And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” — Luke 2:8-12
An antagonist to our faith once asked me, “How many of your angels can dance on the head of a pin?” My reply was equally as sarcastic and I said, “More than your small sized brain could ever comprehend!” Needless to say, I didn’t win a hearing for the gospel that day! I believe a better question to ask however, would be “How many angels in heaven sang “Glory to God in the highest,” on the day that Christ was born? I can answer that one with confidence — “all of them!”
Shepherds were common in Israel. There were groups all over the hillsides around Jerusalem. The raising of sheep was an important part of their economy. An angel of the Lord appeared to a group of these shepherds as they were watching over their flocks at night. They were just a few miles outside Bethlehem. They were terrified, of course, as you and I would have been, as the glory of the Lord lit up the sky around them and they learned that the promised Messiah had been born.
I tried to imagine what that must have been like. The extreme darkness of the Judean night and then suddenly a bright light that must have lit up the whole sky and countryside for an instant or two—or more. The angel called this proclamation, “good news of great joy.” What’s your level of joy today as you are reminded of this truth? Christmas day is coming when we will celebrate our Savior’s birth once again. Is “good news of great joy” what this day means to you? I hope so. For the reason for our celebration of Christmas, is the celebration of the birth of our Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lord.
Before I go let me tell you about a festive event that will be held in Belen, New Mexico on Saturday, December 13, from 4:30-7:30 PM. It is a five-block live outside street presentation of the events leading up to and including the birth of Jesus and is being done by local area churches. It’s called Follow the Star to Bethlehem and you will be treated to a spiritual journey to celebrate the birth of our Lord. It’s free and refreshments will be served along the way, including posole and hot chocolate. Join us in Belen (which in Spanish means Bethlehem) on Saturday, December 13.