Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Spirit of Christmas
Saturday, December 27, 2003
My Prayer Today
Dear God, Just as the shepherds went back to their fields after they went to see Your Son, I am getting ready to go back to my routine before long. I ask that You would allow for your Holy Spirit to change my life in such a way, that when I go back, I won't be the same as before. I don't want to dread going back to my routine, but go forth in praise and worship to you. Help me to do everything by your power and might. I need your grace to help and sustain me. I ask that You make your glory known in my life so that I can be a blessing to others. Thank you Jesus for coming into my world so that my world can be changed. I want to live everyday for you. Give me the grace to do this. I ask these things all in Your name... 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 did the shepherds do after they went to see the baby in the manger (verse 20)?
When they left, where were their flocks (verse 20)?
What were they doing as they went back to the fields? Why were they doing it?
Questions for Exploration
According to verses 11-12 when the angel spoke to the shepherds, and verses 16-20, was everything true that the angel said?
Was seeing the child more important to the shepherds than tending their flocks?
Compare the shepherds response as the went back to their fields (verse 20) and what the angels were doing when the host appeared to them (verse 13-14). What similar thing were they doing?
Questions for Understanding
This story begins with the angel's praising the Lord, and ends with the shepherds going back to their fields praising the Lord. What do you think our response should be to the Christmas message?
Does praise allow for the Spirit of Christmas to continue?
The shepherds did have to go back to work, and so must we, but were they forever changed by what they just had seen and heard? How so?
How has the Christmas story affected you, now that you are getting ready to get back to your routine?
Questions for Application
What is your regular routine (your field to go back to)? How will knowing and encountering Jesus affect the way you do your work? List 3 different things that you can do when you get back to your routine, that will demonstrate the Spirit of Christmas -- love -- toward others?
Are you coming away from Christmas the way the disciples went back to their fields? If not, why?
Thoughts and Reflections
In Luke 2:20 it says that the shepherds went back to their fields "glorifying and praising God..." It is interesting that this is the exact way the host of angels appeared to the shepherds in the sky! Throughout this Christmas story that we have been reading this past week, praise and worship has played a significant role in all of it. Likewise, praise and worship must be a significant aspect of our lives as we continue to move back toward our regular routine. Sometimes we seem to forget that the shepherds still had a job to go back to after the went to see Christ in a manger. But it is interesting that the sheep appear to have been left in the fields (verse 20), while they went to see the child. This reveals that to the shepherds, worshipping Jesus took priority over their jobs and routine. Nevertheless, the did go back to their fields that night. And so must we get back to our own "fields" and begin to get back to our daily responsibilities. Yet, the shepherds did not go back to their jobs the same as the night before. They went back glorifying and praising the Lord. It is often hard to adjust back to "normal" life after a vacation or after a change of routine for a week or two. The shepherds only had less than one evening to be with the Messiah, and yet their lives were forever changed. I am sure that night as they sat again in their fields, praise and worship continued late into the night and continued evening after evening. Unfortunately, we today get so caught up with our jobs and routines, that we do everything BUT praise and worship the Lord. One may say, "it is one thing to sit in the field and do nothing but watch sheep, but I have a more demanding task to do." Therefore, we logically rule out opportunities to praise and worship the Lord. Somehow we have equated praise and worship to literal singing. It does involve that, but it also means going back to our jobs and routines so that we can do them with all of our might to God's glory. We go not back to a life that is without hope, but because of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, we have eternal hope of being with God in heaven. That fact alone should produce praise within us. And this is all possible because of Jesus. As we journey towards another year, and go back to our own "fields", let us go forth like the shepherds -- glorifying and praising the Lord for what He has done!
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.