Christmas Day
And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child (Luke 2:16-17).
At Christmas, God did not only move earth, but He also moved heaven. The only witnesses to the birth of Christ were Mary and Joseph. They alone experienced the coming of the Son of God into the world He had made. There was no one with them when the King of kings and Lord of lords was born. Thus God, who had the power to direct Caesar’s decision to move the people of the world, moved heaven. He was not going to allow the birth of His Son to go unnoticed. God sends His angels to announce the birth of Jesus. He may have used the greatest ruler on earth to ensure that the incarnation would fulfil His ancient promises, but He does not tell kings, princes, or even priests that Jesus had been born. No, He tells local shepherds, who become the first witnesses of the Good Shepherd.
When I first saw the “Shepherds Fields” just outside Bethlehem, I must confess I was disappointed. They were so ordinary. I’m not sure what I expected, but ordinary is what I got. The fields were not much different to the stony fields with scattered sheep I knew on the Pennine Hills in Lancashire. Yet, to such an ordinary place, the angels came. Earth did not know of the birth of Immanuel. But the angels were full of the wonder of God’s glory, love, grace and peace. They challenge our hearts. What can we do to convey God’s love to this world? Christmas is about the power and reality of Christ entering into a world full of need – need which He alone can meet.
The message the shepherds received was about good and joyful news which reached out to everyone. God’s unchanging message of salvation is centred in the person of His Son. The Saviour was born. The mistake of religion is the belief that we can, in some way, reach up to where God is. The Gospel tells us that God came down to where we were, to lift us up to where He is. Jesus experienced the poverty of the manger, the obscurity of Nazareth, the rejection of His people and the suffering of Calvary to show us the heart of God and to redeem us.
No wonder the angels said, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (v. 14). These words are the themes of Christ’s life. He alone glorified God and He alone, as the Prince of Peace, brings peace to our hearts. To find Christ, we need a simple faith and a lowly mind. It was with such an attitude the shepherds came to see the Child Jesus. The shepherds were the first invited visitors to see the Good, the Great and the Chief Shepherd who had entered His creation. And they did not hesitate to share the good news. There was no confusion or doubt in the hearts and minds of the shepherds. They had seen angels, and they had seen the Saviour in a manger. Faith, and only faith, sees the majesty and humility of Christ. Faith results in worship and service. This is the example the shepherds give us. They saw the child and then spread the good news. May God, who moved earth and heaven to glorify His Son, move our hearts this Christmas Day to worship our Saviour and to share His love.
