Psalm 96:1-13 · Isaiah 9:2-7 · Titus 2:11-14 · Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

We have come to the Nativity of the Lord or Christmas Eve on the Christian Liturgical Calendar, and we transition from Advent to the Christmas season. The theme for this special day is God’s glory brings great joy. In the Call to Worship Psalm, the entire earth is to worship God in gladness because he is coming. Isaiah says that the people of the world will experience exultation and joy because the Messiah will be born. In Titus, Christ followers are encouraged to be transformed by the nativity of our Lord, which he refers to as grace appearing. Finally, in Luke, we read about shepherds, who bore witness to the birth of Christ with great joy.

God’s Story

Luke 2:10-20 NIV

“Once upon a time…”

“Call me Ishmael.”

“My father has asked me to be the fourth corner at the Joy Luck Club.”

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”

“I am an invisible man.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

As you may have already guessed, these are famous opening lines to great stories. Chances are that reading them caused something to stir in you — that childlike part of you that still wonders and dreams. Perhaps hearing some of these words transported you in your mind to a fairytale land with giants and beanstalks. Perhaps you found yourself on the deck of the Pequod, next to Captain Ahab, searching for Moby Dick. Or maybe you stood side-by-side with Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, fighting against the Empire. Great stories open up new worlds to us and transport us through time. They are how we understand our world and each other. We use words like metaphor, analogy, parable, and symbolism. However, these vehicles of learning and knowing are all forms of stories.

Human beings love stories, and it might not be an exaggeration to say that we need stories. Stories have the ability to change minds and hearts. They make things more or less valuable to us. We tell stories to teach and remind ourselves of the most important things. Someone once said that we love stories so much, that even while we sleep, our minds tell ourselves stories (dreams). We spend billions of dollars each year on books, movies, streaming services, and video games to hear or see new stories. We can see a strong connection between ourselves and the stories told by other human beings.

What happens when God tells us a story? How much stronger is our connection to the story that God tells? At the time of Jesus Christ’s birth, we see something wonderful. On multiple occasions, God told ordinary people the story of Jesus’ advent (coming). And, in every case the people who heard the story God told were changed forever.

On this Christmas Eve, we are going to focus on a group of ordinary shepherds tending their flocks over 2,000 years ago. As they watched their sheep in the night, an angel appeared surrounded in God’s glory. We will pick up the story in Luke 2:

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12 NIV)

After hearing the incredible story God told them, the shepherds saw a great company of angels in the sky praising the Lord. The angles proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Not only did God share his story, his good news, in a spectacular way, but a chorus of angels also bore witness to the greatness of the storyteller. It is clear that there was something special about the story God told. Let’s look at the response of the shepherds to this awesome tale. Perhaps their reactions will teach us something. Let’s continue in this story:

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.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:15-20 NIV)

After hearing the story God told, the shepherds responded in three ways: they became characters in the story, they became storytellers, and they rejoiced in seeing the story unfold.

Let’s first try to understand what it means for shepherds to become characters in God’s story. Prior to the angelic visitation, we are told that the shepherds were in the fields tending their sheep at night (Luke 2:8). Night or darkness is often a metaphor for spiritual blindness or ignorance. So, we can view the shepherds as representing the state of humankind: estranged from God and ignorant of his ways. They signify humanity’s desperate need for a Savior.

Then, suddenly, the darkness of the night was chased away by the glory of the Lord. The shepherds were unaware of the larger story happening all around them until God lit up their sky. The phenomenon brought to life the words of Isaiah, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” (Isaiah 9:2 NIV). The shepherds were suddenly embedded in a story greater than they could imagine. For many of us, this is what encountering Jesus was like. We were in darkness and did not know we were in darkness. Jesus shone his light upon us. By his grace, we have become children of light.

Getting back to the shepherds, we should note the ease with which they accepted the good news. The story God told was legendary to Jewish people at the time — almost mythic for some. Jewish people had been talking about the coming of the Messiah for more than a millennium. It was something debated by kings, rabbis, and scholars. And it was something that many had come to doubt. It is unlikely that a shepherd would have detailed plans about what they would do if the Messiah appeared while they were tending sheep. Yet, there was something about the angelic declaration that made the shepherds believe that they were part of the story of the coming Anointed One. These ordinary men believed that they could be a part of a legend they had been told since they were young. They did not doubt their worthiness to see the newborn King. They did not debate whether or not what they saw was real. Somehow, they knew that their story was part of the larger story God was telling. So, they left their sheep to play their part as some of Christ’s first witnesses and evangelists.

Next, they became storytellers themselves. The story the shepherds heard was told to them by a heavenly messenger accompanied by a chorus of angels shining in the night sky. Despite the miraculous way the message was delivered, after seeing the baby in a manger, something made the shepherds believe that they had the capacity to share the good news with others. The story they had to tell was unbelievable — perhaps even absurd. On top of that, they were not great orators or experienced teachers. However, they were compelled to speak. There was something about God’s story that they could not keep to themselves. Not only that, but these ordinary shepherds also believed themselves capable of sharing God’s story. The people heard the story they shared and were amazed.

Lastly, the shepherds rejoiced in seeing the story unfold. If it were a movie, the shepherds might have become traveling evangelists, preaching the Gospel all over the world. However, what actually happened was even more remarkable. The shepherds returned to their sheep rejoicing and praising God. Their lives did not change. Rather, they changed. In their situation, they found new reasons to rejoice. They saw the story unfolding all around them, even in a darkened field. Perhaps they even started to see themselves differently because of God’s story, of which they were now a part forever.

Unlike the shepherds, we have more than the amazing testimony of an angel. We have more than a swaddled baby in a manger. We have Christ. The Son of God and Son of Man. The Alpha and the Omega. The King of kings and the Lord of lords. We have the teaching and example of Immanuel, God with us. We have believed the testimony of those who saw him complete his work on Calvary. We have believed the testimony of those who saw the empty tomb and the Good Shepherd ascend on a cloud to heaven. By the Spirit, we believe that he laid down his life for all and took it back up again in order to forge for himself a new humanity. We know that God’s story is more than a story. It is our very life.

What is our response to being included in God’s unfolding story — in God’s very life? Among other things, we can follow the example of the shepherds. We can see ourselves as characters in God’s story. In other words, we can actively participate in the life and work of Christ. We can love our neighbor and pray for our enemies. We can discover our God-given gifts and move in them. We can cultivate the spiritual practices and bear fruit pleasing to God.

Like the shepherds, we can become storytellers. Through words and demonstrations, we can spread the good news about the King and the nearness of his Kingdom. We can get outside the four walls of the church and seek to be a force of good in our neighborhoods. Whenever we get the chance, we can share our story of how God met us in our darkness and tell others that they too are part of the story God is telling.

Lastly, like those transformed shepherds, we too can rejoice over the fact that we are part of God’s story. We have been included in the life of Christ, so we always have a reason to experience joy and gratitude. Joy and gratitude help insulate us from being overwhelmed by darkness and despair. Joy and gratitude help fortify us against fear of the enemy, our accuser. Joy and gratitude help to strengthen us against growing weary and losing heart. We rejoice! We rejoice in the fact that God’s story is unfolding all around us and we are included. We rejoice over that fact that the end of the story is known to us, and it is a happy ending. We rejoice that God is the storyteller and no one can edit the tale he tells.

On this Christmas Eve, and every Christmas Eve, we should retell the story of the birth of our Lord. We should also realize that we are part of the Nativity Story. We continue the good work the shepherds started. We continue to participate in and share God’s story. Let us rejoice!

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Small Group Discussion Questions