THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JOY

“While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.’”  (Luke 2:6-12 MSG)

Christmas is more than lights, gifts, and traditions -- it is the announcement of joy breaking into a weary world. The shepherds, ordinary men keeping watch in the dark, were the first to hear the angel’s proclamation of a “great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide.” This joy was not dependent on circumstances, wealth, or status. It was rooted in the arrival of Jesus, the Savior who came to bring peace, hope, and reconciliation.

Joy at Christmas is not fleeting happiness; it is the deep assurance that God has come near. In Christ, we discover that joy is not something we manufacture -- it is a gift we receive. Even in seasons of difficulty, the presence of Jesus brings a joy that sustains and strengthens. 

– Adapted from BibleStudyTools at Crosswalk.com

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THE SHEPERDS’ RESPONSE

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’ 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.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” (Luke 2:8-20 NKJV)

The greatest brightness of the whole birth narrative comes in the shepherds' response. You see, had the shepherds only heard the message and gone back to sheep tending, we would think they were foolish. Had they found a baby and then gone home with a satisfied knowledge, we might consider them extremely fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. Yet, what they did was greater. They proceeded to tell everyone around them, everywhere they could go, what they had heard and seen; and then they praised and glorified God for it all. The shepherds took on the role of the angels themselves, new messengers of salvation and good news; and in doing so, they extended the light of God's loving Word far beyond where it might have gone otherwise that night. The light of this news, this new day, was carried far and wide; and all who heard it were amazed and still are.

As we hear the shepherds' story, we find our task as the followers of Christ this Christmas. That is, we are called to bear the light of the news of the coming of Christ to this world, to carry the brightness of this gospel… The extent of this light is only limited by our self-limitation and unwillingness to share the message, or lack of faith in believing that the message is that profound, that world-changing… Who do you know who needs the light of Christ's love offered to him or her? 

-- Randy Cross in “Born to Save: An Advent Study Based on the Revised Common Lectionary” 

#6018

WE SEE JESUS

"But we do see Jesus… now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”  (Hebrews 2:9)

"But we do see Jesus….” This is the first time the book of Hebrews mentions the personal name of Jesus. All along the way, we knew who the author was talking about, making references to God’s Son, but now we also see His name: Jesus.

So now we can also focus on the person of Jesus. In saying His name, we think of His human nature; we think of Jesus as a person.

Jesus became a human being, lower than the angels for a while -- but only until He entered again into the full glory of God in heaven. He was lower than the angels for a specific purpose: to suffer death and to “taste death for everyone.” In Philippians 2 the Bible speaks of Jesus humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross. Here the writer of Hebrews points out that Jesus was made lower than the angels “for a little while” so that He could suffer death for us. As a result, He is “crowned with glory and honor.”

Jesus, God’s Son who is superior to the angels, was made lower than them for a while so that He could suffer death for us by the grace of God. And now and forever we, who were once lost, see Jesus. God’s Son, Jesus, our Savior, lowered Himself to taste death for our sake so that we would not have to fear death and suffering.

-- Brian Kuyper, from the blog “Today”

#4822

THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHEPHERDS

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’”  (Luke 2:9-11)

According to Luke's gospel, the angelic annunciation of the birth of the Savior of the world came not to important dignitaries or kings, but to shepherds tending their flocks in the middle of the night. While the recipients of the message were certainly important to God's plan, equally so were the sheep they watched.

We can trust that God had a specific purpose for this shepherd audience, and the work they performed suggests the reason. These men, who watched the sheep meant for the slaughter, received a divine message about the ultimate Lamb who would take away the sins of the world through His death and resurrection. 

-- Adapted from “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” by Alfred Edersheim


#4492

THE JOURNEY FORWARD

"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared."  (Exodus 23:20 NIV)

The One who sets the course of this road, and whose entry into it defines the way forward, is the same who walks beside us, flesh of our flesh, God with us. Therefore, we can trust without reservation a journey whose future turns we cannot see.

-- John S. Mogabgab, from "Editor's Introduction" of WEAVINGS JOURNAL, Nov/Dec 2001. © 2001 published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.

#3857

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY

The angel told us to expect joy, remember? On an ordinary night, the shepherds were gathered out in the fields, minding their own business and tending their flocks. And then the angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Can you imagine? Imagine being at work one evening only to have the glory of the Lord show up right in front of you. Wow!


Then the angel speaks: "Do not be afraid; for, behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people." (Luke 2:10) Jesus, God's own Son and our Savior, has been born in Bethlehem. Great joy! For all people. The angel knew from the very beginning: Jesus's arrival in the world brings joy. So too does His arrival in your heart and in your life. With Jesus living in you, unspeakable joy takes root. The very same joy that the angel shared with the shepherds on Christmas evening.


-- Allen R. Hunt in Nine Words




#3783

HARK, THE ANGELS

Too often... we ignore the role that angels play. Many Christians are afraid that talk of angels will distract from the power and majesty of God. And many others have a hard time taking angels at all seriously. But as John Calvin has said, "The angels are the dispensers and administrators of the Divine beneficence toward us; they regard our safety, undertake our defense, direct our ways and exercise a constant solicitude that no evil befall us."

Like it or not, angels are important players in the drama of salvation. Isn't it time we paid a little more attention to these powerful and loving allies that God has given us?

-- Ann Spangler in An Angel a Day

 
#2888

THE FRIENDSHIP OF ANGELS

The angels are a part of God's ingenious provision for us. Because they are so passionately in love with God, the angels are perfectly conformed to His will. Whatever God tells them to do, they do. Whoever God loves, they can't help but love. Because God cares for us so deeply, we can claim the wonderful friendship of angels.

-- Ann Spangler in An Angel a Day


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