Luke 2:15-20
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.” 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 the 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. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Devotion
No doubt the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth had a profound impact on the lives of the shepherds. They must have thought, “Who are we that the Lord would choose to reveal the birth of His Son to us?” Always being looked down on because of their societal position, they no doubt felt loved by God. Their first reaction is to go and check out what they had been told. It didn’t take them long to discover the baby and His parents taking shelter in a stable.
What happens next is also amazing and unexpected. After seeing with their own eyes the fulfillment of God’s promise, they began to spread the word concerning what they had heard and seen. This is unexpected because of their position in society. Shepherds would have kept to themselves. It is very unlikely that you would see shepherds running around town making a lot of noise. Yet, that is exactly what they did. They were so overwhelmed by what they experienced, they just had to tell everyone who would listen.
Just as God showed His love toward them in revealing the birth of His Son, they showed the same love toward those who despised and rejected them because of their societal position. They proclaimed the birth of Jesus, and everyone who heard them were amazed at what the shepherds were saying. Today, we are the messengers of this amazing story. It is our privilege and honor to proclaim the Good News about Jesus to a world that despises and rejects the Christ of Christmas.
Questions to Ponder
Who is in your top three? Who will you share the Good News of Jesus with this Christmas? What do you think it means when the Scripture says, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”? How will you reclaim Christmas this year by loving ALL of God’s creation?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.