Mega-JOY-normous

Working Christmas Eve

I’m not sure there’s anybody who loves the idea of working Christmas Eve. Oh, I’m sure there are a few of you out there. But I’ll be honest, I’ve always had a sense of dread waiting on the holiday schedule to come out.

The only thing worse might be pulling the overnight shift. Outside. With livestock. That’s exactly the scene we see in chapter two of Luke’s bio of Jesus (Lk 2:8-11). A group of smelly shepherds pulling an all-nighter with a flock of equally smelly sheep.

One thing they have going in their favor that night is they have no clue that it’s Christmas Eve. That will change soon enough. For the moment, they’re just doing their job, caring for the herd.

Down in Town 

The good doctor paints a picture of the scene that silent night. “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” (v8). That little phrase which starts the verse, “and in the same region,” connects what’s about to happen with what just went down in town.

What these dudes don’t realize is not far from them are an unmarried teenage girl and her carpenter fiancé have just given birth to a Baby (Lk 2:6-7). Why would they know? Why would they even care? I mean, they’ve got a job to do. Running off to a baby shower in the middle of their shift is NOT part of the job description!

Not Easily Scared

Just who are these guys anyway? Most of us have a picture in our heads of shepherds as wimpy and weak. For years, I saw them sorta like sandal-wearing hippies hanging out at Woodstock.

Wrong. Think cowboys. They spend most of their lives outside, protecting the rams, ewes, and lambs from sneak attacks by predators like wolves, mountain lions, and bears (oh my!). And they’ve got mad ninja skills with those shepherd crooks.

In other words, this bunch isn’t easily scared. They’ve seen it all. Well, until tonight. That’s all about to change.

A Heavenly Ambush

Luke then tells us about what can only be described as a heavenly ambush. “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” (v9).

When God’s messenger suddenly shows up, the Lord’s glory floods the blackness of night with the brightest of light! Imagine your eyes adjusting to seeing in the dark when out of nowhere you’re hit with the most dazzling brilliance. You can bet these boys are seeing spots and rubbing their peepers.

In the Sky or Eye to Eye?

I don’t know about you but I’ve always pictured the angel as hovering in the night sky above the shepherds. But the truth is, there’s absolutely nothing in the original text to suggest that.

The author simply says the angel makes his appearance to them. And yes, I did say “his” appearance. The Greek word for “angel” (Gr. αγγελος/aggelos) is a masculine noun. The only named angels are Gabriel and Michael. Sorry if that blows your angelic stereotype.

While Scripture does say angels have wings and can fly (Ex 25:20; Ezek 10:5-21; Is 6:2, 6), there’s every possibility that this angel is simply standing in the middle of the boys. Not hovering. Face-to-face. Eye-to-eye.

Afraid with Mega-Fear

We then read what I think might be one of the great understatements in history. “And they were filled with great fear” (v9). This divine sneak attack has these rough, tough herdsmen suddenly shaking in their sandals!

Luke goes out of his way to make sure we know these are totally freaking out. You can easily translate the original text here (Gr. ‘εφοβηθησαν φοβον μεγαν/‘ephobethesan phobon megan) as “they were afraid with mega-fear!”

While we don’t know exactly how many shepherds there are, we do know that there’s only one angel. Apparently the intimidating presence of this messenger from God flying solo has the herdsmen totally outnumbered.

Take a Deep Breath

The angel does his best to calm things down. Before they do anything rash, he has something to say. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (v10).

Calm down, boys. Let’s all take a deep breath and take it down from Defcon 1. The divine being says to the shepherds that there’s no reason to be afraid…ESPECIALLY not now!

Sound Familiar?

“Fear not” (v10). Sound familiar? Well, it should. We see God remind us to do just that on just about every page of Scripture. It’s all over both the Old and New Testament documents. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry.

It’s there in the beginning. In the prophets. In songs. In wisdom literature. Gospels? Yup.  Letters to various churches. Encouragement to pastors and the followers of Jesus.

We’re Gonna Need These

Here’s just a few of my “no fear” faves…

• Genesis 46:3
• Deuteronomy 3:22
• Deuteronomy 31:6
• Joshua 1:9
• Psalm 23:4
• Psalm 27:1
• Psalm 34:4-7
• Psalm 56:3-4
• Psalm 118:6-7
• Proverbs 29:25
• Isaiah 35:4
• Isaiah 41:10-14
• Isaiah 43:1
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Mark 4:39-40
• Mark 5:36
• Mark 6:50
• Luke 12:22-26
• John 14:27
• Philippians 4:6-7
• 2Timothy 1:7
• 1Peter 3:14
• 1Peter 5:6-7
• 1John 4:18
• Revelation 1:17

Can I make a suggestion? Bookmark them. Put them somewhere on your phone or tablet. Here’s a crazy idea. You might even memorize a few of them! Yeah, I know. It’s radical.

But here’s the deal. You may not need them now…but you WILL need them. I certainly know it won’t be long before I need punch fear in the face with the truth of God! So why not be ready?

Fearing God

On the other hand, some of you may be wondering about how we’re commanded to fear God (2Chr 19:7-9; Prov 1:7; Is 11:2-3). What’s up with THAT?!? On one hand, this kind of fear is about reverence and worship.

But recently I heard someone (I wish I could remember who it was so I could give them proper credit) say that it’s safe to fear God because He’s the only one who won’t use it against us.

Mega-JOY-normous

Meanwhile back under the night sky in the Judean countryside, the angel’s come straight from heaven with breaking news! This just in! And this is not some disturbing report about a heartbreaking tragedy. This is GOOD NEWS! We’re talking GREAT JOY for EVERYBODY!!! Let’s just say this is the ultimate push alert!

Remember how the shepherds were afraid with mega-fear? This news is so VERY good that they can replace that with mega-joy! When we look at the original Greek, we see the very same adjective (Gr. μεγα/mega) describing their fear as the joy contained in the angel’s report. You could say it’s mega-JOY-normous! Okay, maybe not.

Not Limited to a Select Few

This breaking Good News isn’t limited to a select few. It’s not just for the rich. Not merely the powerful. Not just for season ticket holders. Not only for certain races or religions. Nobody’s getting left out. This is “Good News of great joy that will be for ALL THE PEOPLE!” (v11 emphasis added).

For those of us who think God’s kingdom is some sort of exclusive club for people who look like them and act like them, you might want to sit down. It’s open for anyone who places their trust in Jesus. That’s the ONLY requirement for entry.

Kind of a Big Deal

It’s at this point that the angel gets to the details of the Good News. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (v11). This is not average birth announcement. That’s because this is not your average baby.

Just down the road in Bethlehem, something VERY special has just happened. Someone VERY special has just happened! How special? We’re talking about the Savior, the Christ, and the Lord! Yeah, He’s kind of a big deal.

A Savior to Our Rescue

First of all, this newborn Baby is our Savior. He’s the One who’s come to our rescue. The problem is that some of us don’t realize we need to be rescued. The cool thing is that Jesus is ready to respond the moment we do.

According to A.T. Robertson, the Roman emperor loved it when people living under his rule referred to the emperor as “savior.” Sounds like politicians haven’t changed much. Early believers more appropriately applied the term to Jesus.

The Hero from Heaven

Second, the Child is the Christ. The Greek word Χριστος/Christos means the Anointed One and is the equivalent of the Messiah in the OT. This is the long-awaited Hero from heaven the Jews have been expecting for a few thousand years.

We see the first hint of Christ to our rescue moments after first parents buy the lie of a satanic snake and rebel against God. Yahweh warns the serpent of One who will come and crush its head (Gen 3:15).

The Lord in Authority

Third, the Infant is the Lord (Gr. Κυριος/Kurios). This term describes someone who is the master, owner, or chief. Think about it for just a moment. This tiny Baby in the manger is actually the One with controlling power and authority.

And check this out. Did you notice that it’s an “angel of the Lord” who appeared in the dazzling brilliance of “the glory of the Lord” (v9)? In other words, who sent the angelic messenger to tell the shepherds this amazing news? Lord Jesus!

Everybody’s Invited!

There’s absolutely no reason to terrified. As a matter of fact, this news is so incredibly good that we should be jumping for mega-joy! According to the angel, everybody on the planet is invited to God’s party!

As Savior, He’s come to our rescue. From whom and what? From ourselves and our own sin. As Christ, the long-promised Messiah is finally making His appearance. And not a moment too soon! As Lord, He’s in total control.

The angel is right. This is GREAT NEWS!!! See, working the nightshift on Christmas Eve can have it’s benefits. Just ask the shepherds.

©2018

Jay Jennings