I'd like to have you take your Bibles once more and turn to Luke chapter 2 once again as we conclude the passage regarding the birth of Jesus, beginning now at verse 15. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about. And when they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The Lord, I am the reason of God, for all the things they have heard and seen, which were just since they have been told. Well, that's our passage for this morning, those entire 20 verses. We're thinking this morning about surprises at Christmas. And I know you children think about surprises at Christmas, but I think maybe some of you don't like surprises. And how do I know that? Well, some of you have been trying to find out what your presents were for a long time already. You were shaking them. You were trying to look through the wrapping. You were seeing how heavy they were. You were bugging your mother or your dad or your brothers or sisters about what they got you. So I guess maybe you don't like surprises, do you? Well, your parents probably made sure you had a surprise because they probably put little gifts in big packages. Or the big gifts maybe they put in the trunk of the car or under some junk in the garage or in the attic or something like that, huh? Maybe some parents even put numbers on the presents and they'll be surprised if they lose the numbers and forget what they were, won't they? Yeah, that happens once in a while. Well, Christmas is a time of surprises. Maybe one of the things you might be surprised about is that we really don't know whether Jesus was born on December 25 or not. And there are some people, especially some cults, that really make a big issue of that because they say we shouldn't celebrate Christmas on this day because it was a pagan holiday. Well, I don't know if it was a pagan holiday or not, but if it was, the devil had it long enough, didn't he, huh? And isn't it wonderful that once, at least, something celebrating Christ can obliterate that which was done for pagans? That's only a good reason to celebrate Christmas this year. We're talking about Christmas surprises, and I'm wondering whether the angels were surprised at all about Christmas. Not that they were surprised that a Savior would come. They knew that because they knew the things that we read this morning from the Old Testament. They knew about the prophecies regarding the coming Jesus or the coming Savior. The whole Old Testament, beginning with Genesis 3, is really about the coming of the Christ. Even the Samaritans knew that Christ was going to come, the Messiah was going to come. And he is called Christ because that means anointed. And he is not just Christ, I mean he is not just an anointed. There were anointed priests and there were anointed kings and there were anointed prophets. but this is the Christ who is coming. The anointed priest who would be greater than Aaron and Melchizedek. The anointed prophet who would be greater than Moses. The anointed king who would be greater than David. That's the Messiah that they were looking for. And the angels knew that God would do this because he had promised. But they didn't know how God would do that, and they didn't know exactly when God would do that, and they wouldn't know who that Messiah would be. Now, maybe that surprises us a little bit, but when we read from 1 Peter, for example, even the prophets who wrote about Jesus didn't really understand. In 1 Peter 1.12, we read that the prophets and the angels longed to understand what was written and what was prophesied. They longed to look into these things. And so we know what really surprised the angels. We know that already today. So, children, if you were surprised this Christmas, think about the angels' surprises that first Christmas. They probably were surprised when Christ was born. You know, we begin this passage reading about Caesar Augustus. This was a time when Caesar Augustus was king in Rome, and he ruled the entire world with an iron hand. His armies marched everywhere. There wasn't a rebellion that wasn't put down. What hope would Israel have for a king to come at this time? What hope could they expect for liberty and for freedom and for this promised king that would rule? What hope was there? If someone had gone to Caesar Augustus that Christmas morning and said, you know, today in the city of David, a child has been born who is going to be king, he would have said, must I be surrounded by crazy people? Who's going to take kingship away from me? Is there any child in Bethlehem that's going to overcome my power and my rule? On the other hand, maybe the angels weren't surprised at that. because they knew that God was omnipotent, didn't they? They knew that God could do all things. They knew that God wasn't stymied by any kings. As a matter of fact, he often came just when things looked most dark and dreary. It was at that time that God would come to show that he was the deliverer. You can't help but think about the time when Israel was a slave nation in Egypt and Pharaoh was at his peak of power. And the Israelites were desperate. It is exactly at that time that God sent a deliverer, didn't he? Moses called him out of the desert. One man was afraid to speak in public. God made him the prophet and the deliverer. You children know the story about Goliath. There was a monstrous guy who put fear in Israel. When he spoke, they trembled, and God sent a little shepherd boy with a slingshot and took care of this monster that all of Israel was afraid of. That's the way God did things, didn't he? We think about tens of thousands of Midianites who ravaged the land in Israel and who had them living in fear. And God sent 300 bugle players and torch carriers to deliver them, to create confusion in the Midianite army so that they began to self-destruct. So maybe the angels weren't surprised that God would do this at the time of Augustus, great Augustus. I mean, who was Augustus compared to God? Augustus was God's servant. Did you know that? Augustus was God's servant. He's the one that ordered the senses that brought about the birth of Jesus in Nazareth, not in Bethlehem, not Nazareth. That's why Luke 2 starts out that way. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus. You know, the Christmas story doesn't begin once upon a time long ago in the deep dark woods lived a fairy godmother. No, it happened in history when Caesar Augustus was reigning and Caesar Augustus was doing exactly what God had commanded. He's bringing Mary and Joseph into Bethlehem so that his Christ child could be born where the prophets had said he would be born. I guess the angels weren't surprised about that. But are we surprised today? I think some of us are surprised that someone like Augustus could be God's anointed. Someone like Augustus could be God's servant? I mean, we look at the church today in our own country and abroad. We think of the challenges that are facing our children and our grandchildren. And in this country, we begin to fear because of secularism that's growing and opposition to the church. And we look around the world and we see what's called the Arab Spring. and we wonder about the growing Muslim threat. We are fearful sometimes. We forget that the most wicked Ayatollah is also in God's hand. This is God's church you are part of. We are God's people. He reigns and He rules. We ought not to be fearful. So maybe I say the angels were not a surprise that God would do this great thing in the days of Caesar Augustus. Would they be surprised at who was born? Sometimes we forget that when the angels came to the shepherds, they did not simply announce to you is born a savior. But they added something to that. Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born, and they don't stop, but they say he is Christ the Lord. He is Christ the Lord. In verse 23 of chapter 2, we read he is called the Lord's Christ, but in verse 11, he is called Christ the Lord. This week, I think, as never before, I began to appreciate even more how much is written, how much content is in these few verses of the Bible in chapter 2. I think this is the 16th Christmas service I have led you in in worship. And I think this week, of all the weeks that I have had to make Christmas sermons on Luke 2, I realized even more how rich and how full it is. I believe you'd probably have to go through a few rabbit trails, but I believe that most of the New Testament could be preached from just the words that we read this morning. You see, the angels tell the shepherds who it was that was born. He is God. He is God. That's what the word Lord indicates here. If you look at verse 9, we read that it is the angel of the Lord who appeared to the shepherds. What does Lord refer to there? Who does Lord refer to there? And you say, well, the angel of the Lord, obviously it is God. That's true. And then it goes on to say the glory of the Lord. who does Lord refer to there it refers to God and now they are told of the birth of Christ the Lord he is Christ the God the second person of the Holy Trinity that would have surprised the angels that almighty God somehow or other could be born in human flesh that the word would become flesh that would surprise the angels whoever heard of such a thing whoever could think of such a thing whoever could dream that somehow the infinite could could be born finite could be born flesh no wonder the angels are surprised no wonder they say glory glory glory to God and no wonder they say peace on earth to those in whom God is well pleased I mean, would the angels be surprised that any of us would lack peace today when they have such a message that on this day it is Christ the Lord who has been born? How could we lack peace? Our prophet, our chief prophet, our king, our priest is none other than God himself. And if God is for us, who can be against us? No wonder Jesus could say, no one shall snatch them from my hand. That which Jesus has earned for us, he will guard for us and he will keep for us because he is Christ the Lord. He is not someone who can be defeated. So the angels would be surprised if any of us did not exude peace on a day like this. When you think about peace, you're going to hear a lot of messages today about peace. Pray for peace. Pray for peace, that there is no more war, and we should pray for peace. God reminds us that one day there will be no more war, that spears will be changed to plowshares, and so on. But when the angel was talking about peace, he wasn't talking about lack of war. I mean, the shepherds would have said to him, what do you mean, peace? We've got peace. We've had 200 years of peace. This is the Pax Romana, the great peace of Rome. The angel wasn't talking about freedom from war. He was talking about something else. If you want to know what the peace that the angel was talking about, you can read the scriptures, you can plug in peace, And you will find that that word is used almost a hundred times in the New Testament, exactly this word. Of course, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. God is the God of Peace. Jesus makes peace by the blood of the cross. We are justified by faith in Christ, and therefore we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit's gift is a gift of peace. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace, joy, patience. They said God is a God of peace. The angels came and they said, they began the gospel message with the word peace on earth to men in whom God is well pleased. And the gospel ends with peace because Jesus said, my peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world giveth. When you came this morning, the first word you heard from God were words of peace, grace to you and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ. And the last words you'll hear in the worship service will be peace. Lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. That's the peace that the angel is speaking about. The Bible says, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. And this Christmas day we must give glory to God for the peace that is ours because of Jesus Christ. He said, indeed, the angels would have been surprised, would be surprised, are surprised today if we do not have that peace that has been promised in Jesus Christ. Well, children, are there any more surprises here at Christmas for the angels? Well, I think that the angels would be surprised at where Jesus is born not that he is born in Bethlehem I think in previous times I've talked about Bethlehem I said Bethlehem is like Banzal or Ramona or Rainbow or Rock Valley I mean it was a town like nothing so but they would not have been a surprise that Jesus was born in such a little town because it was the town of David it was where the prophets had said Jesus would be born that the Messiah would be born so they would not have been surprised that Jesus was born in Bethlehem but they would have been surprised that Jesus is born in a stable the Lord of Lords the King of Kings in a stable no glory no fanfare no trumpets no honor guard no flags flying Not even a midwife. Nothing. From glory, glory, glory to a child most lowly. That would have surprised them. And that they had to go to shepherds. That would have surprised them too. I mean, weren't there any Levites around? Weren't there some retired ministers around? Some old priests around? I mean, weren't there some godly people like Anna and Simeon around that they could go to? They have to go to shepherds. The first witnesses of the greatest story that has been ever told. They go to shepherds. That must have disappointed them. that they could not go to Jerusalem, that they could not go to Rome, that they could not announce from the mountaintops that a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord. It was not to the religious scholars of the day. It was not to the religious leaders of the day. It was not to the great politicians of the day that they came, but to shepherds who probably couldn't even enjoy the good music. If they sang. But that's who they were told to go to. That must have surprised the angels. Now some have tried to glorify this by saying, well, you know, the shepherds were keeping sheep that were probably meant for the offering for sacrifices in the temple. And the angels come to them and in a sense say to them, look, the Lamb of God is not among your sheep, but the Lamb of God is in the stable. There could be something about that. That's a wonderful suggestion. Or we could suggest that they would say to these shepherds, the real shepherd, the one that David talked about, the shepherd of Psalm 23, he's not in your group, but he is in the stable. But more to the point, The shepherds were untrustworthy. The shepherds were considered, could not even be used as witnesses in a court of law in those days. They would be like ex-cons today. Like people in Grape Park. Those who don't have green cards. shepherds were simply not trustworthy and God makes them the witnesses of the greatest message that is ever heard you say why is that and maybe because God doesn't need anybody to back up his story he doesn't need a seminary professor he doesn't need a philosopher to back up what he has done he speaks for himself the heavens declare the glory of God the glory of Jesus is shown in his works and in his acts God doesn't need anybody to back up his stories not big shots, not intellectuals he uses shepherds to be the witnesses of the greatest story ever told and there is something else when you think about that and you think that God came to the shepherds with that first announcement and only to the shepherds. You realize that salvation is by grace, do you not? It is by grace alone. Christ came for sinners. When the angels came to the shepherds, they didn't say a Savior has been born, But they said, to you is born this day. To you who are untrustworthy, a Savior has been born. To you, social outcasts. To you, irresponsible people. To you, living in Great Day Park. To you, sitting in this sanctuary this morning, who come burdened with sin, To you, to you, God has sent a Savior for you. You see, this message speaks once again about God's grace. He is a Savior, and he is born in a manger. The shepherds could go to a manger. They couldn't go to a palace. There were many places the shepherd could not go. But they could go to a manger. That's where you find him, the angel said. In a manger. You can go there. Ex-cons can go there. Alcoholics can go to a manger. Adulterers can go to a manger. Crooks, tax evaders can go to a manger. I can go to a manger. you can go to a manger. When we go to that manger and we confess our sins and we see him as our Savior, the angel says, fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. There you will find peace. A peace of God that passes all understanding. Amen. Heavenly Father, it is good again to hear the story of Christmas. For like the shepherds, we need a Savior. And how grateful we are that Jesus was born so meek and lowly that even we may behold him. How grateful we are that you have provided salvation that is all of grace. That you have given us a Savior, not a coach, not a judge, not an assistant, but a Savior. For, Lord, we only daily add to our guilt. In Jesus, however, we come to know the peace of sins forgiven, of redemption accomplished and applied, and of sonship received. We would give you appropriate gifts today. First of all, gifts of hearts filled with love and devotion, Dedicated to obedience and service. And second, monetary gifts for that which will be a blessing to others. And so receive our gifts today and in our lives ahead for Jesus' sake. Amen.