Luke 2: 8-20
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 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.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. I love this passage because it's a culmination of the incredible promises of God. While everyday is a great day to reflect on the good things God has done, Advent provides a unique opportunity to dwell on, and be captivated by the miracle of Jesus’s birth. As we finish our short ChristFit Advent series, I am excited to jump into the narrative of the Bible at a pivotal juncture, and highlight a couple of cool phrases we can take away from the story of Christ’s birth, and apply to our lives! 1) “I bring you good news that will cause great joy” I think it’s safe to assume that joy is something we all desire. And I believe joy is something that goes hand and hand with receiving something good; like getting a call that you’ve been selected for that job you've been hoping for, or receiving news that someone's sickness is gone, or hearing your toaster pop signaling your Pop Tarts are done (joke). Jokes aside - good news is often the catalyst for joy. Throughout scripture God continually promises those two things: good that is coming due to his presence, and the resulting joy because of it. Psalm 16- “In Your presence is fullness of joy” John 15- “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Even leading into the Christmas story we see this yet again. Just before you flip to the New Testament, in Malachi chapter 3, God speaks to His people reminding them that He’s still in the business of bringing good news. Speaking through this prophet he foretells of John the Baptist, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.” John the Baptist at his appointed time would deliver good news to Israel. Then God delivers on His promise of joy in a spectacular way: joy because of His presence. The Savior of the World, Immanuel. “God with us.” 2) “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” I’m going to make another assumption - treasuring and dwelling on good things will bring even more joy to our hearts as we continue this season of Advent. In the Christmas story Mary had seen and heard incredible things. For example she received word that her relative was with child even in an advanced age (see John the Baptist). She also received word that she would be the mother of the Savior of the World (see Jesus). She was visited by men of esteem bearing gifts, and lowly shepherds bringing stories of heavenly hosts. Rather than thinking about all these events for just a moment or two then moving on to the next thing, I believe (actually I’m directly inferring from the text) that Mary took time to think about these things, how they unfolded, her God - and His deep love for her, and perhaps pondered her unique role in this miraculous tale of redemption. For just a moment I’d like us to do the same. Close your eyes and just for a minute remember the ways God has been working in your life, good things that He’s continually delivered (whether people, circumstances, or both), and lastly the greatest gift He’s given which is His Son. The visible image of the invisible God - God who became man and dwelt among us. 3) “they spread the word concerning what had been told them” As we wrap up this devotional (and place it in a manger - couldn't help myself) I’d like to take another minute to think about the final phrase, “they spread the word concerning what had been told to them.” The shepherds were most likely minding their own business doing Shepherd things, but how fortunate they were that they would be able to witness not just the starry hosts (pretty notable), but participate in the sharing of God’s good news! My exhortation to you (yes, you!) and myself is this: - We have heard of this good news- which brings joy. - We have even today in the past few minutes, meditated on the good things that God has done, is doing, and will do. But now I want to challenge us this Advent season not to stop there. We all have friends, frenemies, coworkers, family members, classmates, teammates, and just mates with whom we can share all these good things: both how God has worked in our lives, and how he has ultimately bridged the gap between us and Himself, by sending his Son as the sacrifice for the sin that has eternally separated us from Him! Prayer for anyone who may be reading this: -God would give Reader rest on every side this Christmas season. -Reader would bare witness to the ever growing stack of proof that Your promises, God are 100% reliable, and are foundationally sound for us to build our lives on. -Praise because God’s words will ever fail. -Peace because God’s favor rests with us. -Reader would look to You, God for strength. -Reader would seek You, God eagerly, and that we would be found by You.
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