Luke 2:8-12 (TNIV) “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 of great joy that will be 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.”
Hebrews 1:14 (TNIV) “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
Think of how it must have been. Shepherds tending their flocks at night and a messenger from God appeared before them. It doesn’t tell us whether he was bright with heavenly glory or looked normal for the day, it simply says that He “appeared to them”. There must have been something about him that let them know he was sent from God. It is my humble opinion that he must have had a heavenly glow about him. Perhaps he was dressed all in white. It truly doesn’t matter about his appearance, but what I am trying to establish is that it must have been quite a sight. The sight of him “terrified” the shepherds. Apparently he appeared out of nowhere. That is a sure clue that something divine is transpiring.
The messenger brought incredible news to them. He brought them instructions of where to find their Messiah. The Hebrews had been seeking their Savior for quite some time and now He had arrived. A star would lead them to where He lay. It was a humble beginning for Jesus. The players in the scene were handpicked by God Himself to bring about His plan for the salvation of mankind. God could have easily wiped them from the face of the earth as He did with the flood in Noah’s time, for the heinous things they had done down through the ages since, but in His incredible mercy He relented, instead sending His Son to be the one true sacrifice needed to cleanse people of their sins once for all time.
For the angel to say he was bringing “good news” would be a major understatement. Down through the ages we can look back at that night and that message delivered to shepherds standing in their fields and say, yes that is truly magnificent news. The weight of our sin no longer needs to be around our necks. There is a way, there is a hope. God, in all His compassion and love for His creation, knowing how prone they were to do that which was wrong, provided an escape from the cycle of sin. He provided the One who could, by using His own death, not just break, but shatter the link in the chain of sins that had weighed mankind down for so long. As a result, our chains can fall down at our feet, leaving us free from them forevermore.
And how would this tiny baby accomplish this amazing feat? Babies don’t stay babies forever. Anyone who has ever been a parent knows that. They grow up in young adults and then adults and hopefully become productive members of the society in which they live. Jesus was special. He was unique, as are we all, but He was different.
God guided Him through his life to the point where He would activate the most incredible act of mercy and grace this world has ever known. Why do so many people reject it? I wish I knew. There are a variety of reasons people shun Christ. But no one is beyond the reach of God. No one is beyond saving.
John 3:16 (TNIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 10:28 (TNIV) “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
2 Thessalonians 2:10b (TNIV) “(The wicked) perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
Christ came to earth as a baby, but He rose up to be the Son of God who gave His life for the sake of our sins. Embrace the baby in swaddling clothes this day knowing full well that His eventual death can bring you new life.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!
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