(I want to listen to this sermon)

There is so much to do when a new baby arrives in a family. What preparations take place beforehand! The babies room must be got ready and then there are good supplies of tiny clothes to be got in not to mention bags of disposable nappies. The specialist shops try to sell us so many things that we really didn't realize were as essential as the sales assistant seems to think.

And then there's the paperwork too… In France, where my boys were all born, you've just three days to get to the town hall to register the birth officially – where, if you're French, the name you want to give your child must appear on the approved list! But I want to draw your attention to another aspect – how to communicate the news of your baby's arrival into the world – the birth announcement.

When a new baby is born some people will send cards through the post to friends and relatives sharing the good news, others will put an announcement in the local paper, while yet others opt for an entry the national press.

The way in which Luke records the birth of the Lord Jesus for us in his gospel is very simple and matter-of-fact:

Luke 2:6-7 "the time came for her (Mary) to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son…"

When Mary gave birth to her baby son Jesus it all took place within the confines of the lowly stable. At first no one, it seemed, paid any attention to what was going on. But that was very soon to change.

This baby that had just been born was very special – yes, I know that the parents of every wanted child think that about their own – but there was a lot that was very special about this one.

To an uninformed observer this might look like just one more statistic on the list of teen-age pregnancies and unmarried mothers but neither Matthew nor Luke who recorded the facts concerning the conception and birth of this baby intend us to remain uninformed!

The baby was not the result of pre-marital sex - the pregnancy was due to the intervention of God not of a man. Yes, it may well sound strange to us but this was no ordinary child who was coming into the world this was the incarnation of the Son of God and Mary conceived him in her womb when the power of God overshadowed her. Nothing is impossible with God!

And now the child is born and the birth must be announced. Heaven will take charge of disseminating this wonderful information. No cards will be sent from the Post Office in Bethlehem, no entry will be inserted in the Jerusalem Post but the news will be shared!

Out in the fields I imagine life was going on much as it always did. After all there were no Christmas decorations up anywhere to heighten a sense of expectation. A group of shepherds was going about their normal business. Sheep had to be taken care of and so there they were taking care of their sheep. Were not told much about what they were doing this: were they sitting around talking to each other? Were they eating? Passing the time playing some simple game together? We don't know. But all of a sudden something happened that they had never experienced before, their calm was broken, and suddenly they were full of fear!

These men were used to being out in the fields at night time and they were not afraid of the dark. They were used to the sounds and noises of the night and were unlikely to be easily spooked in the way that we town dwellers might be were we to find ourselves outside in the dead of night.

What was it that suddenly caused such panic amongst these very down-to-earth men?

An angel of the Lord appeared to them! The glory of the Lord shone around them!

Surely that was reason enough for the shepherds to be filled with fear and very afraid.

Now, I have never had that kind of experience – I have never seen an angel of the Lord and I imagine that exactly the same thing can be said of you. But it doesn't matter that we have never seen an angel ourselves because what is important is the message he brought! Has it struck you that all the interest is focused upon the message and no detailed description of the angel or of the angelic multitude that will join him later beyond simply recording their presence at the scene. But the message is recorded and that message has been passed on to us - and what an amazing message it is!

Luke 2:10-11 "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 Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

Now there are some elements in this birth announcement that we still find in birth announcements today but there are others which are much more surprising – or at least should be if only we weren't so familiar with them.

In most of our birth announcements today we include the names of the parents in order to identify new baby and we also often add the details that our womenfolk in particular consider to be absolutely essential: the weight and the length the baby (woe betide any man who fails to pass on this crucial information!) We usually have some reference to the joy of the parents in welcoming the new baby into the family. But apart from the name there is very little else that can be added for the simple reason that the baby has had no time or opportunity to do anything. A child born into a royal family may well be described in terms of being "number N in line for the throne" but normally in birth announcements we do not make declarations about the baby's future for the simple reason that we do not know what that child will do in life.

In the angelic declaration there are some things that we expect to find such as a clear identification of just who the baby is but there are also other elements which we will do well to notice:

1. The baby is identified – he is Christ the Lord! The mention of his birthplace being the City of David is suggestive of the fact that Jesus belonged to David's family something that is confirmed in other Scriptures. There is even an address given where the shepherds may go to verify the announcement that the Angel is making to them.

2. The joy concerning the birth of this new baby boy is not something that affects his parents alone that is indeed to have a universal application.

When each of my boys was born Janice and I both very happy – our parents were happy and so were friends. I guess those who are closest to us were the happiest for us and those who were just acquaintances, while being pleased for us, were less affected by it all and their joy correspondingly less. Counting as generously as I can, maybe 500 people were affected in some way but that's all.

How different it was with this child! The news of his birth could be described by the Angel as bringing "great joy" and that not just for 500 or so but "for all the people."

There is something very special about such a one!

3. Not only does the Angel identify the child who has been born – Christ the Lord – but he also declares what the child is going to do. Do you see that? The Angel describes him as a Saviour. This child will secure the salvation of his people as the culmination of his life's work and ministry. From the very outset his coming into the world was in view to accomplishing this task  – indeed his birth was a means to achieving this end.

Of course, it is possible to distinguish the identity of this child from the mission for which he had come. However in practice these two must go hand in hand because it would only be possible for him to accomplish his task as Saviour because of who he was, Christ the Lord!

4. In case the shepherds had failed to understand the significance of it all, the angelic choir joins the Angel of the Lord to press home the wonder of this message. The shepherds' initial reaction of anxiety and fear may well be understandable but it was in fact totally inappropriate. They had no need to be afraid and should rather be full of joy! Peace was being communicated from heaven to mankind through this child who would go on to give his life as a ransom for many!

As I end I want to point out to you a very simple truth. It is a truth that is so obvious that when I mention it you may be tempted to say that it's so obvious as to not merit being mentioned. And yet I do mention it because I think that in our society today we are in real danger of overlooking it.

God is involved in Christmas!

·         It is God's Son who is born at Christmas

·         God's Son, Christ the Lord, had come to be the Saviour that God had long promised to send

·         The angels who are involved as messengers at various stages along the way in the Christmas story are God's angels passing on God's message

·         The glory that shines as that message is passed on is God's glory

·         And God's message is a declaration of peace

No wonder that the angels praised God by attributing Him the highest praise imaginable! Can we do any less when we come to understand just how generous good and kind God is in providing us with just the Saviour we need!

To God be the glory.