SALVATION'S VISITATION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:15-20

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It had been a remarkable experience, one unlike anyone they had ever had by far. After all, they were only shepherds who day-by-day lived in the fields outside Bethlehem, watching over the flocks of sheep. They were social outcasts in Israel and thus lived on the fringes of society. No one really cared about them or for them, no one that is but God.

We know this because the Lord sent an angel to announce the Messiah’s birth shortly after Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in a Bethlehem stable. No one else knew of the birth, the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies, and so Joseph and Mary celebrated their child in anonymity amongst the animals who were with them. They wouldn’t remain that way for long.

For as we turn to our scripture passage for today, we see how the shepherds responded to the message from the angels who appeared to light up the night sky and bring them good news of great joy. Look again at these words from Luke 2:

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:15-20

No doubt still amazed that the word of the Lord announcing the Messiah’s birth had come to them, the shepherds wasted little time in responding, hurrying to Bethlehem to seek and visit the special, divine baby who would bring salvation to the world. The scriptures tell us they found Him lying in the manger with Joseph and Mary present, affirming that all the Lord had shared through His angelic messengers was true.

The Savior of the world had come and it was something they couldn’t keep to themselves. For after they had seen Him, they went to anyone they could see and “spread the word concerning what had been told them” about the child.

Can you imagine the scene?

A bunch of shepherds who no one would give the time of day to any other time running around Bethlehem proper and sharing an amazing message that the predicted Messiah had come, born right in the midst of them. The words they shared were not rejected but rather received with amazement by all who received them. And perhaps the magnitude of the event had not yet touched Mary until the shepherds came and told about the angels for as the surprise visitors went out to spread their good news of great joy to the general public, Jesus’ mother was pondering and treasuring everything that happened in her heart. What amazing joy she must have felt!

Well, after the shepherds had finished telling the people of Bethlehem about the Messiah’s birth, they returned to their fields to continue tending to the sheep, their lives changed forever. The Lord had blessed them in a special way, sharing the first announcement of the Savior’s birth and then allowing them to carry out salvation’s first visitation.

Today, we get to share this message with others as well, spreading the good news of Jesus’ birth while inviting people to visit Him and discover salvation themselves. As we get set to close this year and enter the next, let us follow the lead of the shepherds and hurry to tell everyone that Christ the Savior is born!

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
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