December 19, 2024 - Birth of Jesus, Angels and Shepherds

 Birth of Jesus, Angels and Shepherds

Thursday, December 19, 2024

by: Bob Legler

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Key Verse: Luke 2:8-9

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. 

The words of Luke in Chapter 2 bring back many great memories of Christmas celebrations of the past for me. Every year on Christmas eve when I was growing up, my father would read this scripture to our family as we were gathered around the Christmas tree. After he would read the story of Jesus birth we would go to our home church for the candlelight service. Following the service we would return home to my favorite part, opening the presents.

Although I knew the story of Jesus birth, I did not have a grasp of what really happened, or how it happened. I assumed that Joseph & Mary did not make reservations at the Inn so they had to stay with the livestock in the stable. My impression of the stable was not accurate either. I thought that the stable would be like the county fair stable where there was fresh straw, and the livestock was bathed and groomed daily. Really not too bad accommodations. I assumed that Mary wrapped baby Jesus in a clean white blanket like the one I had seen when I went to the hospital maternity ward with a friend to see his new baby sister. In reality, Jesus was born under very humble circumstances. I suspect there was very little clean straw or hay, no white blanket and the odor of manure was strong.

God, the creator of the universe, became human in the humblest of places to very poor (perhaps peasant) parents. Why would God do that? Why didn’t he want to come into the world in a fashion that would make a commotion among the mighty, movers & shakers and religious leaders? Why wasn’t he born into a rich and powerful family that lived in a palace constructed of marble and gold?

I recall a picture taken from the Hubble space telescope that was printed in the National Geographic magazine over 30 years ago. The camera was aimed at the darkest point in the universe, an area the size of a ball point pinhead held at arm’s length. To capture as much detail as possible the lens was held open for 100 hours. The resulting picture was amazing. There appeared galaxy after galaxy. National Geographic editors labeled the picture “Worlds without end.” The same God who created all this chose to be born into a poor family under very meager conditions.

Jesus, the Messiah, did not have a birth that was heralded by the rich and mighty, the wealthy or the religious elite, it was only noticed by shepherds who ranked pretty low on the list of influential people. But the shepherds witnessed a show like no other. They had front row seats that are usually reserved for more notable people. Angels praising God and announcing great Joy for ALL people, the birth of a savior in Bethlehem.

Why would God choose to enter the world this way? Perhaps it was His plan all along, to let us know that He is the Immanuel (God with us) regardless of our individual circumstances, He truly is with us. What a great present God gave us on Christmas!

Prayer for the Fourth Week of Advent - Love: 

"Heavenly Father, may your love inspire us to love one another as you have loved us. Let your love guide our actions and words. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen."

from BibleStudyTools.com