SEEK, FIND, AND TELL

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In Christ, Mark

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

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But 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.”

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.

Luke 2:8-18

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

Jesus was born without fanfare in the little town of Bethlehem.

There wasn’t any family celebration because Joseph and Mary’s families were in Nazareth.

Inside Bethlehem, no one came to be a part of what was the most important birth in human history. No one knew that the promised Messiah had arrived to save them.

No, Mary delivered God’s one and only Son into the world in private with only Joseph as witness as they concealed in a stable. This meant that Jesus’ first bed was a manger used to feed the animals because there were no rooms for the family from Galilee to stay in.

So the Savior of the world was born, fulfilling the words of the prophets, and no one was aware. That is, until the most unexpected and amazing disclosure happened, a message brought to a most unlikely group. Look again at today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But 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.”

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. (2:8-18)

It was a night like any other night for the shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem as they tended to their flocks by night. People didn’t typically interact with shepherds, mostly because their reputation wasn’t that great. They were seen as people of low moral standing and even prone to stealing. And then there was their occupation as all they did was hang out with animals all the time. It wasn’t a clean job and therefore the shepherds were considered unclean and unsightly.

This is what made the entire event that transpired that night so incredibly improbable.

Now, imagine you are one of the shepherds. You’re doing your thing like you do night after night after night but on this evening, an angel suddenly appears and the entire field was illuminated with a great light as the glory of the Lord surrounded you and the others with you. First you are startled but that is quickly replaced by fear as you know something remarkably divine is taking place.

And then the angel speaks, saying:

“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.”

It was a lot to process in such a short period of time but thankfully the angel was bringing good news. At least it wasn’t a declaration of God’s judgment.

No, this was a birth announcement of the highest order. No other child ever born in human history had their coming declared by an angel of the Lord but we see where there was far more than this.

For no sooner had you absorbed the declaration of the angel that the skies became ablaze with the light of a multitude (think army) of the heavenly host appearing and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

And with that, the angel and heavenly host disappeared back into the heavens, leaving the shepherds changed forever. I mean, who wouldn’t be transformed by a visit from angels?

Well, in the wake of their unbelievable experience, the shepherds decide to go immediately to Bethlehem and seek this baby Messiah who the Lord had told them about. They remembered the angel said the child was wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger so this would narrow the search down a little as they wouldn’t have to go to each and every residence, just the stables.

And so the shepherds left the fields and hurried off to the city of David where they found Mary and Joseph, and Jesus, who was lying in the manger.

What an astounding thrill and honor this must have been for the shepherds who were used to being treated with disgrace. God didn’t proclaim His Son’s birth to a king or priest or prophet. No, He willingly and willfully gave the shepherds the privilege.

So what did the shepherds do in return?

They went out of the stable and shared the good news about Jesus, telling other what had been told to them.

What was the result?

Those hearing the testimony were amazed at what they heard.

Today, we still get the opportunity to answer God’s call to first seek Jesus and then find Him so we can go and tell others about Him. The Christmas season provides a great opportunity for us to share the Gospel with others with the hope of getting people to shift their holiday focus toward Jesus more than anything else.

As we march toward 2023, let’s all commit ourselves to be like the shepherds and tell others about Jesus, the Savior of the world born unto all people in Bethlehem.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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