As you read the Christmas story in Luke 2:8-20, it is amazing to see how God’s birth announcement about His Son. God spoke through an angel and a big celebration ensued. There were shepherds out doing their job late at night, and suddenly a whole host of angels appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” Wow! Now, that is an announcement!
If you read the Christmas story there in Luke 2, you see the shepherds responded to this announcement from God in three ways. First they said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off…” Luke 2:15-16. They joined God in what He was doing. I often wonder why others did not show up. Obviously with “a whole host of angels,” there were a lot more than just these shepherds that saw this. But, these were the only ones who responded. Why? Maybe people were busy. Maybe people were fine with their own traditions and did not want to change (think about the religious leaders who were only 7 miles away in Jerusalem – they knew the Old Testament prophecies, but they didn’t respond – even when the Magi showed up a little later, they didn’t go to Bethlehem – hmmm. Sometimes we are comfortable). But, these shepherds went.
This Christmas, we can get caught up in a lot of things going on in our culture and maybe even miss Jesus. We can become focused on elves, Santa, trees, lights, and other customs of cultural Christmas and put all our energy and attention there. These things can be fun, but don’t spend more time highlighting these things in your heart and home than you do Jesus. It is CHRISTmas. The shepherds focused on Jesus, and I pray we will as well.
Maybe for you, it is creating some new traditions. In our family, we read the Christmas story before we open gifts each year as a simple reminder of what CHRISTmas is all about. We also make an ornament to hang on the tree that has a spiritual highlight for each one of us from the year – one of our children being baptized, a mission trip, a special verse for the year, or a spiritual highlight. This is a great way every year when we put up our Christmas tree to look back at God’s faithfulness and see Jesus through it all.
The second thing the shepherds did was, “they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about the child, and all who heard it were amazed…” Luke 2:17-18. We have such a great opportunity today to “spread the word” about Jesus. Did you know that more people will come to church at Christmas or Easter than at any other time of the year? If – if they are just invited. We have incredible opportunities to invite people to church to hear about Jesus with every Sunday morning, Sounds of Christmas, Christmas Eve, and more.
We can also spread the word about Jesus by giving, serving at the Wrapping Station, and telling people we wrap gifts for free because God first gave His Son for us. It is simply our way to give back His love. Also, the Red Envelope. We give gifts to everyone else at Christmas, so why don’t we give a gift to Jesus? It is His Birthday we celebrate. This year’s Red Envelope will go for a permanent home for our Columbia campus and our work through JMI with precious orphan and vulnerable children in Moldova. What better way to spread the word?
Finally, the shepherds “returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…” Luke 2:20. The shepherds did not stay at the manager – as awesome as they would have been. They went back to their homes, families, jobs, and life. But, they were returned different – “glorifying and praising God.” Glorifying God that He had invited them into His story. Praising God that they had been with Jesus.
For us, Christmas will be special. In fact, I pray it is your best Christmas yet as we grow in love for God and for others. But, we won’t be able to stay at Christmas. January will come. So, for us, will be different because of being with Jesus this Christmas? Will we allow the weight and grace of God to so fill us that we return to our families, friends, homes, and jobs different because we have been with Jesus? May God transform our hearts and lives like He did a bunch of shepherds.
May we truly see Jesus this CHRISTmas.
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