From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Part one of a series

Luke 2:14 is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented verses in the entire Bible. It is not a mystical or humanistic message, as many wrongly believe and preach. The song of the angels at Christ's birth, rightly understood, is the most stupendous message ever spoken.

As we especially remember the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ this week, I would like to call your attention to a very familiar passage of Scripture, the account of the announcement of the incarnation of Jesus Christ to the shepherds in Luke chapter two:

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!"

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into Heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:8-15)

The Great Hinge Point of History

For Bible-believing Christians, these are very familiar words. We read them at every Christmas season. We have heard them recited in countless Christmas programs. But for most people, even for Bible believing Christians, these words have become so familiar that we do not often stop to consider the true meaning and the stupendous importance of this account.

What we are witnessing in Luke chapter two is one of the greatest turning points in all of history -- God taking on a body of human flesh in order to redeem fallen sinners, and indeed redeem the entire created order, from the curse of sin.

The only greater turning point thus far in the history of the world was the one that happened thirty-three years after this, when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross to pay in full the price for sin with His own blood, and rose bodily from the grave in declaration of the fact that condemned sinners could now stand fully justified, once and forever before the judgment bar of God, because by repentance and faith in His person and work they may be clothed in His perfect righteousness, and have all of their sins and iniquities cleansed, forgiven, and remembered against them no more. Because these two great turning points of history have already taken place two thousand years ago, we have the sure promise of the third great turning point of history yet to come -- the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The words of the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:10 are the essential message of the Christian Gospel: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

The song of the heavenly host in Luke 2:14 gives us the tremendous importance of that message: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."

One of the Most Misunderstood Passages in All of Scripture

This was the most stupendous announcement ever made to mankind. But the tragedy is that throughout the long centuries, most of mankind has not really been interested in the true meaning and tremendous weight of this message. This verse is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented passages in the entire Bible. Commercial treatments of Christmas, and even messages from many church pulpits, have bred that confusion and spread it far and wide. Many people think that Luke chapter 2 is only a myth or a fable. Many think, or have been led to believe, that the song of the angels carries some sort of mystical or humanistic message.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." What exactly do those words mean? What is their significance for the Christian individually and the church as a body? What is their significance for the world at large? Those questions will be our focus as we continue.

sac0104

Copyright 1998-2024

TeachingtheWord Ministriesmmmmmwww.teachingtheword.org

All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only,
for non-commercial purposes, provided that this copyright notice is included.

We also suggest that you include a direct hyperlink to this article
for the convenience of your readers.