This past week has certainly been exciting for me personally. Let me first set aside the trivial by mentioning the incredible job the Celtics did winning the NBA finals. It is probably not wise to share about my personal elation over my favorite sports team winning the championship, but I am sure there is a way of weaving this into a Bible truth later on. Though it won't be this week, I just wanted you to be forewarned.
The more significant news has to do with the arrival of my grandson who was born this past Thursday. I am a new grandfather and had the privilege of holding him for quite awhile on Friday. Since we are looking at Luke chapter 2 with the birth of Jesus and the proclamation to the shepherds, it will be fairly easy to relate this particular event to the discussion this week.
Luke 2:15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Our verses pick up after the angels that appeared in the sky and proclaiming the birth of Jesus returning to heaven. The shepherds now discuss with themselves what to do. It is decided that this momentous announcement must be checked out. God has communicated to the shepherds. This visit by the angels brings a spotlight on the shepherds being important to God. As we discussed last time the shepherds were not members of acceptable society. As a matter of fact they were on the fringes of society and tended to group among themselves. They are amazed at the privilege God has given to them by making this news known to them. It appears they did not wait to the end of their shift or the next time they were in town. Luke records that they came in haste, and found the Baby Jesus just as they heard from the angel. This is certainly not a contrived story, since this is certainly not the way we as humans would have written the script. We wouldn't have picked Mary or Joseph as parents. And the shepherds would not be the first to hear from angels what was going on. But this is God's approach and with 20/20 hindsight we can see the effectiveness of making the arrival of Jesus centered on our relationship to God, His love for all people, His desire to exalt the poor in spirit and the way in which he touches each of the lives involved in a very personal way.
Next the shepherds share what the angel has told them, not only with Mary and Joseph but with all who were there. Just like today, people want to gather and celebrate with parents when a child is born. Most of the time it is just to recognize the miracle of a new birth. But imagine the amazement and shock to hear the shepherds sharing what was told them by the angels. Wow!! Really? Did the angels really appear in a cloud?? Did the angels really say that?? Is this really the savior? Is this really Christ the Lord??
As Mary heard these things she didn't just shrug them off. But she remembered and thought about what did this mean. Because of this verse, I believe the account we have of Jesus birth was possibly given by Mary herself as a witness to these events to Luke or by someone very close to her.
The shepherds heard the angels proclamation, they checked it out and it was even as they were told by the angels. So they returned to work with praises and glorifying God for what he has already done. They believed that what the angel shared about Jesus the savior.
So last Friday as I held my grandson and looked into his face, I prayed that God would use him to bring joy to the hearts of those around him, as he grows in the fullness of his relationship to Jesus his Savior. I have been struck by how much a birth brings us together as a family, as I waited with my son-in-laws family in the waiting room we were drawn closer together and then bonded together by this shared experience. So it is as we share in the joy of Jesus birth we are bonded together with God and the family of believers.
If anything you have read in this blog has caused you to wonder, and ask questions please feel free to leave comments. I don't care how challenging the questions, I believe the answers to all that can be asked lays in the words of scripture.
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