Share the Good News – December 24, 2021

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:13,14

Share the Good News

Of all the events in the Bible, I think I most would have liked to witness the night the angels appeared to the shepherds. Can you picture the scene? It was a quiet evening with the shepherds perhaps gathered around a fire. It was dark, and the clear sky enabled the stars to shine brightly. The sheep lay sleeping nearby. Suddenly, the sky filled with the light of hundreds perhaps even thousands, of angels. Anyone who saw it surely would have described it as breathtaking and awesome.

Luke writes that this experience filled the shepherds with joy. Can you imagine their thinking? “It’s happening! He’s finally here! The Messiah promised for centuries has come!” Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is the answer to prayer, the fulfillment of prophecy, and the basis for our hope. His coming here and accomplishing his work of salvation is our guarantee of eternal life in heaven.

To see the angel’s announcement of our Savior’s birth would have been amazing for sure. But it would also have been great to see the Shepherd’s reaction The amazed expression on their faces. Their excited shouts of joy. Their adrenaline pumping as they ran off to spread the fantastic news.

Is that your reaction to Jesus? We are certainly tempted to take the message of Christmas for granted because we have heard it all before. It is easy to quickly forget the importance of what happened on that first Christmas. I imagine those Shepherds did not so easily forget what they saw.

God bless you as you worship your Lord and Savior tonight. May you also be filled with awe that God would keep his promises. May you also be filled with joy and a desire to share the good news of your Savior’s birth. While we were not there to see the angels, we can be just like those shepherds and spread the good news of our Savior’s birth wherever we go.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, bless my worship of you tonight. Like the shepherds, fill me with joy at the birth of Jesus and move me to share the wonderful news of his birth. Amen.