Advent Devotional Week 3

The Good News that Changed Everything

December 16, 2012

Luke 2:8-14

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

The first to go see the Messiah are shepherds.  Shepherds aren't clean.  They do not smell good.  They are not highly respected an influential parts of society.  They aren't wealthy or powerful.  Yet they are the ones to whom the angel appears.  The Lord chose to give the greatest message the world had ever know to everyday people that the world tended to overlook.  God sees what the world does not.  The message of the Lord is for all people, including those that the world does not value.  The things of heaven are sometimes best seen in the most humble of people and places.

The shepherds were terrified.  This is a common and natural reaction to an angel’s appearance.  They did not consider themselves worthy of the message the Lord was giving them.  Yet they listened.  When the angel says not to fear, they did not debate the point.  They heard the Good News and did not run away from what God had for them.  How many of us have run away from the Good News?  We ignore, avoid, disconnect, or rationalize away the things of God far too often.  Simply by staying and listening these shepherds heard an angelic concert of praise.  Who else has ever heard such a thing?  How beautiful and life changing must that have been?  Are we missing the message God has for us?  Let’s listen this Christmas.