WE read at the beginning of the chapter of the Roman enrolment Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, who was in a state of motherhood at this time. The angel Gabriel had previously appeared to Elisabeth and later on to Mary herself, telling her that she was highly favoured among women on account of her being chosen to be the mother of our Lord. We further read of an angel appearing to Joseph to free him from his perplexities, and now an angel appeared to these shepherds. Joseph and Mary sought shelter and needed comfort in the inn. There was no room for them there. On this night “that holy thing” which was to be called “the Son of God” was born in the stable. She wrapped Him in swaddling-clothes and laid Him in a manger. Here, then, was the first holy, harmless and undefiled being who was ever found among men from the fall of Adam and of the human family in Him. Nor will there be such a being again born of the human family. Here was a clean thing brought out of the unclean,—separate from sinners, yet truly human. Here we have all that man ought to be, yet super-human in His Divine Conception. God did not prepare a body for the Saviour as He created the first Adam. He formed man of the dust of the earth,—He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,—man became a living soul. But a body was not formed for the Saviour apart from the human family. Otherwise we may say that the Saviour would be apart from them, outwith the family, although like them as man. He came into the family without sin. He came under the law. “Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same, that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. ii. 14-15). The long-promised Messiah had at length come. Mary and Joseph looked and handled and cared with sanctified affection for the “Truth” of Abraham and the “Mercy” of Jacob, for the Child born in the City of David was exactly the evangelical realisation of that “truth” and “mercy.” They had the Heir of the throne of His father David in their arms. “He shall reign over the house of David for ever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.”
In the midst of outward lowliness and need, the Most High manifested nevertheless the glory of Him who “humbled Himself, and was found in fashion as a man.” What a difference we should learn from this between lowly circumstances, and even dire poverty, on the one hand, and sin on the other! It is no crime to be poor, of itself. It is a crime to sin. Yet such is the pride of the human heart that unless it is restrained or grace bestowed to see and judge rightly, poverty is despised. Poverty is treated as disgraceful by the natural man, where and when he has some fair measure of worldly goods. As the Redeemer was not ashamed of the Cross, so He was not ashamed in His infinite condescending love, burning in holy jealousy as a fire, to take unto Himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, in this stable, yet without sin. “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.”
The glory of the Risen Sun of Righteousness in His Divine dignity of Eternal Sonship was forthwith to be made known to these shepherds, and they, being dead, yet speak to us. They were abiding in the fields, watching over their flocks by night. It is not necessary to endeavour to ascertain at what time of year they were so watching,—an eminent scholar puts it down as most likely about the month of September,—but it is not recorded, and therefore not needful to be known. These men were witnesses before ordained of God to witness to the birth of the child Jesus. Were they like-minded with Joseph, Mary, Zacharias, Elisabeth, Simeon, Anna and others, waiting for the “Consolation of Israel”? While not definitely asserted as having the fear of God, there is much reason to conclude that they had, and certainly we believe that they were so blessed later on, either with more faith, more light,—yea, a vast increase of light, life, love, joy, hallowed peace and with times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,—or they were blessed with all this and much more before they went to the manger,—when there,—and later on when they took up the celestial song of the heavenly host and published it unto the cities of Judah, saying, “Behold your God!”
In the midst of the quietness and stillness of the night, as they, perhaps by turns, snatched moments of sleep and waited for the morning, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. They were sore afraid. So was John in Patmos when the Saviour appeared to Him there. How little we think of the nearness, of the invisible presence of God,—of His power,—of the angels! How we should all fall backward to the ground if the Most High manifested somewhat of His glory! What a lesson is here, among others, to show how men at the Great Day shall be terror-stricken! Even one angel would blind the whole world of mankind with his glory, and what will the glory, majesty and power revealed at the second coming of the Saviour be (II. Thess. i. 7-10)! The angel comforted them,—allayed their fears,—and proceeded to declare to them his message. “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.” Along with the revelation was a sign given of where they would find the babe,—and on that there brake forth the song of the heavenly host, glorifying and praising God. What a scene! What a meeting,—a short time previously all was quietness and the ear quick to hear any disturbance among the flocks,—any prowling jackal or sheep-stealer,—now, “A Saviour,”—“born unto you,”—“good tidings to all people,—followed by a song of the celestial Zion. This was a hallowed meeting, a sanctifying revelation when accompanied with the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Did they believe before they actually saw the Saviour? They may all have done so,—and if so, “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.” At any rate, they believed the tidings about the Saviour,—they came and saw everything as it had been told them, and they returned glorifying and praising God for all the things which had been shown unto them. We may here briefly observe what is revealed in the song of the host. The birth of the Saviour gave glory to God in the highest. The reason for that special glory redounding to God was that thereby peace was on earth,—and lastly, that peace flowed from the goodwill of God to men. Goodwill, or as the Shorter Catechism tells us, “mere good pleasure,” or sovereign grace, is the eternal origin of peace on earth. Apart from that, there is no goodwill among men toward God. Wherever there is any goodwill, as among the godly, they know and own that it is due to God giving His Christ as the gift of His goodwill to a lost world. Friends at a New Year send gifts to parents or to their children or to other friends, whether these gifts are really needed or not. In some cases these gifts are as a friend in need, a friend indeed. In other cases they are an expression of affection and remembrance. There would, however, be no New Year for a dismal, dark world, sitting in the shadow of death, were it not for Christ. He brings a new era into the world,—gives a New Year, a new beginning, a new spiritual abiding peace, a new life, a new eternity where there is no more sorrow nor sighing for the former things are passed away. Christ the Lord is the Father’s present, not to friends but to foes. He still says to us, “Unto you is a Saviour,—the Anointed,—the Lord,—the King over the house of David for ever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.” He says, as it were, to us, “He is yours in my gracious offer, take Him,—He is my Peace to you,—He is my Goodwill to you. I do not spare Him. I love them who love Him, and those who seek Him early shall find Him and Me.” Christ is the Peace of the earth, for shepherds in Judea, for “all people.” He is the essence of willingness to give the needy penitent soul—peace with the Father,—with Divine Justice, with the Law in its command and holy penalty,—peace of conscience that although our sins are scarlet, He can so wash as to make us sweet, clean, healthy, and send the soul who boasts in Him away with this song, “Glory to God in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus!” He sends the poor away filled with good things. If a needy soul is enabled, through victory over self and by a Divine melting, to rest with heart and soul in Christ as his Saviour, then the inhabitants in glory hear of it in the streets of the city of David above, that another has had his tongue unloosed and joined the ransomed of the Lord returning to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon his head. Is your face thitherward, or are you going the other way? What is the root-cause if a soul in a Gospel land is not learning “by heart” (as we used to say when we were scholars at school) this song? The cause is pride of heart. May the Holy Spirit take us in hand. Our pride is deeper, greater than we realise. Our pride hinders our stooping, our taking to heart our guilt, misery, our lost estate. And if we are “whole,” we cannot prize the Physician. He came “to destroy the works of the devil.” He gives peace not in sin, but through salvation from sin. May we be enabled and willing to detect sin, to perceive its workings and lurkings, and be in dispeace with it, crying unto Him to work in us habitually to “will and to do of His good pleasure.”
But to conclude our remarks. They went. They saw. They returned glorifying God. Who took care of their flocks when they went to Bethlehem? Why ask? What did they need to care although they were all stolen, when they were so blessed. True,—they counted all but loss and dung to win Christ. Earthly cares were left upon the Lord and the Shepherd who cared for their souls, cared for their flocks. What a Gospel-day they enjoyed in the watches of that night! “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” We take leave of the shepherds on these Delectable Mountains,—Mount Greatjoy, Mount Peace, Mount Goodwill, and Mount Glory. Mary hid these things in her heart. Did they not console and sustain her in later days when a sword pierced her own soul? Did not the Spirit of her Lord use these revelations, as need required, to perfect His strength in her weakness? “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
We hear no more of the shepherds. They published abroad what they saw and heard. The day will declare who heard and became restless until they also knew the sanctifying secret of the Gospel. Do we now hear for Eternity
“O greatly blessed the people are
The joyful sound that know!”
They are long gone,—as Dr. Kennedy would say about Hugh Buie and the godly, to their Father’s house. They are of one mind and in the one place. They are still being holily refreshed with the presence of, and abiding holy communion with, Him who is the “Truth” of Abraham, the “Mercy” of Jacob, the “Peace” of God, the manifestation of His “Goodwill” to all who flee to His wings’ shade (Ps. xvi. 16-17). They are holily satisfied and yet forever receiving out of His fulness, or as Owen likes to put it, “full and being filled,” for “to him that hath shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly.” Whether of these two parties, in conclusion, that is, these worthy shepherds or the “heavenly host,” think you, knows more of that heavenly song “Glory to God in the highest”? We may leave it that the shepherds are glad that they ever heard it sung outside of Bethlehem, and the heavenly host rejoices with joy unspeakable that the shepherds were made able and willing to know it experimentally and sing it here below to the praise of God’s glorious grace.