Advent 2025 #3 – Study Questions
The Angels’ Song
Advent 2025 – The Songs of Advent (CGS#3) – Luke 2:8-21
INTRODUCTION: Advent is a season where we take time to both remember the birth of Jesus and look forward to his second coming. As a church, we’ve been walking through the songs in the book of Luke, and this week’s song is the angels’ song to the shepherds, also called the Gloria in Excelsis, or “Glory in the Highest.” While this week’s song is definitely the shortest—only 1 verse!—it packs a lot into a small amount of space.
First off, this whole scenario is extremely surprising. Think of a prince being born to a king and queen. How would you expect them to communicate that birth? Would they tell shepherds first? Probably not. Shepherds were not honored in that culture. They were looked down on and ignored. No one would expect shepherds to be the first to hear the good news of a royal baby’s birth. Yet here we are. An awe-inspiring host of angels were sent to announce the birth of the Son of God, not in palaces or banqueting halls, but in a field, to a few simple shepherds. But that fits perfectly with how we’ve seen God working so far this Advent, doesn’t it? God loves to use the humble, the weak, and the poor to accomplish his mighty works. He loves to exalt the humble and humble the exalted. We saw it with Mary, with Zechariah, and now with these shepherds.
Next, look at the angels’ song itself in verse 14. Notice the turn that takes place on the word “and.” First God, then us. First in the highest heaven, then on earth. First God’s glory, then our good. We get a glimpse into God’s heart and his reason for sending his son. Ultimately, it’s all for God’s glory. We exist to glorify God. Thankfully, since God is the source of all joy and satisfaction, glorifying him is also the best thing for us. We glorify him by enjoying him and trusting him. What’s the result of glorifying God? Peace. Lifting high the name of God and putting yourself in humble submission to his powerful guidance produces peace in the heart of the believer. We saw it in the lives of Mary and Zechariah, and now the angels are saying it’s available to everyone. The peace of God—which surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7)—and peace with God—through the reconciling work of Christ (Romans 5:10)—are now available to all, because of the child that was just born. Incredible.
Finally, consider the shepherds’ response. How do they react? Imagine them standing there, slack-jawed, blinking rapidly as their eyes readjust to the dark after being blinded by the angels, wondering what on earth just happened. Simply put, they’re stunned. It doesn’t seem like they wasted a lot of time, however. They knew what to do. Like Mary and Zechariah, they’d been invited into something far bigger than they could understand, and they responded immediately with joyful, humble, faithful action.
Their response shows us their deep faith in God. Remember, they’re also Israelites. They were probably taught the promises of God from a young age, and they also knew God’s faithfulness in the past. So when they received a message from God, they were quick to listen and obey. They responded to the invitation by diving straight in. Do we have that same response today? Here’s the uncomfortable part: We’ve also been given a message from God. You probably have several copies in your house, and it’s even on your phone. It’s the Bible. The Bible is the primary means by which God communicates to his people today. He tells us what to do. He invites us into his plan of redemption. We don’t have the same role as Mary, or Zechariah, or the shepherds, but we can have the same response. We too can respond with joyful, humble, faithful action. We too can glorify God. We can also seek Jesus. Will we respond to God’s invitation by diving in as well? Not recklessly or blindly, but in remembrance of God’s past provision, and expectation of his future faithfulness.
GETTING STARTED – As you begin your group time, take time to answer this question together: Have you ever had to respond to an emergency? Did you respond with urgency? Why or why not?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage. It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage out loud to the group. Then, follow the simple OPA method below:
O – Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
P – Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
A – Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live every day. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions about the passage we are studying this week.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- Over this Advent season, what have you been reminded of regarding the character and nature of God? How has this shown up in your life?
- Why do you think God chose to send the angels to humble shepherds?
- What does the angel’s message in verses 10-12 tell us about Jesus?
- How does the shepherds’ response demonstrate their faith in God?