A Sweetheart Deal: God's incredible offer in his unspeakable gift. Dr. Ernan Norman
about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8–14)
“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” God made known to the shepherds His “sweetheart deal” for all mankind. In a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, was cradled God’s incredible offer in the unspeakable gift of His only begotten Son. The baby Jesus came wrapped in heaven’s peace and goodwill toward all peoples of earth. “Glory to God in the highest!” was sung but to a few, yet with the intent that it be heard by all men. The night the angels sang, “Gloria, in excelsis Deo!” was a standing affirmation of the beauty and loveliness of the character and very being of the Almighty. God’s glory never shone brighter than when His only begotten Son humbled Himself, emptied Himself, and took on the form of a servant. Being fashioned in the likeness of sinful flesh, He became obedient unto death, even death on an ignominious cross (see Philippians 2:6–8). Glory indeed!
The night that Christ was born rebounded with the glory of God; as He filled the earth with His glory, the angels reciprocated with the highest praise. The shepherds were delightfully surprised to be bathed in that glory, even if but for a moment, for the record states, “The glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9). One can undoubtedly argue that these lowly shepherds were blessed and highly favored above all Israel. They found themselves enveloped with the glory of God, as they were royally serenaded by heaven’s choir.
The historically acclaimed and celebrated preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon raised a series of rhetorical questions on the instructive lesson to be learned from this glorious praise of the angels’ song. Here is what he said:
What is the instructive lesson to be learned from this first syllable of the angels’ song? Why this, that salvation is God’s highest glory. He is glorified in every dew drop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every wood flower that blossoms in the copse … God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray; in every lamb that skips the mead. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not all created things extol him? Is there aught beneath the sky, save man, that doth not glorify God? … Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? … Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise, it cannot reach the compass of the golden canticle—Incarnation! There is more in that than in creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger, than there is in worlds on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.7
“Is there aught beneath the sky, save man, that doth not glorify God?” How true are these words spoken, arguably by one of history’s greatest pulpiteers, Pastor C. H. Spurgeon! Even the ass and the oxen whose crib the Son of God shared gave Him the glory. But for the lowly shepherds, none of the sons of men would offer praise and glorify the newborn king. Of all people, Israel, His chosen, His royal priesthood, failed to show forth His praises; even though for this very purpose they were thereunto ordained. This is the most disturbing of all: that the people of God—“the ones God had chosen to tell the world about Him”—did not even care about the arrival of Jesus. Thus the birth of God’s Son was hailed in virtual obscurity because His people were totally unprepared and unworthy to receive Him. As far as the then nation of Israel was concerned, this was and is inexcusable, for “to them were committed the oracles of God,” says Paul. To them also “pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” (See Romans 3:2; 9:4–5.)
The nation of Israel was chosen by God to be His special people (see Deut. 7:6). They were not chosen because they were greater or intrinsically better than other peoples. Rather it was by God’s election that they were chosen (see also vv. 7–9). They were chosen by God to be His witnesses to all the nations. Israel was to give an indisputable witness to the peoples of the earth that He (Jehovah) is the one true and only God (see Isaiah 43:9–12; 44:8). God intended that through Israel, as His faithful witness, the light of His glory would be brought to all mankind. This was the promise made to Abraham. Through Abraham’s offspring, the promised seed would come as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (see Genesis 12:1–3, Luke 2:25–32). It could be argued, therefore, that the angels should have made their official announcement of the birth of Christ to the religious leaders and people in the city of Jerusalem. Thereafter, Israel as a nation (in fulfillment of her God-ordained mission) would proclaim to all mankind that the Savior of the world has come! What a privilege was hers! God intended for Israel to be the center, the capital of Christianity. But alas! Israel failed to give God the glory that was due to His wonderful name. What a shame, and a reproach, that the ones to whom God committed His sacred oracles—the custodians of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind—were the very ones totally oblivious to the birth of His Son, the long-awaited Messiah!
Many have raised the question: “Why was such a stupendous event as the incarnation of the Son of God announced to a handful of inconsequential, obscure, and lowly shepherds, and not rather to Israel’s religious leaders?” And to answer that question, allow me to reiterate that God, at first, sent His angels to the city of Jerusalem. God sent His angelic ambassadors to the very place He established to represent His name in the earth. But the spiritual condition of Israel’s religious leaders, and that of the people in general, rendered them unfit and unprepared to receive the good news of the Savior’s birth! Surely, the official proclamation that was given to the shepherds was not God’s original intended choice. It was, unfortunately, as far as His chosen people were concerned, His plan B. How often in the history of God’s dealings with ancient Israel, and yes, even now in dealing with us (spiritual Israel), does He have to resort to plan B? Think about it for a moment. The shepherds really had no platform, means, resources, or strategic positioning from which to impact the world with such momentous news. Therefore, why would God restrict His official announcement of the birth of His Son to a handful of shepherds? The answer: God’s chosen people left Him with no other choice.
Jerusalem, on the other hand, had the platform, the means, and strategic positioning from which to impact the world with the unsurpassing news of the birth of Christ. Israel’s capital and religious center was God’s first, ideal, and strategic choice. The joyful strains that were borne to the shepherds were intended firstly to be borne to the established priesthood, and other religious dignitaries dwelling in Jerusalem. God in His divine wisdom planted His chosen people in the land of Canaan, and headquartered their system of worship with its liturgical practice in Jerusalem. They were strategically positioned at the crossroad of the then known world. From this vantage point, they could make known God’s revelation of Himself to the other nations. Speaking of Jerusalem, the Psalmist said: “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalm 48:2). Even the magi (here after referred to as the “wise men”) who came from the East in search of the newborn king were guided by the star to Jerusalem. It was there, of all places, they expected to find the answer to their question: “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” The arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem was not by detour or by proxy or by chance, it was intentional. They were led there by the Star. Guided by divine providence (being Gentiles, and being outside of the covenant of Israel), the wise men were used as God’s instruments of rebuke to the nation of Israel for its callousness and ineptness. These (the so-called heathen) were the ones to announce to the Jews (the so-called people of God) the birth of Israel’s king! “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” came not from the angels of God, but from the Gentiles! What a slap in the face of Israel! Be astonished O heaven and wonder O earth! God would have His chosen people to understand, as later Peter understood, “that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34–35).
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