Luke 2:12-14 (ESV)
[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!”
The King James Version of verse 14 reads, “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The NIV says,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor
rests.” The Greek is a little vague in this verse, resulting in a variety of
different ways in which the angels’ saying is translated. Literally it reads,
“Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace among men favor/good will/good
pleasure/delight.” The last word can mean any of those possibilities, but the
Greek is not clear on whether it is describing the people, or whether it is
describing God’s attitude toward people. I actually like the NIV translation
the best. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his
favor rests.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary says of verse 14, “God’s peace is
not given to those who have good will, but to those who are recipients of God’s
good will or favor.” However it is to be translated, I think the central idea
is that the Savior King who was just born brings peace and favor to mankind.
The angels announced it in worship. The shepherd’s
declared it in wonder. There were actually three responses in the first twenty
verses of Luke 2. All three are as appropriate today as they were on the day of
Jesus’ birth. First was wonder. The shepherds were “filled with fear” (verse
9). Everybody they spoke to “wondered at what the shepherds had told them”
(verse 18). “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
The first response to the news of the newborn king was wonder. Sometimes I
think we have lost the wonder of the story. Christmas is a time to reflect on
the truly marvelous truth that God became man. “But when the fullness of time
had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem
those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal
4:4-5). Reflecting on that truth should move us to wonder.
Second, wonder leads to worship. The angels
worshiped. “Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God” (verse 13). The shepherds worshiped. “The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been
told them” (verse 20). Worship is a proper response to the birth of the King.
Thus, we sing at Christmas celebrations; we worship and praise. We sing the
angels’ song, “Gloria in excelsis Deo " which is Latin for "Glory to
God in the highest." We sing, “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.” We
sing, “Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love.” At Christmas
we come together to worship.
But it is the third response that we have perhaps
forgotten. We sometimes act as though all this good news, the peace on earth,
the favor toward men, and the joy to the world is only for us. The angels
announced the birth of the king. The shepherds “made known the saying that had
been told them” (verse 17). Even though there was “no place for them in the
inn” (Lk 2:7), according to verse 10, the “good news of great joy” was for “all
people.” This is news to be shared. This is not news to be celebrated and kept
private. It is news for all the world to hear. This Christmas let us wonder at
the truth of the Christmas story. Let us worship and praise our God. But never
let us keep the news to ourselves. Let us witness. This is good news to share.
“Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor
rests.” What an incredible truth that God’s favor should rest on mankind. How
can we keep such news to ourselves?
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