Shepherds: Christmas Perfect: Foolishly Perfect.
In this message from the "Christmas Perfect" series, Nathan Mandsager explores how God's plan often appears "foolishly perfect" by human standards because He uses the weak and insignificant to shame the wise. By examining the story of the shepherds in Luke 2, Nathan highlights how God bypassed kings and religious elites to reveal the Messiah to social outcasts tending sacrificial sheep. Ultimately, Nathan challenges viewers to embrace God's "upside down kingdom" and believe that He can use ordinary people to accomplish His history-altering rescue plan.
Deep Dive Podcast
Study Guide: The Foolishly Perfect Plan of God
This study guide is designed to review the core themes and details presented in the sermon by Nathan on Luke chapter 2, part of the "Christmas Perfect" Advent series. The central argument is that God's plan, which often appears "foolishly perfect" by human standards, intentionally uses what the world considers foolish, weak, and insignificant to reveal His power and ensure that no human can boast.
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Short-Answer Quiz
Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences, based on the information provided in the source context.
What passage from 1 Corinthians does the speaker use to frame the sermon, and what is its central message?
According to the speaker, how were shepherds viewed by the religious and political elite in ancient Palestinian society?
What is the significance of the flocks being tended by the shepherds near Bethlehem, according to the speaker's reference to the Mishnah?
The speaker notes that the angelic announcements about Jesus to Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah were different from the announcement to the shepherds. What was the key difference?
What Old Testament prophecy, according to the speaker, would the angel's announcement in Luke 2:11 have immediately brought to the minds of the Jewish shepherds?
What specific details did the angel provide as a "sign" for the shepherds to identify the newborn Savior?
How did the shepherds respond immediately after the angels departed from them? What does the speaker highlight about the angel's instructions (or lack thereof)?
What is the ultimate response of the shepherds after seeing the baby Jesus in the manger, as described in Luke 2:20?
How does the speaker define Jesus's "upside-down kingdom"?
What question of conviction does the speaker pose to Christians in the audience regarding how they live their lives?
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Answer Key
The speaker uses 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 to frame the sermon. Its central message is that God intentionally chooses what is foolish, weak, low, and despised in the world to shame the wise and the strong, so that no human being can boast in His presence.
Shepherds were not highly regarded by the elite. They were considered essential to the economy but were not respected, sharing the same low social status as tax collectors and dung sweepers, and were even barred from giving testimony in court.
According to the Mishnah, keeping ordinary flocks was forbidden in the lands around Bethlehem and Jerusalem. This implies that the shepherds were likely tending flocks specifically designated for temple services, making them sacrificial sheep destined to atone for sin.
The key difference was that the earlier announcements to individuals like Mary and Joseph were deeply personal and private encounters. In contrast, the announcement to the shepherds on the hillside marked the moment the news about Jesus went public, albeit to an unlikely audience.
The announcement would have reminded them of the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6. This prophecy foretells the birth of a child and son whose names would include Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, and upon whose shoulder the government will rest.
The angel gave the sign that they would find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. This was a clear directive pointing to the humble and unexpected circumstances of the Messiah's birth.
Immediately after the angels left, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem to see what the Lord had made known to them, and they went "with haste." The speaker highlights that the angel did not explicitly command them to go; their action was a compelling, obedient response to their life-altering experience.
After finding everything as it had been told to them, the shepherds returned to their flocks "glorifying and praising God." They also made known the message they had received, causing all who heard it to wonder.
Jesus's "upside-down kingdom" is one where worldly values and constructs are inverted. In this kingdom, the last are first, the poor are rich, outcasts are welcomed, the divided are united, suffering leads to joy, and the undeserving are saved.
The speaker asks committed Christians to evaluate if their lives can be described as "upside down." He challenges them to consider if their use of time, money, and talents reflects kingdom ethics or worldly ethics, and if their lives look distinctly different to their neighbors, coworkers, and families.
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Essay Questions
Reflect on the sermon's major themes to construct a detailed essay-format response for each of the following prompts.
Analyze the speaker's central theme of God's "foolishly perfect" plan. Using the scriptural examples of 1 Corinthians 1 and the shepherds in Luke 2, explain the theological reasoning behind God choosing the "lowly and despised" to accomplish His history-altering purposes.
Discuss the social, economic, and religious context of the shepherds as detailed in the sermon. How does understanding their marginalized status and the specific purpose of their flocks deepen the meaning and symbolism of them being the first to receive the public announcement of the Messiah's birth?
The speaker contrasts a "compelling and life altering experience with Jesus" with mere religious compliance. Using the shepherds as the primary example, explore what defines this authentic experience and how it should, according to the speaker, necessarily lead to "obedience and action."
Elaborate on the concept of Jesus's "upside-down kingdom." Describe the specific characteristics of this kingdom mentioned in the sermon and explain how the entire narrative of Jesus's birth—from the lowly location to the humble parents and first witnesses—serves as a perfect illustration of its values.
The sermon concludes with a series of direct application questions for different groups within the audience. Synthesize these challenges and explain the speaker's final call to action regarding personal faith, relationships with the "insignificant," and living a life that reflects kingdom ethics.
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Glossary of Key Terms
Term / Name
Definition (based on the Source Context)
Christmas Perfect
The name of the Advent sermon series that this message is a part of.
City of David
Another name for the town of Bethlehem, where the angel said the Savior would be born.
Foolishly Perfect
The speaker's description of God's plan, which seems foolish by human standards and concepts but is perfectly orchestrated by God.
Heavenly Host
A multitude, potentially thousands, of angels who appeared suddenly with the first angel to praise God before the shepherds.
Luke 2
The chapter from the Gospel of Luke that serves as the primary biblical text for the sermon, detailing the birth of Jesus and the announcement to the shepherds.
Manger
A feeding trough for animals. The angel told the shepherds this is where they would find the newborn baby Jesus.
Mercy Church
The church where the sermon was delivered. The speaker notes its "not normal" growth over the past two and a half years.
Mishnah
A collection of documents recording Jewish oral traditions from the period. The speaker cites one of its regulations to suggest the shepherds were tending sheep for temple sacrifices.
Nathan
The speaker delivering the sermon, who also helps run the youth ministry at the church.
Pastor Tim
The regular pastor of Mercy Church, who planned the "Christmas Perfect" series.
Randy Alcorn
An author quoted by the speaker, who stated that shepherds were on the "bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder" in Jesus's day.
Shepherds
The central figures of the sermon; low-status workers who were watching their flocks by night near Bethlehem and were the first to receive the public announcement of Jesus's birth.
Swaddling Cloths
The cloths that the baby Jesus was wrapped in. The speaker notes the parallel to Jesus's body being wrapped and laid in a tomb after the crucifixion.
Upside-Down Kingdom
The speaker's term for Jesus's kingdom, where worldly values are inverted: the last are first, the poor are rich, outcasts are welcomed, and suffering leads to joy.
