Jesus at the Center of Christmas
Carry Christmas • Message 5
Joshua J. Masters
December 31, 2023
A. INTRODUCTION
Good morning, Brookwood! I am so grateful to be here with you today.
This morning, we’re going to conclude our series, Jesus at the Center of Christmas by looking at one of the most quintessential Christmas passages in the Bible, the shepherds in Luke Chapter 2.
And maybe when Emily was reading the Scripture a few moments ago, you thought, “Shouldn’t we have done that passage BEFORE Christmas?”
I think that’s typically what happens, yes…
But here’s the challenge I want to give us to close out this series and walk into the New Year:
Are you willing to Carry Christmas beyond December? Can we carry Christmas throughout the whole next year?
Because:
1. To be the center of my Christmas, Jesus must be the center of my LIFE.
The word Christmas comes from two words, “Christ Mass," right?
--The festival or Church Service for Christ.
Most people know that, but here’s something you may not know:
Where does the word Mass come from?
It comes from the Middle English word, Misse or Missa, which was the dismissal spoken at the end of the service.
But what it means literally is, “to Go” or “to send.”
So, in the 12th century and later, the priest ends the Christ Mass by sending the people out.
And get this: This word, missa, is connected to the Latin word for “Mission.”
Now, that’s a very old definition—but what if we approached the celebration of Christmas not just as a season, but as a preparation to go out into the world, to be sent with purpose throughout the rest of the year?
What if we see the mass in “Christmas” as a call to Christ’s mission—to share the Gospel of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection in every day of our lives?
Not just Christ Mass, but Christ Mission.
We call December 25th “Christ Mass,” but every day of the year should be “Christ Mission.”
Because Jesus isn’t just the reason for the season, He’s the reason for being.
So, how do we carry Christmas as a mission and purpose throughout this coming year?
Let’s look at the story of the Shepherds in Luke 2.
And as we do that, we’re going to examine four characteristics of the shepherds to help us do that in our own lives.
Luke 2:8
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
Luke 2:8 (NLT)
Now, the position of a shepherd was not well regarded at all. These men would have been considered unclean and excluded from all religious events or festivities. They were considered the very dregs of society. Outsiders.
And yet, as we know, God chooses these dirty untouchables to be the first to worship the Messiah.
Continuing in verse 9:
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
Luke 2:9 (NLT)
Here’s something I think we often miss in this verse--what is terrifying the shepherds?
It’s not the angel. It says, ‘The glory of the LORD surrounded them and they were terrified.”
The word for Lord here is the same Greek word most often word to translate YHWY, the name of God, from Hebrew.
They are terrified and in awe of the Lord’s glory.
So,
B. We carry Christmas throughout the year by…
1. Living in AWE of God’s glory and miracles.
This is obviously a unique encounter, but do we live in awe of God’s glory and miracles in our everyday lives?
I think the answer is usually, “no.”
But look at Psalm 33:
Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of Him.
Psalm 33:8 (NLT)
Now, we probably couldn’t be in the state of fear and awe the shepherds are in all the time and still function, but we should be living with a taste of that every moment.
And you my say, “Well, if God sent me an angel, then I’d listen.”
Are you sure?
This is a difficult truth, but if God sent you an angel you may not be any more likely to live in awe of Him than you are right now--How do I know that?
Because He sent you the Holy Spirit. God Himself speaks to you--and if that doesn’t move us, an angel certainly won’t.
God spoke to me very clearly when He called me to be a pastor, and I ignored Him for 12 years.
There are miracles of God’s glory all around us and we’ve trained ourselves to drown them out.
Look at this verse in Romans:
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Romans 1:20 (NLT)
We are surrounded by God’s glory--The Spirit of God is in us.
So, we don’t need Him to send us an angel, we need to slow down in our lives long enough to see the miracles that already surround us.
Because when we do that, it changes our perspective and our attitude. Instead of being the grumpy Christian at work, people will start noticing the joy you exude because you’re in awe of who God is and His creation around you.
We continue in our text. Verse 10:
…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!”
Luke 2:10–11 (NLT)
If you grew up watching a Charlie Brown Christmas, you know it like this: “For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”
If you want to be in awe of God and build a healthy fear of His glory, just meditate on that one verse.
Don’t skim over it because you know it… take in every word.
--For unto YOU is born a savior. He is born. God became fully human… for you.
--Unto you is born a SAVIOR (an individual, personal savior),
--Who is Christ or Messiah of Israel (the King), and He is the Lord (the master of your life--master of creation, master of everything).
When we live in awe of those truths, it transforms us and the way we interact with others.
The angel continues in Verse 12:
“And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:12 (NLT)
God is in every detail. And this sign may be much more significant than what we take from it.
Many scholars believe (based on how close they were to Bethlehem and the prophesy of Micah 4:8) that these were not everyday shepherds, but the Temple Shepherds who oversaw the raising of sacrificial lambs for the temple.
An important part of the Temple Shepherd’s job was to inspect the sacrificial lamb to be sure it was perfect and without blemish--that the lamb was worthy of being sacrificed for the sins of the people.
You know how they did that?
They would wrap the lamb in strips of cloth and lay them in a manger so the lamb would not hurt itself during the inspection.
And now, an Angel of the Lord says you will find the Lamb of God wrapped in cloth lying in a manger.
They may not have known they were inspecting the final sacrificial lamb--but God’s glory is found in every detail of our lives too--if we are willing to look for it.
Verse 13:
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Luke 2:13–14 (NLT)
We probably like the old version better, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.
But in this case, the NLT is a closer translation when it says “with whom God is pleased.”
Many of you know I’m now serving as a Brookwood Missions Partner as a missionary to Latvia.
May I read you that from the Latvian translation?
You may be thinking, “Wow, Josh” you’ve only been gone a few months and you’re already reading the Bible in Latvian?”
I sure am. Here it is.
"Gods Dievam augstībā, un miers virs zemes, un cilvēkiem labs prāts."
Lūkas 2,14 (Latvian RT65)
Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.
WE can have peace in our lives, and it comes from stepping out of our perspective on the earth and seeing things through the glory of God.
And so, we carry Christmas throughout the year by remaining in awe of God’s glory and miracles.
But what do the shepherds do next?
Verse 15.
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
Luke 2:15–16 (NLT)
Earlier we asked the question… If God sent us an angel, would we listen?
Here’s a second question… Even if we did listen, would we leave our field?
The Shepherds could have easily said, “That’s amazing. But we can’t leave our sheep.” Or “We’ll have to go check that out in the morning.”
But immediately they say, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass.”
“Let’s go find the Messiah… let’s go see where God is working. Right now.”
So,
We carry Christmas throughout the year by…
2. Living to ENCOUNTER Jesus and to GO where God is working.
The passage says they not only went immediately, but they hurried.
And they found Mary and Joseph and the baby, lying in a manger.
And because they went where God was working, they had an encounter with the living Savior.
Look for where God is working, go there, and you will encounter Jesus.
Psalm 66:
Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.
Psalm 66:5 (NASB95)
The moment the Shepherds knew where God was working and where they could find the Messiah, they hurried to that place so they could not only see but participate in what God was doing.
How many opportunities to participate in what God is doing do you think we forfeit on a weekly basis?
Have you ever had a knowing feeling from the Spirit to go encourage someone, or turn your car around and go say something to someone, or an apology you put off?
The Spirit invites us into His work all the time, but do we listen?
Do we hurry to go see the thing God is doing?
We have lots of supporters at BBI who say the reason they go with us on mission trips and give of their resources is because they see that God is working in Latvia.
And God will open YOUR eyes to a particular place where He’s working when you are open to seeing it.
We carry Christmas through the year when we constantly look for where God is moving.
Then, as we participate in that work, we encounter Christ.
And then we discover that some of the work God is doing is in us!
Look at Philippians 2:
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
Okay, don’t miss this connection.
When God works in you, He gives you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
And what does the Christmas story tell us is given to people with whom God is pleased?
Peace on Earth.
“…and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
--You look for where God is working,
--have an encounter with Christ,
--allow Him to work in YOU,
--and you receive peace on earth through the power and desires He gives you for free.
--He’s done all the work.
Glory to God in the highest!
And when you have that kind of transformation, you will instinctively and boldly do the same thing the shepherds did next.
Verse 17 of our text:
After seeing [Jesus], the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished… it was just as the angel had told them.
Luke 2:17–18, 20b (NLT)
We cannot carry Christmas if we do not tell the story of how the birth of Christ has changed our lives.
We cannot carry Christmas without declaring the wonders, and miracles, and power we’ve witnessed.
So,
We carry Christmas throughout the year by…
3. Living and sharing our STORY.
(If you want to be more spiritual, you can put the word testimony.)
But notice that it doesn’t say living TO share your story.
It says Living AND sharing your story or testimony.
That’s because you testify to the Messiah’s life in how you live AND what you say.
You have to be committed to both.
--Some people talk about Jesus all the time, but then live bitter, grumpy lives.
--Others say they’ll let their life be their testimony and never share the gospel.
But here’s the thing--When we love someone, we can’t help talking about them.
Parents and grandparents, consider how often you pull out your phone to share little Jay’s 1st-grade picture or talk about Abby’s exciting job offer after college.
We are programmed to invite others into our stories and sing the praises of those we love. When we are in a relationship with Jesus Christ, we will want to tell His story too.
If your life has been radically changed by Jesus Christ, you won’t be able to stop telling people.
I don’t mean beating people over the head with the Bible or handing out tracks.
Share the brokenness that’s been healed in YOU through the power of a God who came to rescue you by the path of a manger and a cross.
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to share your story.
It doesn’t say the shepherds told everyone about the fulfillment of Isaiah 9 with a full exegesis of the scroll.
No, they shared their own encounter with a living God.
The psalmist put it this way:
I will tell everyone about Your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim Your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise Your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that You alone are just.
Psalm 71:15–16 (NLT)
Does the glory, and miracles, and works of God come out of you like a continual song?
Does His saving work in your own life inform every interaction you have with people?
That should be our desire.
Let’s read the final verses of our passage today:
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.
Luke 2:19–20 (NLT)
So, to carry Christmas we seek to live our lives in a way that:
--stays in awe of God’s glory and miracles.
--looks for where God is working and participates, encountering Jesus.
--shares the story of what God has done in our lives.
And here’s the last one:
We carry Christmas throughout the year by…
4. Living in a spirit of CONTEMPLATION and WORSHIP.
There are two very distinct forms of worship in the verses we just read.
Mary expresses quiet contemplation, and the shepherds loudly proclaim the glory of God.
One is active adoration and the other is reflective prayer--being still before God.
Here’s the call for us to openly worship and testify:
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Colossians 3:16 (NLT)
And here is a call to contemplation and meditation:
“Be still, and know that I am God!”
Psalm 46:10a (NLT)
We spend a lot of time in the modern church creating opportunities for the first type of worship but not as much on quiet contemplation and meditating on Scripture.
In the coming days, I am starting a year of meditating on Scripture in a project I’m calling, “Experiencing the Word.”
If you find me on social media, you are welcome to join me.
When God gave Joshua His commission to take over for Moses, He told Joshua he’d only be successful if he meditated on the Scriptures day and night (Joshua 1:8).
And the psalmist wrote:
Oh, how I love Your instructions! I think about them all day long.
Psalm 119:97 (NLT)
Oh, how I love to meditate on the word and promises of God--all day long.
Mary kept all these things in her heart, and she pondered them.
Jesus isn’t just the reason for the season.
He’s the reason for every breath we draw--He’s the reason we can have peace in this broken world.
Do you want to carry Christmas into this new year?
Then let’s take a moment of contemplation.
I want everyone to close your eyes… No looking around or packing your stuff up.
Just be still and ponder this passage in your heart.
As I read the words again, I want you to ask God what you need Him to teach you in this new year to carry the hope of Christmas the rest of the year.
--Is it to see His glory?
--Is it to look for where He’s working?
--Is it to seek an encounter with Christ?
--Is it how to share your story…
--Or how to worship more intimately.
Ask Him as I read and then I’ll give you a few moments of quiet contemplation.
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: 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 highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 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 shepherds’ 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.
Luke 2:8–20 (NLT)
Okay, you can open your eyes.
If the Spirit moved you in some way and you’d like to have someone to talk to and pray over you, we will have pastors and Care Volunteers down front and in the Care Connection Room.
Who remembers what the Mass in Christmas means?
It was the final words spoken in the service… a dismissal that meant “go”--missa. You have a mission.
So, as I pray, I say to you: go out and live a missional life that carries Christmas to those who don’t know the hope of Jesus Christ.