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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.
In yesterday’s devotion, we saw where the
first news of Jesus’ birth was not given to kings or priests but to lowly
shepherds who were watching over their flocks in the fields outside Bethlehem at
night. It wasn’t high ranking authority or respected spiritual leaders but
instead humble sheep tenders who were blessed with the honor of a visiting
angel and accompanying company of the heavenly host who provided this Great
Proclamation:
The angel
said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great
joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to
you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a
great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and
saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on
whom His favor rests.” Luke 2:10-14
So what did the shepherds do in response to
this message?
And in looking at our lives today, what
should we do?
We’ll look at the first question now
because in it we find the answer to the second.
Note that the shepherds wasted no time in
going to find this newborn baby who the angel announced was the Messiah, the
Lord. In fact , the scriptures tell us that they hurried off to Bethlehem, the
town of David, where Joseph had brought Mary while still pregnant to register
as ordered by Caesar Augustus. And when they arrived, they discovered a scene
just as the angels had described. For there was Mary and Joseph surrounding
their little baby Jesus who was lying in a manger.
The shepherds had seen the miracle child
which had been prophesied 700 years earlier!
Jesus Christ, the Savior, was born!
It had to be an amazing moment for the
shepherds but what happened next is perhaps as important as their haste and
excitement to find Jesus in the first place. For the word of God tells us that
the shepherds didn’t just return to their fields and continue to keep watch
over their flock. They didn’t return to business as usual. No, they felt compelled
to spread the word and tell others about this baby Jesus and what the angels
had proclaimed about Him. They could not, nor would not keep Jesus a secret.
Instead, they shared their amazement with others, “glorifying and praising God
for all the things they had heard and seen”, things that happened just as the
prophets said they would.
Friends, now that Christmas has come and
gone, do we hold the same thrill and excitement of the humble shepherds as we
celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ the Savior of us all?
Are we anxious to tell others about how
God’s salvation plan for all mankind began with the divine birth of His Son who
had been conceived within the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit?
Do we have an enthusiasm for sharing the
good news of the Gospel with others with the intent of them building their own
relationship with Jesus and finding their way to eternal life?
If we’re truly Christian, the answer to all
these questions had better be a resounding “yes”!
For indeed, Jesus Christ was born in
Bethlehem and the world has never been the same since.
Like the shepherds, it’s time for all of us
to get out and spread the word.
Amen.
Let us pray.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com
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