And there were shepherds living out in the field 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 of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:8-12
The Christmas season is definitely in full swing with only about a week and a half until the 25th arrives. The last days of school leading up to break have been keeping me busy and Christmas shopping has been happening slowly but surely. It has been a wonderful holiday season full of festive activities. Amidst it all, I refuse to be caught in a whirlwind of simply secular celebration. The message at church this past Sunday brought me back to a passage I have read and learned about since I was a small child, that of the shepherds who received news of the first and most precious Christmas gift. It's easy for me to breeze through such a familiar story, but I think this would be foolish. Instead, I want to share why I believe this is such an unusually beautiful piece of the Christmas story.
It was a routine, regular night for these shepherd men. I imagine that they were fairly simple men, perhaps quiet as they laid beneath a blanket of starry sky. What a sweet, silent night. All of a sudden, God sent an angel to appear to them with a jubilant message. This in itself astounds me. If I were one of the shepherds, this alone would have been the experience of a lifetime. God had sent an angel to speak a special message to me. Wow, an evening to remember and tell about for generations. God was only getting started. This angel preceded to share with the men news that would change the course of history. God had come to Earth. He had sent His Son, Jesus, to live and walk among His people, to love us, to teach us, to heal us, and to save us. Emmanuel, God with us. The shepherds quickly left to find this precious baby, their Savior. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have the opportunity these men were given, to gaze into the face of a beautiful baby knowing that He was my Lord. Thinking about it in these terms, it's no wonder that so many Christmas songs have been written, each attempting to capture the beauty and holiness of this wondrous night, the first noel.
This holiday season, take a moment to appreciate the depth and meaning of that very first Christmas when God sent us a gift like no other, a baby to save the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment