After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him.
Luke 2:17
Recently, I’ve slowly have been reading through the events around Christ’s birth in the books of Matthew and Luke. As I revisited this event, I was surprised to learn a few new things.
Bethlehem, which is just southeast of Jerusalem, is near a mountainous area. It is there we find the shepherds tending sheep. Sheep were used during the events of sacrifice in Jerusalem. The animals were of great importance.
As the shepherds watched for any prey which could attack their sheep, a great sight occurred in the dark skies above them. A multitude of angels praising God brought the message, “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.”
The shepherds’ response, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
They left their valuable sheep behind, journeyed the rough terrain ahead and humbled themselves before a newborn Babe. It appears they had no second thoughts to their actions of abandoning their sheep. They hurried down the dark streets of Bethlehem to see the newborn Messiah. Then after their visit with the new born King, they ran to tell all the people of the great news which had been known to them.
What stood out to me was despite the difficulties being at work, in the middle of the night, they followed the angels instructions. Also knowing they were disliked by the culture around them, they did not think twice about sharing the message with everyone. They just went.
I know it’s a busy time of the year for most people. Perhaps, the joy of Christmas has faded due to difficult circumstances this last year. Yet, even today we can be filled with the same excitement the shepherds had on that first Christmas Day. How? Send Christmas cards to unknowing family and friends to announce the great news of Jesus, Christ the risen Savior. Or by telling a loved one of the true Christmas meaning and the greatest gift of all, salvation through Jesus. Perhaps, just opening your Bible and rejoicing in the fact that the promised Messiah has been born!
Share the Good News of Christmas.
Patti Wolf 