Well, we should be very thankful that God has given us a very good record of the occasion of the Lord Jesus Christ's birth. And it's always important to read carefully the history of that wonderful occasion. And we read that together this morning.

And it's good to think that Jesus, as we know, was not born and spent his life in a palace. He spent his life in very humble circumstances. And indeed, he couldn't have been born really into a a poorer situation. There he was with his parents and they couldn't find anywhere to stay and so the result was that he was born and laid in a manger.

Well I wonder what we would think today if perhaps our children were born and there was nowhere to stay and we had to put them just in a cattle trough which was it really was. We wouldn't perhaps be very enamoured by it, but here was the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then also we see the wonderful picture. And the picture is, he wasn't revealed to kings and princes and lords, it was to humble shepherds. And shepherds, of course, in those days were perhaps one of the lowest jobs that was available. And yet the Lord wonderfully was shown to the shepherds. Almighty God through the angel described to them the precise situation and what a privilege it was for these shepherds to understand that. And they believed it. They didn't doubt it. And it's good to realize that God gave them that spirits to then hear what was said and then follow the advice and of course they went to Bethlehem and they found there as they had been told it would be and they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger and when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

So just in a very few words there we have described how the very first time that Jesus was seen and the good news was quickly passed on to many people and how thankful we should be for that fact.

Well I want really this morning just for a few moments to speak more particularly on the 14th verse in this second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. And this 14th verse reads, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

It's very humbling to think that Almighty God was willing to come right down to the very lowest position and born and laid in a manger. And the whole reason was that he had good will towards men, good will towards those who had no natural desire to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But he came and revealed himself indeed to many people when he was on this earth and preached to them the gospel.

What a wonderful scene it was and yet when we think that the church of God had had to wait some 4,000 years from the day when that was first told them it would come to pass when God spoke to Adam and Eve in that Garden of Eden. And therefore, 4,000 years the church had been waiting for the Messiah or the Lord Jesus Christ to come into this world.

And so then the time had come, the appointed time, It wasn't something which was haphazard. It was planned by Almighty God in eternity past. And that is a great truth that is hard for us to appreciate and it's impossible for us to really understand that that was planned. The whole plan of salvation. And of course it revolved around the Lord Jesus Christ coming into this earth. It revolved around the Lord Jesus Christ living on this earth, just like you and I do. And he was tempted in all things like we are, yet one great difference, yet without sin. It's good to ponder the difference, because there was the holy God who did not sin, could not sin, and came into this sinful world, was born and laid in that manger in Bethlehem, and then lived those 33 years on this earth, a very alien position. when we think that he lived in glory. He was with his Father and the Holy Spirit in glory from eternity.

Again, it's good to just think sometimes on these great truths. He had no beginning and there will be no end. This great God lives forever.

Again, it should humble us to think that now today we, as unworthy people, sinners of the earth, are privileged to have the Gospel set before us so clearly in the Word of God, the Bible, and to rejoice in it. Rejoice in it.

You see, there was rejoicing on this occasion when the angels came and spoke. It was a wonderful sign and a wonderful blessing. And it tells us, fear not. They said, for behold, I bring you Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.

Well, I wonder, again this morning, if you and I recognize that's birth as of great joy. It's great joy to us as we realize that our salvation depends on that glorious life death and resurrection and ascension of the Savior. What a great blessing it is.

And so we can surely understand that there was this wonderful statement and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, I wonder this morning, if you and I desire really to praise God for the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If God comes and touches our heart to realise it's a great mercy, it's a great blessing that the Lord Jesus Christ did come, he came willingly to do the will of his Father. What a mercy it is, and it's therefore not surprising, is it, that this great multitude came and said, glory to God in the highest.

And again, does our heart go out with such a statement? Does our heart truly rejoice in the Word of God, which confirms to us this great and glorious work of the Saviour. And so this morning, can we come and join in and say yes, glory to God in the highest for this wonderful birth of the Saviour.

And so today we are privileged to be able to remember this occasion. And as we remember this occasion, to consider our own case, our own lives, because the Lord Jesus came into this world with that one purpose, to save his people from their sins.

So what a mercy if you and I recognise that this applies to us, to you and me. that personal way. Not just a general scene, it was of course, but also to think that it was personal. That Almighty God came into this world to redeem our souls, to save us from that wrath to come.

What a great and wonderful Savior we have. What compassion What mercy, what blessing, and today may we truly indeed rejoice in it.

And this statement, glory to God in the highest, was spoken and of course it was spoken also when Jesus was on the Mount of Olives. And the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.

Well, by faith, what a blessing if you and I have seen the mighty works of God and that mighty work which the Lord Jesus completed on that cross at Calvary. What a work that was. What a fulfillment.

was completed on that occasion and is your hope and my hope today resting upon the finished work of the Saviour, commenced when he was born in Bethlehem, that was 33 years previously. And we're told that Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, but with that great difference, yet without sin. I wonder if we really appreciate that, as you and I think, and think in our lives, and think of what we've said, and what we think, and what we do, to realize that sin is mixed with all we do and say, and yet Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was freed from that. Yes, he kept his father's will. He obeyed the will of his father, and therefore he never sinned. He never sinned. Again, something impossible for you and me who are sinners on the earth to realize. As we look at ourselves, often so impure, and Christ so pure and holy, but never forget, He had continual temptation, tempted in all points, like as we are, and yet without sin.

So, what a mercy to have this account, and also to realize that there was that desire truly to praise the Lord Jesus. In the book of the Revelation, the last book in the Bible, which gives us a picture, what it will be like in glory in just small detail not very much about the Apostle John when he wrote the vision that was given to him tells us in the the fifth chapter a little bit of a picture and he says there was saying with a they were there saying with a loud voice those who had the view of the Savior. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. That's quite a comprehensive statement, isn't it? And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Well, it's good if you and I, as we think of baby Jesus, to realise that great truth which John the Baptist said, to the multitudes, behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. And today, what a mercy if you and I are given that faith to behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

Now, if God gives you and me faith to believe that, what it will bring into our hearts is peace. In this 14th verse we read, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward man. My friends, there's no greater peace than God's people receive when they have the evidence in their hearts that the glorious Savior came into this world to die on their behalf. He paid the price required to redeem their souls from eternal punishment. And if God shows to you and me the wonder of that blessing, it means that we, by his grace, have peace with God. That's the true peace. People on the earth today are suing after peace, natural peace. But the greatest peace is to know spiritually, in our hearts, peace with God. To know that all our sins are forever washed away in the precious blood of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so this is a wonderful thing to seek after and to covet. You know, we're told to covet earnestly the best things. We're not to covet the poor things of time. We're to covet the best things. And this is surely one of the best things, to know the peace of God in our hearts. The peace of God which passes all understanding. And surely that is a wonderful evidence of the life of God in our souls. And a great reason to really come and to praise God. We're told in the Ephesians, for He is our peace. The Lord Jesus Christ is our peace. Now, to most people, that doesn't mean anything. He just passes over their head. But what a blessing if it means a lot to you and me. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, and came and preached peace to you which were afar off. We were born far off. We remained far off until God came and drew us to himself. Well, that's a personal revelation. That's not something which is realised by others. It's that personal revelation between our souls and God.

Peace to you who were far off. What a mercy then to recognise that this is the God that we are privileged to worship and privileged to rejoice in. and to meditate therefore on this great truth that we have here before us today. We see how these shepherds were so pleased, weren't they? They had this revelation and we're told they heard these great words, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and good will toward men.

And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven. The shepherd said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. It had an effect upon them. And it would be good if you and I understand that the grace of God has an effect upon us. What is that effect? There's a change. There's a change. And that change is this. It sets our hearts and our affections upon things above. Heavenly realities. And whereas perhaps we were totally ignorant of those things which the Lord has prepared for His church, the Lord then comes and shows to us that through the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, there is that hope for us, that good hope, that one day, by His grace, we shall be with Him in glory.

And so we see the picture, don't we, really? The whole picture described to us the Word of God. We see the right back from the beginning in Genesis, the sad day when man fell, Adam and Eve sinned against God and sin came into the world and then the Church of God waiting all those 4,000 years for the revelation of and the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then for his wonderful life and sin atoning death, and then his ascension into glory, and to think that now, even today, even now, he's seated on the throne in glory to intercede for us. He stands between us and the Holy Father, our Father in heaven, to intercede for you and me as we come and pray to him. Pray to our Father and Jesus intercedes for us.

And so as we come to God the Father, the Father sees his Son, that one who died to take away our sins, and the result is this, we are accepted in the Beloved. accepted through what Christ has done. And surely that makes the Gospel very precious and the Gospel very glorious and brings us surely to this conclusion. Glory to God in the highest. Glory to God in the highest for this wondrous work and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

And you and I can bless God and praise him indeed if you and I know anything of this peace, this peace which only comes when we realise that we are complete in him. It's not us, it's what he has done. There is our hope. our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Well, we're thankful indeed for this account in the Word of God. We're thankful therefore that we have the picture of these shepherds and they went and they saw the Lord Jesus lying in that manger. They came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made knownly abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. They didn't keep these things to themselves. They spread the gospel. is spread the good news. And what a privilege it is for us today to be able to spread the good news of the gospel.

When they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying that was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Good news, wasn't it? What a day it was.

And so, by God's grace, we today are able to remember this occasion and to realize that by the grace of God, it was done for us. We need the personal blessing, the personal application of such a grand and glorious truth and to rest in Christ's finished work. Not looking to ourselves, but looking to God. Committing our way unto God and rejoicing in this wonderful work.

Well, may we just think on these few remarks this morning and be able to come and concur with this wonderful statement. Glory to God in the highest. I hope that touches our heart this morning and we can come with a real desire from our heart and say yes, glory to God in the highest, there he is, high and lifted up just like Isaiah saw. He saw the Lord high and lifted up and on earth where we are today, peace, goodwill toward men.

Well, may God bless us today and throughout our lives. Amen.