Love Comes Near: An Advent Bible Study, Dec. 16th Read Luke 2:8-12 Write Luke 2:10 Luke 2:10-11 -- "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.'" "Unsuspecting. Unassuming. Undeserving. A group of shepherds witness the angel's display. An unlikely audience, but not an accidental one. "Imagine how it must have felt to be the shepherds. As a profession, shep- herding wasn't given much value. Shepherds weren't used to receiving spe- cial attention. They must have assumed a visitation like this was some kind of mistake. Surely it was meant for someone else." Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "Based on the truth of this passage, why did God choose the shepherds to make His great announcement?" 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 -- "God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence of God." God chooses the low and the foolish to shame the wise. The Messiah didn't come to support the rich and powerful, but the common everyday man. The peo- ple who were accounted as wise in Jesus' day (the pharisees) were often rebuked or shown up by the truth of Jesus Christ. For it seems that it is the meek, the humble, who have the ability to really absorb the message of Jesus Christ, not the strong and powerful. ----- "There seems to be a theme in those through whom God chose to tell the Christmas story: humility. There was no ego in the way for the shepherds. All the glory went to God. "'I bring you good news...' The angels have good news, and the good news is here. 'Good news' is translated 'gospel.' The Gospel message. The Truth is here. "According to Luke 2:10, who is the Good News for?" All the people. "The prophecies pointed to this, and the angels make it official. Good news of great joy, indeed." ----- Love Comes Near "Perhaps you've seen the trend amongst the appearance of angels in the Christ- mas story? We see it with Zechariah, Joseph, Mary and now the shepherds. With each encounter, the angel's message begins with assurance. 'Fear not...' "The message the angels brought was profound. It was a message for all of us; but in the moment, a message that was deeply personal to each recipient. To each, it was a call to something radical, that would require great faith and more than a few challenges. "Fear is our natural human response to a call to do hard things. But, the angel knows this. God knows this. "Love comes near in the Christmas story, as God addresses our human weaknesses, before he calls us to action." Read Psalm 118:6 and Isaiah 41:10 "We tend to get scared about the same stuff again and again. In what ways do you battle fear in your life?" ... "When Jesus came, he defeated death. What's scarier than dying? Because death is defeated, we are liberated. Armed with God's promises and his tender assur- ance, we can kick fear in the teeth and boldly do hard things in the name of Jesus. "God has kingdom work for each of us to do. And fear would love to get in the way of it. What kingdom work might you pursue without hesitation, if fear were out of the picture?" ... "This Advent, anytime you see an angel, whether it be on a Christmas card or on top of a tree, let it serve as a reminder of God's great promise and his tender assurance, that we have nothing to fear."