Spurgeon Morning and Evening January 28 PM

Biblical Context

The Gospel of Luke, from which our devotional text, Luke 2:20, is drawn, is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament. Traditionally attributed to Luke, a Gentile physician and companion of the Apostle Paul, this Gospel presents a carefully researched and orderly account of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Luke’s meticulous approach is evident in his prologue (Luke 1:1-4), where he states his intention to write an ‘orderly account’ for Theophilus, so that he ‘may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.’

Unique among the Gospels, Luke emphasizes Jesus’ compassion for the marginalized, women, and the poor, and highlights the universality of God’s salvation. Our specific verse, Luke 2:20, is set against the backdrop of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

Following the angelic announcement to the shepherds in the fields, these humble men were among the first to receive the ‘good news of great joy that will be for all the people’ (Luke 2:10). They went with haste, found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger, just as the angel had described. Their immediate response, upon seeing the fulfillment of what they had heard, was to return, ‘glorifying and praising God.’ This act of worship underscores the profound impact of experiencing divine truth firsthand, moving from mere auditory reception to tangible, visual confirmation, which then stirred their hearts to fervent adoration.

Key Word Study

Let’s delve into a key word from Luke 2:20: “glorifying.” The Greek word used here is δοξάζω (doxazō). This verb is rich in meaning and conveys a powerful sense of divine recognition and adoration.

• Definition: Doxazō means ‘to praise, honor, magnify, extol, to make glorious, to cause the dignity and worth of someone to be acknowledged and esteemed.’ It implies giving glory, not just verbally, but also through actions and attitudes that reflect the greatness of the one being glorified. It is to acknowledge and declare the inherent splendor, power, and excellence of God.
• Usage in Scripture: In the New Testament, doxazō is frequently used in connection with God and Jesus, indicating the reverence and worship due to them. For example, in Matthew 5:16, Jesus instructs His followers to let their light shine before others, ‘that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’ It’s about more than just saying nice things; it’s about acknowledging and elevating the inherent glory of God through both word and deed, allowing His majesty to be visible through our lives.
• Context in Luke 2:20: The shepherds, having seen the Christ child and verified the angelic message, did not merely express gratitude; they ‘glorified’ God. This means they recognized His majesty, His faithfulness, and His divine plan unfolding before their eyes. Their praise was a profound acknowledgment of God’s inherent worth and His wondrous works. It was a declaration that what they had witnessed was indeed a manifestation of divine glory, worthy of the highest honor and praise. This act of glorifying God serves as a model for our own response to His truth and grace in our lives, calling us to a worship that is both internal and expressive.

The Subject of Their Praise: Hearing the Good Tidings

The shepherds, in their awe-filled return from Bethlehem, were found “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” The first crucial aspect of their praise revolved around what they had heard.

They had received the “good tidings of great joy that a Saviour was born unto them.” This glorious message, delivered directly by an angel of the Lord, resonated deep within their hearts and shattered the darkness of their ordinary night. It was the proclamation of ultimate hope, the long-awaited fulfillment of centuries of prophecy.

As recorded just prior to our main text, in Luke 2:10-11, the angel declared, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'” This was not just any news; it was the cosmic announcement of salvation, a message of peace and reconciliation.

Their praise was an echo of that initial angelic chorus, a profound thanksgiving for the incredible revelation that a Saviour, the promised Messiah, had finally arrived. Let us, like the shepherds, not take this foundational truth for granted.

Let us also raise a song of thanksgiving that we have heard of Jesus and His salvation, acknowledging the immense privilege of knowing the Gospel message, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

The Subject of Their Praise: Seeing and Experiencing Truth

Beyond what they merely heard, the shepherds also praised God for what they had seen. This speaks to the tangible, experiential dimension of their faith. Their praise was ignited by the profound reality that the angelic announcement was not an empty promise or a mere rumor, but a verifiable truth, observed with their own eyes.

There is the sweetest music—what we have experienced, what we have felt within, what we have made our own. Spurgeon beautifully encapsulates this profound truth with the evocative phrase, “the things which we have made touching the King.” While not a direct biblical quote, this powerful interpretive insight underscores how personal encounter transforms intellectual belief into an intimate, lived reality.

It signifies the moments where divine truth moves beyond academic understanding into the very fabric of our being, becoming a deeply personal and cherished possession.

It is not enough to simply hear about Jesus; mere hearing may tune the harp, providing the theoretical framework and potential for praise, but the fingers of living faith must create the music. This powerful analogy emphasizes that true, heartfelt praise stems from a personal encounter, a lived experience of Christ’s transforming power.

If you have seen Jesus with the God-giving sight of faith—that spiritual perception that transcends mere physical observation and discerns divine truth—then suffer no cobwebs to linger among the harpstrings.

Do not allow doubt, spiritual lethargy, unconfessed sin, or worldly distractions to mute your testimony or diminish your joy. Instead, let your heart resonate loud to the praise of sovereign grace, awakening your psaltery and harp, expressing heartfelt worship and gratitude for His saving work within you, making your faith a vibrant, melodic offering to God.

The Power of Agreement: What Was Heard and What Was Seen

One profoundly significant point for which the shepherds praised God was the agreement between what they had heard and what they had seen. Observe the last sentence of our key text: “As it was told unto them.” This phrase highlights the perfect correlation between the angelic prophecy and the physical reality they encountered. The tiny, vulnerable child lying in the manger was precisely as the angels had described, a Saviour, Christ the Lord. This agreement provided irrefutable confirmation, solidifying their faith and deepening their awe.

Have you not found the gospel to be in yourselves just what the Bible said it would be? This is the bedrock of assurance for believers, the empirical evidence of divine faithfulness. Jesus said He would give you rest.

In Matthew 11:28, our Lord issues the tender and all-encompassing invitation, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Have you not enjoyed the sweetest peace in Him, a peace that transcends earthly understanding, a true cessation from the wearying burdens of sin, striving, and anxious toil, replaced by a profound spiritual tranquility?

He said you should have joy, and comfort, and life through believing in Him. Indeed, John 15:11 records Jesus saying, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” This is a joy not dependent on circumstances, but rooted in His abiding presence. For comfort, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-17:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.” This divine Comforter brings solace and guidance, especially in times of trial. And for life, the foundational truth of John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Have you not received all these spiritual blessings—a rest that settles the soul, a joy that overflows, a comfort that sustains, and an eternal life that begins now?

Are not His ways ways of pleasantness, and His paths paths of peace? Proverbs 3:17 beautifully affirms this: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” For those who walk in obedience and faith, surrendered to Christ’s leadership, the journey with Him is marked by a profound sense of satisfaction and tranquility, even amidst the inevitable trials of life. The path of righteousness, though challenging at times, ultimately leads to deep and abiding contentment.

Christ Exceeds All Expectations

Surely you can say with the queen of Sheba, “The half has not been told me.” This poignant declaration from 1 Kings 10:7, where she marvels at King Solomon’s wisdom and splendor, perfectly captures the exceeding glory of Christ. The Queen found that the reality of Solomon’s kingdom far surpassed the grand reports she had heard.

In the same vein, I have found Christ more sweet, more profound, and more real than His most eloquent servants ever said He was. While faithful preachers and teachers paint vivid portraits of Jesus through their sermons and writings, their words, however inspired or eloquent, are but faint echoes of the glorious reality.

I looked upon His likeness as they painted it, but it was a mere daub compared with Himself; for the King in His beauty outshines all imaginable loveliness.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a future vision in Isaiah 33:17, declaring, “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar.” This prophetic vision finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in Christ Jesus.

Our personal, experiential knowledge of Him is always richer, deeper, and infinitely more satisfying than any description, no matter how profoundly articulated. Surely what we have “seen”—what we have personally encountered and experienced in the intimacy of our relationship with Him—keeps pace with, nay, far exceeds, what we have “heard.” The personal, intimate revelation of Christ in the heart of a believer transcends all intellectual understanding or secondhand accounts, leading to a depth of praise that only direct experience can foster.

Let us, then, in light of these profound truths, glorify and praise God for a Saviour so precious, so faithful, and so utterly satisfying. May our lives be a perpetual song of thanksgiving, echoing the shepherds’ joy for what we have heard, seen, and deeply experienced in Christ Jesus, our Lord and our King.