Jesus Christ is born -- Merry Christmas

Christ has come and Christ will come again

Luke 2:8-20

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 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: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The shepherds were common labourers also. Theirs was not a skilled occupation. They were most likely teenagers or in their early 20’s. They were the overlooked, the unimportant. And to them the angels came. To them was given this amazing story of the arrival of the Messiah. To these unimportant ones, who had no special training, God gave the most important news there has ever been – God is with us – Christ has come.

Loud and boisterous, for how else would teenage guys be, they found the baby, they told their story – and they went back to the sheep singing. Teenage guys singing their praise to God for what God had done.

We are invited into their joy. We are invited to repeat the story they told. Christ has come and Christ will come again.

PRAYER:

Glory be to you, God most high, for sending your Son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. With boisterous joy and grand celebration, we welcome him and we look forward to his coming again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.