“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 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
The
story of Jesus’ birth is a delicate balance of the mundane and miraculous.
Jesus was born to two ordinary working class people: a young mother and a
carpenter; his birth, although memorable, was not surrounded by any fanfare; he
was simply wrapped in swaddling cloth and laid in a feeding trough in a lowly
stable in Bethlehem. On the other hand, his birth was prophesied from days of
old and announced by angels. In addition, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of a virgin and visited by kings.
The
story begins in Luke 1 where Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel. The angel
declares to her that she will give birth to a son, that his name will be Jesus,
and that he will be the Son of God:
“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,
Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with Child and give birth to a
son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High.”-Luke 1:30-31.
Mary
stunned by the pronouncement asked how this would be as she was a virgin. The angel declared: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”-Luke
1:35.
Needless
to say, this put Joseph in a very difficult situation. His fiancée has just
been found to be pregnant and he is not the father. Matthew 1:19 captures for
us the heart of Joseph as he considered the situation:
“Because Joseph was a righteous man and did
not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her
quietly.”
But
after he had considered this, he too had an encounter with the angel Gabriel
who told him that the child Mary was carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
she would give birth to a son, they were to name him Jesus; because he would
save his people from their sins.
Mary
and Joseph believed and were obedient to do just as the angel had instructed
them. The shepherds that visited Jesus that night heard the good news announced
by angels; they heard the Word of the Lord and responded immediately.
Matthew
2:1-2 tells us that another group of men recognized Jesus coming when they saw
a star appear in the east announcing the Messiah had been born. These three
magi (kings of the east) travelled hundreds of miles to reach the place where
Jesus was born, so they may worship him.
However,
not everyone responded positively to the good news. King Herod heard from the
wise men that Christ had been born. He confirmed it in the scriptures, but he did
not draw near to worship; instead he sought to kill the child.
The
coming of Jesus was announced by angels, by a star in the sky, by wise men, and
by Scripture! However, when all is said and done, how you hear the message;
whether magnificent or mundane, isn’t as significant as how you respond to it.
A
Savior has been born to you! He came to save you from your sins, all you have
to do is come to Him in faith, repent of your sins, and put your trust in Him.
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