“Joy In The Unexpected”

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“A Christmas series that brings the wonder, joy, and meaning of Christ’s birth to life.”

Introduction:

Good morning friends and Merry Christmas. Welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church if you are visiting with us today and welcome to all of you online. We are thrilled that you have come to worship with us this morning. 

I love this time of year! Don’t you? I love this time of year because it is a time filled with joy. A time filled with expectation. It is a time where we can look back at all the hardships and hope for a better day. It is a time where we can see all the failures and think that there is a better day just ahead. A day where all things will be new. A day where all things will be bright! Even if you are in the midst of difficulty Christmas reminds us that God is with us. You and I are not alone. We are not abandoned. We are not forsaken or forgotten about. 

Friends, that is some very good news for all of us this morning. 

Do me a favor this morning. I want you to stop and think for a second. Answer this question for me. What is the best news that you have ever heard? Really think about it. Was the best news attached to a proposal? She said “yes”! Was the best news you have ever heard attached to a special announcement? 

“I’m pregnant!”

“It’s a little boy!”

“It’s a little girl!”

Was the best news that you have ever heard attached to a job? “You’re HIRED!” 

Maybe the news was “youve been promoted”. 

Maybe the best news that youve ever heard was just a simple “well done” and a pat on the back from a boss, a parent, or another important person who does not often say such things. You felt affirmed. You felt seen. You’ll never forget that moment. 

I had a buddy of mine who once told me the best news that he had ever heard. You see, he and his father had been at odds ever since he was a teenager. He grew up a rebellious teen. He was constantly in trouble with the law. He and and Dad never got along. His father was not one to encourage him. In fact, his Dad had never uttered the words “I love you” to him. Not once. 

You see his Dad got sick. He had cancer. On his death bad, just moments before his father passed, my friend was at the death bed and his father looked up, caught his eye, held his hand, and said “I love you son”. In an instant, all was forgiven and forgotten. His father would pass just a few days later. 

What about you? What is the best news you’ve ever heard? I want you to do the best you can to summon that memory and I want you to write it down right there at the top of your listening sheet. 

Ok, you got it! Don’t say it. Just keep it there in your memory. 

While you have that in your mind, I want to reveal to you the greatest news ever given to anyone. 

You see, about 2 thousand years ago the greatest news ever to be delivered to mankind occurred.  It was unexpected news. No one really saw it coming. You see, there may not be much separating your Old Testament from your New Testament in your Bibles, but that small space in your Bible represents about 500 years. That’s right, it had been roughly 500 years since God had spoken or delivered any news to mankind. Let’s be honest, most news that is unexpected is bad news right? It’s true, the news that you never see coming is usually bad news. Not this time. 

Today’s Message:

“Joy In The Unexpected”

In fact, that is the title of today’s message. It’s not bad news in the unexpected. Nope. It’s joy in the unexpected. Good news in the unexpected! God delivered joyful news to an unexpected time, and unexpected people, and to an unexpected place. 

What was the news?  What was the message? The Savior of mankind has stepped down from heaven, entered this world as a child, and God was now living in the flesh with His creation.  This was astonishing and amazing news.  From the very beginning of Jesus’ life, His birth is associated with “Good News”.  

The phrase “good news” is actually the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον or euaggelion and is pronounced  yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on.  The phrase “good news” is used 54 times from Matthew to John.  The phrase is always, always, attached to Jesus.  That’s right, every time you hear the phrase “good news” it is always attached to Jesus.  

Jesus Is…GOOD NEWS!

His birth was good news.

His life was good news.

His miracles were good news.

 

His teachings were good news.

His words were good news.

His works were good news.

His death was good news.

His resurrection was good news.

His victory over death is good news.

His eternal reign is good news.

His return will be good news.  

I think that you are getting the point this morning.  Jesus, from start to finish, 54 times in the Gospel narratives was and is good news.  Friend, there is nothing about Jesus that is not good news.  

Point

You see, before Jesus there was bad news.  Really bad news.  The people of Israel had been oppressed and ruled by numerous foreign nations. Israel as a country had been passed around by larger, stronger nations.  They were a conquered submissive people.  Bad news.  Their current situation was living under the boot of Roman rule. Rome was brutal.  Rome ruled with an iron fist of fear and death. Bad news. They were being governed by Herod, an evil horrible man drunk with power and willing to kill children by the millions to keep it.  Bad news. Israel as a people were poor, stricken with poverty. Disease was rampant. Homelessness was common and most people living in Israel and Judea were poor and destitute.

This is the world that Jesus was born into.  A world filled with bad news.  That world changed dramatically when Jesus was born.  Sure, the world has it share of bad news.  Still does right?  Yet, Jesus is good news.  Jesus’ birth is next level good news. In fact that’s today’s thought. Fill in those blanks for me this morning. Jesus’ birth is next level good news. 

Amen?

Today’s Thought:

Jesus’ Birth Is Next Level Good News!

I think that it is safe to say that the news of Jesus’ birth is the greatest news ever to behold the human race. 

And to think that the news did not come first to a King. Not a queen. Not to royalty. Not to the famous or the powerful. The news was not delivered in Times Square, broadcast on television, shouted over the radio waves. Nope. The news was delivered to shepherds in the field. Dirty, gross, filthy shepherds. Isn’t that amazing? Randy Alcorn talked about this truth in his article entitled “Shepherd’s Status”. 

Today’s Quote:

“Shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same unenviable status as tax collectors and dung sweepers. However, to these outcasts, God chose to reveal the awesome news of the Savior’s birth. This shows us something profound about God’s heart: He values and pursues those the world overlooks. The angels didn’t appear to royalty or religious leaders but to humble shepherds who became the first evangelists, proclaiming the good news of Jesus to everyone they met.”

Randy Alcorn’s “Shepherd’s Status”

Background and Context:

This morning we are going to be reading from Luke 2:8-16. Before we jump into today’s passage. I want to give you a brief overview of what’s taking place. 

It’s nighttime in the quiet fields outside Bethlehem. Shepherds—these are regular, hardworking guys—are out in the fields laying under the stars, watching over their sheep. Now, shepherds weren’t high up on the social ladder back then. They were kind of the “outcasts” of their day. Let’s just say that you were sort of born into the shepherding industry. No one grew up wanting to be shepherd. But get this—God decides to break the biggest news ever to them…lovely shepherds. Not kings, not religious leaders. Shepherds. Ordinary people.

And what happens? The sky lights up with an angel, and they are terrified! Who wouldn’t be? But the angel says, “Don’t be afraid, because I’ve got good news that will bring great joy to everyone.” And the news? The Savior, the Messiah, has been born—right there in Bethlehem. Then a whole host of angels show up praising God! Can you imagine the sound? It’s like Heaven itself is throwing a concert!

The shepherds don’t waste any time. They rush to find Jesus, and sure enough, there He is—wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger, just like the angel said. This moment reminds us that the good news of Jesus is for everyone—the ordinary, the overlooked, the forgotten. If God sent His message to shepherds, He’s sending it to you and me, too. That’s the heart of Christmas: God coming to us in the most unexpected and humble way, inviting us to draw near to Him.

Let’s read God’s Word together. 

Statement of Belief:

We believe the Bible is inspired, infallible, and authoritative. It is vital for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. God’s Word brings life, peace, and protection, and it profoundly touches the human soul. As a unique and powerful book, let us stand in reverence and respect for it.

Today’s Scripture:

Luke 2:8-16 ESV

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. [10] And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14] "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" [15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord

Congregation: Praise His Name, Praise His Holy Name. 

What Message Did The Shepherds Receive?

I. Come Confidently vs. 8-10

So, what message did the shepherds receive that fateful evening? Fill in this first blank for me this morning. The first message was an invitation to come confidently to discover the newly born Savior of the world. We see this reflected in verses 8-10. 

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Our world is a very scary, fearful place. It seems everywhere you turn, there is something to be afraid of. We have war spreading in Europe. We see war being waged in the Middle East. China is looming large. North Korea seems to cast a lingering shadow. People are worried about their future. The markets are unstable. Administrations are shifting. Unidentified drones hover over our cities. The threat of disease, illness, and possible pandemics is always on the horizon. I just read a study the other day that told me that 55% of Americans fear not having enough money for retirement. The same study said that 54% of Americans are afraid they may lose their lives in some form of gun violence. 

Well friends, fear is nothing new. In fact, fear is as old as the Bible itself. While the context of the word “fear” changes in the Bible, the word “fear” is mentioned 365 times. That’s correct, “fear” is mentioned 365 times in Scripture. That seems to communicate that we have something to be afraid of every single day of the years. Here is the good news. Sure, there is a lot to fear, but Scripture also tells us to “fear not”. 

“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.”

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”

The message of the angel was simple, light has come and fear is dead. There is nothing to fear for God is now among us, walking with us, guiding us into His presence. 

Luke’s Gospel says “glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear”.  Again, the angel of the Lord says “fear not”.  The Greek word being used in both instances is φόβος or phobos and is pronounced fob'-os.  It is where we get the English word phobia.  Yes, it means fear, terror or alarm.  The word also has another meaning.  It means withdrawal, or flee.  When Luke recounts that moment the shepherds were informed of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds ran.  

You don’t see that in the manger scenes or in the movies do you?  Let me tell you exactly what happened.  The night suddenly become day.  The heavenly host enters the night sky by the hundreds of millions shouting the Son of God has been born.  

Do you know what the shepherds did?  

They ran.  

Young people would say that they “peaced out”.  

Old people would say that they “high tailed it out of there”.  

Urban people would say “they gone”.  

They dropped their rods and staffs and ran as fast as they could.  They left their sheep, their job, their one responsibility because Luke tells us that they were in absolute terror of what was happening.  

In movies the angels sing and dance and the shepherds watch with smiles on their faces. Wrong.  Incorrect.  Never happened.  These guys tucked tails and ran like cowards.  

That, by the way, is exactly what we would do today if the same thing happened.  We would run.  

For the record, this is the natural response to any person who comes into contact with a Holy God.  Hide.  Hide from God.  Run away.  

Think about it.  

Adam and Even tried to hide.

Abraham tried to hide.

Moses fled and tried to hide.

David had plenty of sins and tried to hide.

Peter hid when Jesus was on trial.  

When we stand naked before God with nothing to bear but our sins, we try to hide.  We run in sheer terror.  

Point:

Yet, the message of the Gospel is not “run away” but “draw near”.  Friends that’s great news.  The great news of the Gospel is that we do not have to run from God, rather he wants us to be a part of the family.  You see this play out powerfully in the lives of the shepherds.  At the beginning of the story, they are running away from God.  By the end of the story, they are drawing near to God.  This transformation of attitude is made possible by Jesus.  

James, the brother of Jesus invites all people to draw near to God. 

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

There is no longer a fear of God, but a longing to be near to God.  No more do we have to run and hide.  We can approach God confidently and without fear.  

Hebrews 4:16 NLT

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

What Message Did The Shepherds Receive?

I. Come Confidently vs. 8-10

II. Come One, Come All vs. 10-11

So, the first message that the shepherds received was to come confidently. The second message they received was come one…come all. Go back to verses 10-11. 

[10] And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Come one come all is just an invitation. The shepherds were being invited to the most important event in human history. The Son of the Living God had made His home among men. You didn’t have to have a theology degree to understand the significance of this moment. 

I love invitations don’t you? Everyone loves being invited to the party. Got me thinking…God made a lot of “invitations” in the Bible. Lots of people were invited to do a lot of different places, they were invited to do a lot different things. 

What about Noah? God invited him to build the ark—not just for survival, but to be part of God’s rescue plan for humanity. Can you imagine what Noah must’ve thought? “You want me to build what? A giant boat? In the middle of dry land?!” But Noah said yes, and his obedience changed history.

Or how about Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28? He says, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” That’s a direct, heart-felt call to each of us. Are you tired? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Jesus says, “Come. Let me carry that for you.”

And then there’s one of my favorites—John 15:4, where Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you.” That’s not just an invitation; it’s a promise. He’s inviting us into a daily, life-changing relationship with Him. He’s saying, “Stay close to me, and I’ll make your life fruitful.”

Here’s the point: God’s invitations are everywhere! He invites us to know Him, follow Him, rest in Him, and work alongside Him. The shepherds could’ve ignored the angels and stayed in the field, but they didn’t—they said yes. And because of that, they got to experience the miracle of meeting Jesus.

Still, why in the world did the invitation come to the shepherds? Of all the people in the world, why would they have been the first to know?

In the days of Jesus, shepherds were outcasts.  They had no civil rights.  They were often looked at as thieves as many of them would try to steal animals from one another.  Shepherds, because of their seemingly dishonest lifestyle, were not even allowed to testify in courts because they could not be trusted.  They were considered at the time second class citizens and untrustworthy.  

Because the job involved handling animals and discarding dead animals, shepherds were ritually unclean.  They were not allowed entrance into the temple or local synagogues. They were unable to make the proper sacrifices or worship God.  

Shepherds were nobodies.  

Shepherds were the dregs of society. 

Yet the very first people to hear about Jesus were the cowardly shepherds.  Why?

Point:

Friends, if Jesus will come to the shepherds, the lowest of the low, then He will come for everyone.  

Quote:

The great Billy Graham had this to say about the angels visiting the shepherds first.

“They (the shepherds) were humble men; in fact, shepherds were looked down upon by many people. But Jesus Christ came for all people — rich and poor, male and female, uneducated and educated. By announcing Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, God was demonstrating His love for every one of us, no matter who we are. The Bible says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

Point:

Friend, the invitation of the angels is come one, come all.  It is an open invitation.  

Notice that the angels did not tell the shepherds to go take a shower before they came.  

Notice he did not tell them to wash their hands.  

Notice the angels did not tell them to pray and sacrifice before they came.  

Notice that they did not tell the shepherds to make all their wrongs right before they could come.  

Notice that the angels did not tell the shepherds to confess all their sins before they come.  

Notice that the angels did not tell the shepherds to go to the temple and pay the temple tax before they came to Jesus.  

Notice that the angels did not ask the shepherds to form a direction or gift committee before they came to Jesus.  

Notice that the angels did not tell the shepherds to memorize the Torah before they came.  

Notice that the angels did not tell the shepherds to clean up their language before they came Jesus.  

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

They shepherds heard the Good News and they responded to the Good News.  Instead of running from God, they drew near to God.  

I say this because to many Christians today expect non Christians to do all these other things before they actually come to Jesus.  Friends, this cannot be.  The Good News is simple.  Come to Jesus and He will take care of the rest.  Simple. Easy.  To the point.  The only problem is that most of us will be content to let the angels do the work when it is clearly in our job description to tell the Good News  

Point:

The greatest Christmas gift that you can give to someone is the gift of Jesus! 

2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

What Message Did The Shepherds Receive?

I. Come Confidently vs. 8-10

II. Come One, Come All vs. 10-11

III. Come Quickly vs. 16

So, what messages did the shepherds receive? The first message was to come confidently. The second message was come one come all. An invitation to meet the King. Lastly, they received the message to come quickly! Go back to verse 16. 

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

Friends, I love to go fast don’t you? Humans have always tried to go faster! Our sports are marked with speed. Tyreek Hill, one of my favorite NFL players is known for his remarkable speed. His nickname is “The Cheetah”. Nolan Ryan was one of my favorite baseball players growing up. It is said that he could throw a fastball over 100 mph. His nickname was the Ryan Express. I always loved watching Usain Bolt run. It is said that he could run the 40 yard dash in 3.8 seconds. That is insanely fast for a human. Im a runner. I love to run. Do you know the name of the fella that ran the fastest mile ever run? No? It was Hicham Guerrouj of Morocco in 1999. He ran a mile in 3 minutes 43 seconds. Blazing. What about the fastest marathon? Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya set the men's marathon world record with a time of 2:00:35. Amazing. 

Have you ever wondered, “why are we all in such a hurry”? Why are we all trying to move so fast? 

Im sure there are a lot of answers to that question. I suppose that at the end of the day, there is something inside of us that tells us that our time is limited. One day, we will all cease to be so we better make the most of the time that we have. 

I was having breakfast with a young man on Friday. He was telling me about his call to ministry. God had been speaking to him and he was trying to do his best to listen. He was working at a clothing store, actually just around the corner from this very church. He was folding a shirt and God spoke to him. It was like God told him “you are meant for more than folding that shirt”. 

God said “you have a greater purpose, come follow me”. 

This fella told me that it was like God was right there, speaking directly to him. He folded the shirt and that very day he quit his job, went back home, and started to pursue ministry. He had no time to waste. It was time to get serious. 

NO TIME TO WASTE! 

That was the mindset of the shepherd. No time to waste. 

They received the message and boom, they were off and running.  Scripture tells us that they went with haste.  

The Greek word for “haste” is σπουδή or spoudé and is pronounced spoo-day’.  The word means haste of course.  It also means diligence, earnestness, and enthusiasm.  

Luke is telling us that the shepherds moved towards Jesus in a very focused manner.  They blocked out all other distractions so that they could be with Jesus, their Savior. 

Luke is telling us that the shepherds moved towards Jesus with the right motivations.  They did not come to Jesus with a “what can I get out of this” or “what can Joseph’s family” do for me.  They truly wanted to worship Jesus.  

Luke is telling us that the shepherds moved towards Jesus with an excited and enthusiastic attitude. They were joyful, spirit filled and happy to be in the presence of God.  It is sad that there are many mornings when I look around our congregation that we look more like The Walking Dead than The Walking Delighted.  Oh friend I know that we have problems.  Many of us have suffered greatly this year.  However, God came to us.  He knows what our pains are and He has not forgotten about us. We have salvation.  We have general life.  This is not all that there is.  There is more.  There is better.  Sure, everything is not great but one day, perhaps sooner than we think, it will be better.  Much better.  

Point:

So, are you moving to Jesus this morning?  Are you distracted?  Are you focused?  What is your attitude?  Is it joyful.  

Final Point:

Brothers and sisters, the message of Jesus’ arrival is not just for shepherds, it is for each of us.  All of us.  Have you received the news?  If you have, are you spreading the news?

Today I am glad that Mark 2:17 is true.

Mark 2:17 ESV

 “And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Share the Good News Today!