For All People

Through the Wonder of a Teenager, the Discovery for All People and the Passion of a Community, we are invited to join God’s Story of Hope and Restoration.

 Hopelessness  Identity Crisis  Absence of God’s Voice

…and the world of 2014, specifically, your world.  December 12, 2014

 ROMAN Empire, during the Emperor Caesar Augustus’s rule  In Bethlehem, city of David  Town of Nazareth, 75 miles north (120 KM) from Bethlehem

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

 The Lord is with you

 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord G OD ! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the L ORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the L ORD.

 The Lord is with You  Greetings, favored one  “Neither the title “favored” or “graced one” nor the promise (the Lord is with you) was traditional in greetings even if she was a person of status.” IVP New Testament Background Commentary, Keener.

 Setting: A field in Bethlehem Luke 2:8,9 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified

The Discovery for All People

 "most of the time they were dishonest and thieving; they led their herds onto other people's land and ate off the produce of the land." Rabbinic sources  "There is no more disreputable occupation than that of a shepherd.” Jewish midrash on Psalm 23  "Such pursuits (as looking after sheep) are seen as poor and inglorious." Philo

 “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”

 The announcement is followed by an ARMY of angels singing  Delivered to a COMMUNITY of people  Sets the stage for World MISSION  The message results in JOY

Luke 2:17 And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about the child.

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die? 4 If we say, 'We'll go into the city'--the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let's go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die." 5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there, 6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!" 7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. Then they said to each other, "We're not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let's go at once and report this to the royal palace.” So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, "We went into the Aramean camp and not a man was there--not a sound of anyone--only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.

Luke 2:18 And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds.

 Is that God’s Story-is our story too.  Malachi 4:3 “But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.”