Joy To The World | Bible Study | Luke 2:8-15
Luke 2:8-15
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” 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.” Luke 2:8-15 (NIV)
- There was a great deal of loss and despair and ignorance and darkness when Jesus came into the world.
- The shepherds discovered the greatest gift ever given: Jesus.
- Loss, despair, ignorance, and darkness can rob us of the joy of life. However, when we embrace a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we enjoy a joy-filled life.
“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more … 5 Lord, You alone are my portion and my cup; You make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:1-11 (NIV)
“Sing the praises of the Lord, you His faithful people; praise His holy name. 5 For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:4-5 (NIV)
“When I discovered Your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT)
“I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban, like a bride with her jewels. 11 Like the ground that brings forth its crops and like a garden that makes the seed in it grow, so the Almighty Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up in front of all nations.” Isaiah 61:10-11 (GN)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up” Hebrews 12;1-3 (NLT)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)
The Gospel is called good news. What is the “good news” of the Gospel? Why did Jesus come to earth?
What did He do to save us? How do these gospel truths help us push back against fear, anxiety, and despair?
1. Jesus Came to Give Us LIGHT in the Midst of Darkness (Luke 2:8-9)
“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Luke 2:8-9 (NIV)
“He [Jesus] will give light to those who live in the dark and in death’s shadow. He will guide us into the way of peace.” Luke 1:79 (GW)
“In Him [Christ] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome [extinguish] it.” John 1:4-5 (NIV)
2. Jesus Came to Give Us COMFORT in the Midst of Anxiety - Luke 2:10a
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid … “ Luke 2:10a (NIV)
To the terrified disciples battered by a treacherous storm, Jesus came to them walking on water
“Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Matthew 14:27 (NIV)
To the terrified disciples at the transfiguration
“Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” Matthew 17:7 (NIV)
“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:26-28 (NLT)
“While Jesus was still speaking … messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Mark 5:30-36 (NIV)
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 1 Tomothy 1:7 (ESV)
3. Jesus Came to Give Us JOY in the Midst of Despair - Luke 2:10b
“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” Luke 2:9-10 (NIV)
4. Jesus Came to Give Us Salvation in the Midst of Longing - Luke 2:11-12
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NIV)
“But He endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne. All the while we thought that His suffering was punishment sent by God. 5 But because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment He suffered, made whole by the blows He received. 6 All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on Him, the punishment all of us deserved.” Isaiah 53:4-6 (GN)
5. Jesus Came to Give Us Peace in the Midst of Discord - Luke 2:13-15, 17
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” 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.” Luke 2:8-15 (NIV)
“After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.” Luke 2:17 (NIV)
RECAP:
- There was a great deal of loss and despair and ignorance and darkness when Jesus came into the world.
- The shepherds discovered the greatest gift ever given: Jesus.
- Loss, despair, ignorance, and darkness can rob us of the joy of life. However, when we embrace a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we enjoy a joy-filled life.
Jesus Came to Give Us LIGHT in the Midst of Darkness
Jesus Came to Give Us COMFORT in the Midst of Anxiety
Jesus Came to Give Us JOY in the Midst of Despair
Jesus Came to Give Us Salvation in the Midst of Longing
Jesus Came to Give Us Peace in the Midst of Discord
BECAUSE JESUS CAME [GOD IS WITH US], WE CAN EXPECT TO LIVE THE ABUNDANT LIFE
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people” Titus 2:11 (NIV)
“When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:4-5 (NIV+NLT)