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“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been
born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will
find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”” – Luke 2:10-12
I was 5
years old, maybe 6 when I first learned this scripture verse. It was a cold winter night in Tecumseh,
Michigan. My parents, brother, sister
and I had all gathered in the living room, curled up under blankets to settle
in for the wonderful movie called, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. I’ll never forget Linus, carrying his blanket
(as always), stepping to
the center of the stage and stating, “I can tell you what Christmas is all
about Charlie Brown.” and then proceeds to quote from Luke 2:8-14, “and that’s
what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.”
I find it
very interesting that God chose the shepherds as the first group of people on
the earth to reveal the birth of His Son.
Sure, the wise men followed a star, but God sent the angels to announce
the birth of the King to the shepherds in the fields that glorious night. He did not send a host of angels to the
royalty, living in palaces or to the Pharisees or Jewish leaders in
Jerusalem. No, He chose a group of
shepherds living nearby to Bethlehem.
In that
day, shepherds were often times uneducated, illiterate and ruddy men living in
the fields at night. They weren’t likely steep in the knowledge of the
scriptures or prophecies, but they were trusting, compassionate and found to be
loyal to their flocks safety and security.
They were employed by the owners of the flocks to defend their sheep
from predators, bandits and other dangers lurking in the deserts of Israel at
night. Typically, there might have been
3 or 4 shepherds per flock rotating shifts throughout the nighttime hours,
varying in age from young teenage boys to old, experienced men.
You recall
God had once before chosen a simple shepherd boy as the anointed King of
Israel. His choice of an insignificant,
humble boy with a heart of love and a fear of the Lord, to lead His people set
a precedent that His love was for all mankind, not just the elite. David, a man after God’s own heart, was
chosen instead of any of his 7 older, stronger brothers. As the King of Israel, he lead God’s people
through trials, wars, abandonment and rejoicing. David was from the city of Bethlehem, and the
ancestry line of Jesus Christ that brought Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem
that very first Noel.
Noel has
French roots and comes from the word natalis in Latin, which means
“birth”. The celebrated birth of God’s
own Son has been debated for years. Was
it in April, September or December has been questioned by skeptics and pundits
in attempts to disprove the event from happening at all. Here again is an example of the human
knowledge and logic getting in the way of the omnipotence and sovereignty of
the Almighty God. Don’t get caught up in
the arguments of what day Jesus was born on, but focus your attention on the
fact that He was born. He was born to
take away the sins of mankind and provide a path of salvation to the one true
God. This salvation is available to all
of us, from the lowliest to the elite; from the illiterate to the
educated. The only individuals left out
of this celebration, and destined for eternal Hell are those that refuse to
acknowledge the divinity and grace of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
©
Sondove Enterprises, 2012For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com
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