The Message Came Toward Them

In one paragraph

This message came from Pastor Mark on the Sunday before Christmas, looking at the responses of the shepherds, Mary, and Joseph when they each received a word from God through an angel. The central question he kept returning to was a simple one: when a message comes toward you, what do you do with it? He drew a line from those first-century responses all the way to how we receive and act on what...

Read together

1. Luke 2:8-9 shepherds staying in fields keeping watch, angel appearing and glory of the lord shining around them
2. Luke 2:10-12 angel telling shepherds fear not, good news of great joy, savior born in city of David, sign of baby in manger
3. Luke 2:13-14 multitude of heavenly host praising god, glory to god in the highest and on earth peace
4. Luke 1:26-27 angel Gabriel sent to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary engaged to Joseph
5. Luke 1:28-30 angel greeting Mary as favored one, Mary perplexed, angel saying do not be afraid you have found favor with god
6. Luke 1:31-33 angel telling Mary she will conceive and bear a son named Jesus who will reign over house of Jacob forever
7. Luke 1:34-35 Mary asking how since she is a virgin, angel answering holy spirit will come upon her and child shall be called son of god
8. Luke 1:36-37 angel telling Mary her relative Elizabeth has also conceived in old age for nothing will be impossible with god
9. Matthew 1:18 birth of Jesus Christ, Mary betrothed to Joseph found to be with child by holy spirit
10. Matthew 1:19 Joseph being a righteous man not wanting to disgrace Mary planned to send her away secretly
11. Matthew 1:20-21 angel appearing to Joseph in dream telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as wife, child conceived of holy spirit, shall call his name Jesus
12. Matthew 1:22-23 fulfillment of Isaiah, virgin shall bear a son called Emmanuel meaning god with us
13. Luke 2:15-16 shepherds deciding to go to Bethlehem and finding Mary Joseph and baby in manger
14. Luke 2:17-18 shepherds making known what had been told them, all who heard were amazed
15. Luke 2:19 Mary treasured all these things pondering them in her heart
16. Luke 2:20 shepherds returning glorifying and praising god for all they had heard and seen
17. Luke 1:46-49 Mary's Magnificat, soul magnifies the lord, spirit rejoices in god my savior, mighty has done great things for me holy is his name
18. Matthew 2:13 angel appearing to Joseph in dream telling him to flee to Egypt with child and mother because Herod would seek to destroy the child
19. Matthew 2:14 Joseph getting up while still night and leaving for Egypt
20. Matthew 2:19-21 angel appearing to Joseph in Egypt telling him Herod is dead and to return to land of Israel
21. Matthew 2:22-23 Joseph settling in Nazareth fulfilling that he shall be called a Nazarene
22. Luke 11:27-28 woman calling blessed the womb that bore Jesus, Jesus responding blessed are those who hear the word of god and keep it
23. Revelation 1:1-3 revelation given to bond servants, blessed is the one who reads and hears and keeps the words of prophecy for the time is near
24. Isaiah 61 Jesus citing his mission to share with the poor and freedom for the captive
25. Ephesians 4:11-13 god gave apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers for equipping saints until unity of the faith and fullness of Christ
26. Ephesians 4:14-16 no longer children tossed by waves of doctrine, speaking truth in love, whole body fitted together growing up into Christ

Talk about it

1. Pastor Aaron talked about the joy of the Christmas season existing alongside real pain and grief. How have you experienced that tension personally, and how does it shape the way you receive the Christmas message?
2. The shepherds were described as the lowest of the low, and yet the angel said the message was 'for you' twice. What does it mean to you personally that the announcement was framed that way, as something directed at you rather than just at everyone in general?
3. Mary said 'I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me just as you have said,' and Joseph simply got up and did what the angel commanded. What makes that kind of immediate, quiet obedience hard for you, and what would it look like in your own life right now?
4. Pastor Aaron pointed out that the shepherds did not linger in worship and adoration according to the text. They received the message, went to see, and then carried the message to Mary and Joseph. How do you think about the relationship between receiving something from God and then passing it on to someone else?
5. The sermon connected the word 'keeping' in Luke's account of the shepherds to Jesus saying in Luke 11 that blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it, and then again to Revelation. What does it actually look like for you to guard or keep the word of God the way a shepherd guards a flock?