The Greatest Gift Ever Given
As Christmas approaches, I'd like for us to take a look at Luke's often quoted and very eloquent account of the birth of Jesus, and the bringing of the good news to the people. It is found in Luke chapter 2, verses 8-14, and you may remember it as quoted by Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas special, a touching and memorable way in which Charles Schulz brought the true meaning of Christmas to millions of children, many of whom might not otherwise have come to know it. It is a beautiful and poignant narrative of the events surrounding the birth of Christ. So, we'll begin by reading these verses, and then we'll look at them in detail...
Lights,please...
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Let us first notice that shepherds were chosen to receive this news, not the chief priests or elders, as they were not prepared to receive it. The humble shepherds, hard at work keeping watch over their flock through the night, were chosen by God to be the first to hear this miraculous news. Just as Moses and David were shepherds, and were called away to lead God's people, these shepherds were called to bear witness to the unveiling of the greatest gift that mankind has ever received.
"The angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid." This was certainly a terrifying event for the shepherds, as the angel appeared, and the glory of the Lord shone brightly, a heavenly glory, undoubtedly turning the night into day. We are told that the shepherds were "sore afraid", absolutely terrified, as any mortal man, conscious of his own sins and shortcomings, would be in the presence of the heavenly host. But their fear would be short-lived...
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." There is no reason for fear, for the news brought by the angel is most assuredly cause for the greatest joy and celebration, and this news is not only for the Jewish people, but for the Gentiles as well, and for each and every human being born before or since. This is joyous news to be shared with peoples of every nation, every race, every creed, every religion. Those who, in our present day turbulent times, would seek to kill us simply because we are Christians, this news is for them as well. While we must be vigilant in the defense of our nation, our values, and the principles upon which this country was founded, we have to understand that our first line of defense is to "preach Christ, and Him crucified." The joyous and life-changing news of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is to be the battle cry of every Christian, and His love should be reflected in the way in which we conduct ourselves. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44..."Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." So we see, these good tidings of great joy are to all people, and they need to be shared with those who have yet to hear them.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." The angel of the Lord here provides a very complete and detailed proclamation. "Unto you"...the Jews, and then the Gentiles, and then the world..."is born this day"...the day which was appointed since the beginning of the world for the birth of the Savior of mankind..."in the city of David"...just as the time of His birth was foretold, so also the place of His birth was foretold, and all these prophecies have now been fulfilled..."a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." He is born a Saviour, from the beginning, not that He would later become the Saviour. His deity is never in question, from the time of His birth, He is God in the flesh, come to seek and to save those who are lost.
"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." This is certainly not the way that the shepherds would have expected to find the Son of God, to be sure. They might well have expected to find Him in a palace, or in a temple, attended by servants, but this was not the way in which Christ chose to enter the world, or to live His life on this earth. He was "a man of sorrows", of lowly estate, and the only distinguishing factor of His earthly existence was the degree of humiliation that He endured. He chose this degrading life to provide us with the ultimate example of humility, and His willingness to endure it is just another of the myriad of reasons why we should love Him more and more each day.
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." There suddenly appears a heavenly chorus, singing praises to God, glorifying Him for the manifestation of His good will toward men in the sending of the Messiah. Glory to God in the highest for His kindness, love, and mercy in sending His Son to be our Redeemer. He came to bring us into a state of peace with God by giving His life in order to pay the price for our sins, and we should live in a constant state of gratitude. All glory and thanks be to God, for He has blessed us with the greatest gift ever given!
Lights,please...
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Let us first notice that shepherds were chosen to receive this news, not the chief priests or elders, as they were not prepared to receive it. The humble shepherds, hard at work keeping watch over their flock through the night, were chosen by God to be the first to hear this miraculous news. Just as Moses and David were shepherds, and were called away to lead God's people, these shepherds were called to bear witness to the unveiling of the greatest gift that mankind has ever received.
"The angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid." This was certainly a terrifying event for the shepherds, as the angel appeared, and the glory of the Lord shone brightly, a heavenly glory, undoubtedly turning the night into day. We are told that the shepherds were "sore afraid", absolutely terrified, as any mortal man, conscious of his own sins and shortcomings, would be in the presence of the heavenly host. But their fear would be short-lived...
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." There is no reason for fear, for the news brought by the angel is most assuredly cause for the greatest joy and celebration, and this news is not only for the Jewish people, but for the Gentiles as well, and for each and every human being born before or since. This is joyous news to be shared with peoples of every nation, every race, every creed, every religion. Those who, in our present day turbulent times, would seek to kill us simply because we are Christians, this news is for them as well. While we must be vigilant in the defense of our nation, our values, and the principles upon which this country was founded, we have to understand that our first line of defense is to "preach Christ, and Him crucified." The joyous and life-changing news of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is to be the battle cry of every Christian, and His love should be reflected in the way in which we conduct ourselves. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44..."Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." So we see, these good tidings of great joy are to all people, and they need to be shared with those who have yet to hear them.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." The angel of the Lord here provides a very complete and detailed proclamation. "Unto you"...the Jews, and then the Gentiles, and then the world..."is born this day"...the day which was appointed since the beginning of the world for the birth of the Savior of mankind..."in the city of David"...just as the time of His birth was foretold, so also the place of His birth was foretold, and all these prophecies have now been fulfilled..."a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." He is born a Saviour, from the beginning, not that He would later become the Saviour. His deity is never in question, from the time of His birth, He is God in the flesh, come to seek and to save those who are lost.
"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." This is certainly not the way that the shepherds would have expected to find the Son of God, to be sure. They might well have expected to find Him in a palace, or in a temple, attended by servants, but this was not the way in which Christ chose to enter the world, or to live His life on this earth. He was "a man of sorrows", of lowly estate, and the only distinguishing factor of His earthly existence was the degree of humiliation that He endured. He chose this degrading life to provide us with the ultimate example of humility, and His willingness to endure it is just another of the myriad of reasons why we should love Him more and more each day.
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." There suddenly appears a heavenly chorus, singing praises to God, glorifying Him for the manifestation of His good will toward men in the sending of the Messiah. Glory to God in the highest for His kindness, love, and mercy in sending His Son to be our Redeemer. He came to bring us into a state of peace with God by giving His life in order to pay the price for our sins, and we should live in a constant state of gratitude. All glory and thanks be to God, for He has blessed us with the greatest gift ever given!
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