Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Spirit of Christmas
Sunday, December 21, 2003
My Prayer Today
Dear God, thank you for making yourself known to me! Thank you for sending Jesus into this world so that I could have the hope of having an extraordinary life. Help me to look for you this week in the routine events. I ask that you would reveal to me Yourself and Your glory. Help me to see Jesus in a way this Christmas, that I never have before. Just like the shepherds heard the good news and saw with their eyes the Savior of the world, let me see with the eyes of my heart, the message of what Christmas is all about. Thank you for not being silent. Give me ears to hear, and eyes to see Your glory and Your goodness. And help me to share it with others. Thank you Jesus for coming to this world to be my Savior! Help me to live my life this day, and this week, in a way that pleases you. In your name I pray. . . Amen.
Bible Verses
Luke 2:8-20
8 "That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others -- the armies of heaven -- praising God: 14 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.' 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' 16 They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to thema bout this child. 18 All who heart the shepherd's story were astonished, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said."
Questions for Reflection
What were the shepherds doing when the angel of the Lord appeared to them (verse 8)?
Why would the angel appear to the shepherds of all people?
Why were the shepherds terribly frightened (verse 9)?
Questions for Exploration
In a court of law in those days, the witness of a shepherd was disregarded because of their social status. They were assumed to be unreliable sources. Was this a significant reason why the angel of the Lord appeared to them? If so, why?
If the angel appeared to the ordinary shepherds (low class people by their society's standard), what significance is this in how we look at the way God works and reveals himself? How does God look at class or social structures in order to reveal Himself, and make Himself known?
The fact that it was night and nobody else was around, to the village person, would the shepherd's story about the angel be reliable? Was God concerned about this issue? Why or why not?
Do you think this event changed the shepherd's life in any way? How so?
Questions for Understanding
Can you remember a time in your life where the glory of the Lord was evident? How did you feel? Did you hear anything from the Lord? Has that changed your life in any way?
The fact that God would choose reveal himself to "ordinary" shepherds in the field, shows Gods concern for the disregarded people in society. He took ordinary people, and gave them an "extraordinary" experience and testimony. When God first revealed His Son Jesus to you, how did he do so? How was this event "extraordinary" in your life?
Later on, do you think the shepherds talked much of this event to each other, or to some of their friends? Should we be willing to talk to each other and our friends about when we first heard the "good news" of Jesus? How can you do this today?
Questions for Application
If God makes Himself known to shepherds of all people about the message of His Son's birth, do you think He wants to make Himself known to you today? Do you think He wants to reveal His glory to you today?
What as the angel's response to the shepherds when they were afraid (verse 10)? Should we be afraid of God speaking to us? Why not?
Just as God showed himself to shepherds who were going through their regular routine, how can you look for God in the ordinary experiences of your life?
Thoughts and Reflections
It was just an ordinary night, in an ordinary village, around ordinary people. But it was a completely "extraordinary" event. Luke 2:8 records that shepherds were gathering in the field watching over their sheep. This was routine, there was nothing unusual about doing this activity. They did it every night. The shepherds were probably talking together and maybe looking at the stars, when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them. As recorded in verse 9, it says "the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them." Now the shepherds were looked down upon in society. They were one of the "lower" classes of people in their culture, and because of this, their testimony was considered irrelevant in a court of law. But God chose to reveal himself to people who were disregarded to reveal that the "good news" of Jesus' birth is not simply for the rich and powerful, but also for the poor and weak as well. How blessed these shepherds were to have God chose them of all people! That God would reveal himself to ordinary people in a set of circumstances that were not unusual on any given night. God is in the business of taking "ordinary" people, circumstances, and things, and making them "extraordinary." In fact, He loves to make his glory know to the simple, the weak, and the humble, because they do not get confused as to whose glory it is! As we come to celebrate the birth of Jesus this week at Christmas time, we sometimes can forget the ordinary circumstances by which these extraordinary things happened -- the angel's visiting shepherd's is just one example of this. This event, no doubt, changed the lives of the shepherds who witnessed the angel's message, and the Christ child in the manger. I am sure in the years following this, they had a hard time keeping their mouths shut as to these events, irregardless of whether people took them seriously. Because when God's glory changes you, it is hard to keep quiet. The beauty of the moment the angels spoke to the shepherds was so special, that over 2000 years later we are still talking about it! I am sure that day, God the Father was smiling with delight, in revealing His Son to the world. There was a big world to reveal this to, but he chose some shepherds sitting in a field near Bethlehem. Although they were initially frightened, the angel responded "do not be afraid." Many times we today are also afraid of God revealing himself to us. But God delights in making himself known to us. And sometimes it happens in the ordinary daily events we face. As you come to celebrate Christmas this upcoming week, look for God in the ordinary events of you life. Look for Him in the routine, and you will come to discover, that though you cannot fully see, His glory and his angels are all surrounding you. And He still desires to reveal to you the "good news" of His Son Jesus Christ -- not just as a baby in a manger, but also as a risen King. And when this happens, you cannot keep quiet. For His glory and His word changes us, and we must share it with others. Let this week be a time were you look for Him in the ordinary, and when He reveals himself, share it with others. For Christmas is a time when He shared Himself with us.
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.