A Beautiful Angelic Announcement
In the last two weeks, we have looked at Luke 1, which includes the angel Gabriel’s beautiful greeting, foretelling the birth of Jesus, and Mary’s beautiful song of response, The Magnificat.
Today, I want us to move to the next chapter of Luke and consider another beautiful angelic Advent announcement.
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’”
(Luke 2:8–14, ESV)
This beautiful angelic announcement is one of the most important events in human history, accompanied by one of the most important songs ever sung, containing one of the most important messages ever heralded.
But I wonder if we have grown so familiar with the Christmas story that Luke 2:14 sounds monotone, rather than the glorious chorus it is. Let’s consider the three main words in this beautiful angelic announcement: Glory, Peace, and Pleased.
Glory: You and I were created to live with the glory of God as the principal motivator of everything we think, say, and do. But I know that this is not the case for me. It hasn’t been this month, this week, or yesterday. In fact, I would predict that this morning, other glories have motivated our living.
This beautiful angelic announcement is not just for the annual Advent celebration; it’s a daily call for our hearts to submit to one thing and one thing alone: that our glorious God would be the reason for everything we do.
Peace: You and I were created to live at peace with God and with one another, and if every person lived with the glory of God in view all the time, we would be in constant harmony with God and with others. But when self-glory and created glories rule our hearts, that vertical and horizontal peace is shattered.
Yes, we live in a broken world, full of suffering, next to fallen people who sin against us. But the main reason we do not have inner peace with ourselves and peace with others is because, rather than living for God, we have sought to be gods. Rather than worshipping the Creator, we have sought to find life in creation. And it has left us empty and in conflict.
Pleased: Stolen glory and shattered peace leave us all guilty, and the sentence of that guilt is death. More than anything, this beautiful angelic announcement is actually a tragic announcement. It’s announcing a death sentence.
“Peace among those with whom he is pleased” may be better translated as, “peace on whom his favor is placed”—or even more accurately, “peace to those to whom his grace is given.”
The only hope for this type of peace requires grace, and the only hope for this type of grace requires death. Not our death, but the death of the baby the angels announced.
The birth of Jesus is good news of great joy for us, but it required Jesus to be a slaughtered lamb. Our Savior came willingly, knowing what the price would be. He would die so that we could live. He would lay aside his heavenly glory so that we could live for the glory of God. He would experience rejection from the Father so that we could have peace restored.
Yes, this beautiful angelic announcement is a chorus of celebration, but these words also expose our desperate need. And in exposing our need, they define the mission and ultimate death of that innocent baby in the manger.
May we celebrate Christmas, but may we also mourn. And may we use that mourning and celebration to motivate us to live for the glory of God and live at peace with others every single day of the year.
A Prayer for Today: Lord, the distractions are everywhere this time of year, making it so easy to be focused on all that needs to be done for Christmas, but would you help me to keep you on the forefront of my heart this season? Would you help me to live for your glory, pursue the kind of peace that only comes from you, and be pleased with the beauty and weight of your amazing grace in my life? I mourn that you had to die so I could live, Jesus…but I’m overwhelmingly grateful that you made the ultimate sacrifice for me. In your name I pray, amen.
Discussion Prompt for Children
1. What do you think the word “glory” means? Why do we say, “Glory to God!” so much during this time of year?
2. Why is peace with God something so important? How can peace with God lead to peace with other people? How is peace with God even possible for us?
3. How are sinful people able to be pleasing to God? How does the birth of Jesus point us to his death and resurrection?
Reflection Questions
1. How has familiarity with the Christmas story (and this story in particular from Luke 2) become an obstacle in the path of your spiritual growth? In what ways has your familiarity with the Christmas story numbed you to the magnitude of what happened all those years ago when Christ was born?
2. What is difficult for you to understand about glory and specifically the phrase, “Glory to God in the highest!”? In what ways is the pursuit of God’s glory neglected in your everyday life? What needs to change in order for you to pursue his glory? What would motivate you to be passionate about his glory?
3. What would you say is the greatest disruptor of peace in your life right now? How can your pursuit of peace with God change your life in practical ways? How can peace with God overflow into peace with others, including the people who bother, annoy, or frustrate you?
4. As you examine your life, where have you been guilty of stealing the glory due to God and kept it for yourself? How does your glory-theft point you to a desperate need for the gospel?
5. Ultimately, how do we become pleasing in the sight of God? Why is that so important not just for the Christmas season, but for all eternity? How does the birth of Jesus point us to his death and resurrection? What would it look like for you to both celebrate and mourn this holiday season as Jesus is placed at the forefront of your Christmas celebrations?