It is all so easy to quickly read the account of the Birth of Christ in Luke 2. It is good to try and place ourselves in the story and wonder how the various characters felt, Joseph and Mary, The Shepherds, The Angels, The Wise Men, The Angels. Each of them must have experienced different feelings and emotions. It’s so easy to be over Christmas, but we should be over the moon about the Nativity events, unto us a son is born, a child is given!
Luke 2 vs. 15-20 – The Shepherds Find The Christ
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
The shepherds needed to see if the birth of Christ was as the Angel had said or something other
Than they had been told, for they were unlikely people to choose to tell this news, they were out
Of the normal society, indeed they were unclean and not the kind of people priests would bother
With, so the shepherds needed to go to Bethlehem and find out what all the fuss was about
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
God is a God of his word, what he announces will come to pass, we can trust him without danger
For he is faithful and just and knows the plans he has for us, they give us hope, a future we can build
The shepherds found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, just as God had said, Jesus was in the manger
It was quite clear to them that what the angel had announced was good news they were ecstatic, wild
They couldn’t keep it quiet, they needed to share it with others, they shared it to all even strangers
For they knew that what they had seen and heard was of God, this indeed was a holy, special child
And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
There are times to be excited about things, sometimes it’s good to ponder them
The power of the Gospel should excite us, for it is good news for the heart
Do we have the passion to share it, for if we do not it will our faith stunt and stem
But in order to share it we need to know God’s word, to ponder it in our heart
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things
They had heard and seen which were just as they had been told.
What is our response to God this Christmas for the gift he to us brings?
Do we take time to ponder anew the birth of Christ, and light it bold
Will we take to heart the words we sing, hark the herald angel sings
Will we acknowledge the new born king, and let him our live mould?
T’is more than the season to be jolly, and to others gifts give and bring
For unto us a child is born, a son is given, sing to him and be bold
Mark Maffey, December 2008
(NIV)