Chapter Three
Joy in the In-Between

Lesson

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!’” Luke 2:8-14 

In inner-city Detroit, there was a huge storm coming, and every prediction about the big blizzard had come true. It was 3:00 AM and zero degrees outside. In a small building connected to a giant garage was a group of snowplow drivers. They were big guys. They had heavy coats. Their leather gloves, scarves, and wool hats made them look even bigger! They were standing around in a circle near the coffee pot, sipping from Styrofoam cups. They each had a refill, and then, as the group walked out the door toward the garage where a few dozen snowplows and salt trucks were warming up, there was suddenly a bright light.  

The angels were not going to be on T.V. The angels were not going to the White House. The angels were not going to visit the Governor at the Capitol. 

These men were on the outskirts. They were in the margins. We do not even acknowledge they exist until we cannot get out of the driveway or they are holding up traffic as we try to get to work. 

What is it going to take to scare these guys? A small child saying, “Fear not”? Nah. It is going to take a being with six sets of wings, eyes that look like they are burning, and a sword of fire. 

These are the ones who God wants to be the first to know! God sent His messengers, the archangels, and the angelic choir to those on the fringe. They are the ones that most people never thought of. 

Imagine the most emotion-laden experience that comes to mind and then multiply it by 10 to the 100th power. That is a lot of zeros. That volume of emotional fervor only begins to describe the scene of what the shepherds must have been feeling on the night they were not only visited by an angel of the Lord, but also found themselves in the middle of a multitude of the heavenly host. What began as an ordinary night shift in their minds would soon unfold into the most extraordinary evening of their lives! This blue-collar, minimum-wage group of men was about to get front-row seats to the “Hallelujah Chorus” along with backstage passes to see the King. Only Luke shares the story of the shepherds in the Gospels. 

The King of kings was born in Bethlehem. There was great joy among the people because of the birth of this baby boy. Why did this message come to the shepherds first? 

The shepherds had one of the most common jobs in Israel around the time of Jesus’ birth. This is the most blue-collar job that could be had. These men were outside in the elements looking over sheep that were not very smart. Sheep often got into trouble and wander off. Their job was one that was easily overlooked. Yet, the angels came to the shepherds first. 

These shepherds knew the prophecies of the coming Messiah. They had to, as every young Jewish boy had to memorize the entire Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), and if they were good enough, the rest of the Old Testament. The ultimate goal for any Hebrew boy was to be chosen by a Rabbi and trained to become a Rabbi himself. The Rabbi would choose a boy and tell them that he believed that they had what it took to become like him. He would become a Talmudeen, one that would follow his Rabbi everywhere as he went in order to become like him. Should a Rabbi not believe a boy had what it takes, he would tell them that they should go home and learn the trade of his father. That would be a gut-punch!  

Where were these shepherds at? Were they learning from a Rabbi? No, they were in a field in the middle of the night watching sheep. They had not been chosen. Then, the angels showed up, declaring that the Messiah had been born. They were being called to come and see. They were being called to joy that they had never known before. 

So, the shepherds did not just saunter toward where the angels said to go, they ran. They “went with haste” (Luke 2:16). Upon arriving at the place where Jesus had been born, they found Him just as the angels had said. He was laying in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.  

I remember being in Bethlehem in 2019. Should you ever get an opportunity to venture to Israel, I would strongly encourage you to do so. Jeannie, my wife, and I went to the shepherd’s field and were able to see the skyline over Bethlehem. It is believed that this was the place where the angels came to visit the shepherds. There were many different things to see there. There were different houses and statues, as well as a cave in a rock where it is believed the shepherds sought shelter. However, when I turned my eyes to the sky, I broke down. I remember looking at Jeannie and telling her to look to the sky. “Can you see them?” I declared. 

Can you even begin to imagine what the shepherds went through on this night? At first, they were afraid. This is an appropriate response to the angels of God and the multitude of the angelic choir declaring that the Messiah had been born. The shepherds glorified (desired to make famous) and praised (joyful praise) God on their way back home! They had seen the Messiah, the Savior. They declared the worth of this Messiah to all who would listen. It was loud and joyful! They were not bashful about this declaration! If they had cell phones, their social media would have been blowing up! #messiah #bethlehem #baby #sonofgod #mindblown #halahalahalahalahalalujah #ijustsawtheangelicchoir 

As you are living in the in-between, joy is calling to you. We will dive into what joy is, where it is found, and what it is calling you to. The things we focus on at Christmas often pull us away from its true meaning. The busyness, the hustle, the presents, the things that shimmer, the stress, the pressure, and the family time can all become joyless.  

You no longer have to be afraid. You no longer have to chase things to worship. Good news of great joy has come. God came. The Savior has come. 

Joy has come at the Advent of Jesus and will be completed at His second advent.