Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Heart of Christmas
Sunday, December 7, 2003
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the truth of Your word, whether it is the Gospel of John presenting Jesus’ coming as the fulfillment of Your plan to send the “divine logos” to earth in human form, or whether it is Luke’s Gospel, which reminds me of Jesus’ humble beginning in the stable in Bethlehem. I pray that as I read Your word today that You will impart Your Holy Spirit to me that I may not only understand, but also do Your will. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Verses
Luke 2:8-20
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15When 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.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Questions for Reflection
If you had been one of the shepherds out in the fields on that first Christmas night, how do you think you would have responded to the angels’ news? What would you have done?
What is the most difficult aspect of the Christmas story for you to understand?
Questions for Exploration
What do we learn about angels from reading today’s Scripture? (8-15)
What was the shepherd’s response to the angel’s message? (15-20)
How did others respond to the shepherd’s message? (18-20)
Questions for Understanding
If an angel is literally a “messenger,” in what sense can the shepherds in today’s Scripture be considered “angels”? In what sense can we be “angels” during this Christmas season?
How does today’s Scripture address the universal nature of Jesus’ salvation to those on earth who trust in Him?
Question for Application
What is the most important action you will take as a result of reading today’s Scripture?
Do Not Be Afraid!
One of the striking realities of God’s messengers—angels as we call them—is that every time one appears, people are terrified. The angel Gabriel had to tell Mary, “Don’t be afraid,” and the angel who appeared to the shepherds had to do the same thing. Remember, shepherds often faced wild animals and thieves as they watched their fields by night, so these weren’t “wimps,” and yet the mere appearance of an angel terrified them. Interesting that beings who spend the vast majority of their time in the presence of God are terrifying to humans! Most likely it was the unexpected nature of the appearance that caused a great deal of the fear. Undoubtedly, angels must also have a radiant countenance since we’re told that the glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds when the angel appeared. In any case, the first words uttered by the angel were, “Do not be afraid!” Fear plays a major role in our lives. Fear keeps us from attempting many things that God would have us do (and not a few things that He would have us NOT do!) Thus, fear can be a positive or a negative, but the Bible understands fear most often as a negative. In fact John, the apostle, told us that God’s perfect love “casts out fear.” If we are fearful at this time for any reason—life circumstance, relationships that seem strained, school or work situation, we may find comfort in the angel’s words to the shepherds—“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…” For ALL the People! Amen!
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