This must have been an exciting time for the angels – Heaven was abuzz with anticipation. During this season, we see the greatest amount of angelic activity: visiting Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.
Luke 1:38Mary said, ”I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever He wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
Luke 2:10-11the angel reassured them. ”Don’t be afraid!” he said. ”I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem!”
The angels proclaimed that hope had come, echoing the truth that ”When a miracle comes in the form of a child,” everything changes. Imagine being used to announce that Jesus was on earth!
THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE SHEPHERDS
Luke 2:8-15That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them. ”Don’t be afraid!” he said. ”I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem! How will you recognize Him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: ”Glory to God in the highest heaven,” they sang, ”and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.” When this great army of angels had returned again 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.”
This was surely a night different to other nights for the shepherds. The shepherds experienced an extraordinary night:
An angel appeared to them.
The landscape shone with God’s glory.
An angel had spoken to them.
A host of angels sang.
The shepherds, though humble and overlooked, were chosen to be the first witnesses of Christ’s birth, experiencing the truth that ”One Child can change the world.” The greatest night was to be a night to which the shepherds were invited.
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