but surely God wouldn't even want to interact with the untrustworthy and unclean shepherds. And yet, as despised as they were, the shepherds of Migdal-Eder had a job of the utmost importance. There was what was known as the Tower of the Flock, and that was where the lambs were set aside for temple sacrifices. That's where those lambs were raised. The flocks surrounding the fields were enormous so that they could supply a population of about five million people with offerings.

[8:53] Now I'm not confused about what time of year it is, but we do need to take a moment to talk about Passover. Because Passover was the celebration of God's deliverance of the people from Egypt. And the blood of the lamb over the doorposts marked that household was meant to be saved and protected from God's judgment. Passover was the most important festival of the year, and every year every household needed a lamb for sacrifice so that they could atone for their sins. That was the way they had their sins cleansed. That was how it was done. That's how important this Passover lamb was. They needed this, they needed this sacrifice for atonement. So that meant that every year they needed about two hundred and fifty thousand sheep to supply the sheep for their sin. So if you remember how great the end for the end for the end for the end for for the end for the end for the end for the end for the end for It was a hereditary occupation and it required training from a young age. And so generations of shepherds were trained to care for this most precious job. And they cared for these special lambs. They literally risked their lives against thieves and against wolves and wild animals to protect their sheep and to keep them from falling into all the crevices

[10:52] and the ravines in the rocky hill country. So these newborn lambs required special protection so that they could be kept pure and perfect for sacrifice. And they were swaddled in very special temple clothes. And they were laid in a manger to keep them safe and contained while they were being examined for blemishes.

[11:20] And then at the appointed time, the shepherds would separate the lambs and they would select only the firstborn males that were without any mark or any blemish. And they would lead them to Jerusalem where they would be purchased by people who wanted to present their sacrifice before the Lord and atone for their sins.

[11:43] So yes, the shepherds were very far. Removed from the refined education of Magi and Kings. And they were nowhere near the seemingly righteous standing of the religious leaders. But before the news came to the Magi, the news came to the shepherds.

[12:01] The lowliest and most despised of the people. That the Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord, had been born that day in Bethlehem, the city of David. And you will recognize him by the name of Jesus. And by this sign, you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger. So the shepherds were the first to know that the king would be different from all these glorious expectations Israel had of the Messiah. He would not come with riches and with armies and might. He was born poor, lying amongst animals, visited by shepherds. But what was even more, is that he was wrapped in these special cloths and he was laid in a manger. Exactly like the lambs that would take away the sins of God's people.

[12:58] So later, when Jesus was about to begin his ministry, John the Baptist would declare, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John also called Jesus the word that became flesh. God himself, became flesh.

[13:18] So that he could take on our human sin, our human brokenness, our human condition. And then he could be the sacrifice, the final sacrifice, as a human who is also God. And that would take away the sin of the world forever.

[13:37] On Palm Sunday, Jesus would walk down the road celebrated in the same way, taking the same path that the Passover lamb did. that the Passover lamb did. That the Passover lamb would take. That the Passover lamb would take. Then he would be killed, taking on the sins of all who put their trust in him.

[13:53] John 3.16 says that God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus came for all. Anyone, whoever believes in him, the good news came to kings and magi, to the shepherds, and everyone in between. Some people embraced that good news and trusted him, and some did not. King Herod acted in rage and denial, so though he was a king, he would be among the last in God's kingdom.

[14:33] The magi traveled the world so that they could see the infant messiah. The shepherds took a risk following the angels so that they could go see this baby that they knew was the messiah. The shepherds were so proud of the baby that they said, and the salvation for the world.

[14:49] So though they were among the least in the world, they would be among the first in the kingdom of God. God offers salvation to people who don't deserve it. No matter who you are or what you have done, Christ came to this earth for you.

[15:08] He came for the despised shepherds. He came for the thief on the cross. He came for the poor. He came for the rulers of the countries and for their advisors. He came for you, and he came for me. The good news is for all people. As the angel said, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Let's pray.

[15:39] Our amazing God, this Christmas we remember your gift to us. A king and a savior, born as a weak and tiny human, wrapped in swaddling swaddling cloths to be our salvation. God, we praise you and we give you thanks.

[16:04] These things we pray in Jesus name. Amen.