God is concerned for the lowly, humble, and pushed down. Friends, God values people differently that we do. For us, we typically look at each other this way: All of your assets minus your liabilities equal your self worth. Really? Not by God’s standards. God values people by looking at their hearts; deep within them. God tends to raise up the humble and humble the proud. Humble yourself in the sight of the lord and He will lift you up. The night before the crucifixion, Jesus washes the disciples feet like a slave. Did He think, “Disciples are you paying attention here? I am trying to teach you something.” He has already said to them the greatest among you is to be a servant.   Some of us in this room are have reached some level of success. What does God want of us? We already know that whatever success you have you were born with that talent, you were raised in the right place with people who taught you and had a little bit of luck and of course, you worked hard. Remember in God’s eyes, you are blessed to be a blessing. You are to hold your blessing of success loosely and carefully because when you hold it too tightly and to think that you are really something, you begin to follow down Herod’s path and you forget what it means to be human...to live humbly. Along the way you become an enemy against God and God must turn His face from you because God will not compete with your will and desires. He does not associate with the proud, arrogant and boastful. God created us to have servants’ hearts no matter how successful we are!

The Luke’s account speaks of the messenger that appear to the shepherds, the angels. And at the word angel immediately our minds go to this creature that flies with wings and who is uncharged of other creatures that fly with wings. We must be careful not to make the story of the Nativity of Mary, Joseph and Jesus a the fairy tale that it may sound like with flying fat cherub angels all around. In fact, the only place that literally mentions winged angels in the Bible, is in the Book of Ezekiel, the Cherubim had wings, 6 of them. But only when specific Cherubim and Seraphim are mentioned do we hear of wings. In fact, all the other angels in the Bible look like pretty ordinary people. Angel in Greek is Aggelos which means messenger. In Genesis, Abraham was visited by 3 messengers. Job was also visited by messengers. In Hebrews 13 we are told be hospitable you may be entertaining angels unaware! Angels…messangers may be heavenly like Gabriel or the angel that came to Joseph in a dream. Or, God just may use us to be angels. Have you ever had the right person come to you at the right time? Or have you been the right person at the right time…you may be considered an angel!  

Luke says it was a messenger that came to the shepherds in the middle of night. Of course they were terrified, who is this messenger, where did he come from? Was he here for harm or good? And then the words came flowing: Today is born to you in the City of David, Christ the Lord and this will be a sign to you, you shall find the babe in swaddling clothes laying in a manger. And then out of the shadows comes a host of messengers: from behind the trees, over the hills, the place is covered. But the scriptures say nothing about them flying around! But what is really important is not what they look like but what they said and how they said it! Luke said that the Glory of the Lord shown around them. This happens every time messengers if you pay attention, you will see that glow that burst of joy and energy it comes with every message from God! And tonight’s’ message is that the baby is the Savior, Christ the Lord. And these three titles are important! They are not only used to describe God.