Merry Christmas

Good evening y'all!  I hope and pray that this post finds y'all healthy, happy, and joyfully awaiting the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.   As we nestle down and get settled in for the evening, I know there is a lot of last minute stirring of Christmas preparations.  Packages, cooking, tucking children in for the arrival of Santa Claus tonight.  Lots of fun will be had by children of all ages.  From 1 day old to 100 years old, Christmas is still a wonderful time of the year.

I wanted to take the time to remind all of us of the true meaning of Christmas.  The One birth that truly changed the world.  I just hope and pray before Christmas is over we will all take the time to read Luke's account of the birth of Christ.

Luke 2

Christ Born of Mary

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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,  And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

I love Luke's account of the Birth of Jesus Christ.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to who?  Get this, the sheep herders, the lowest of the low.  Everyone looked down on the shepherds.  Look at verses 9 and 10.  The Angel of the Lord appeared before the shepherds!  The greatest announcement the world would ever hear, God chose to make that announcement to the shepherds!  God didn't make that announcement to the heads of states, or to the people that thought they were of great importance, or even to the "religious" crowd.  God made that announcement to the common, low, uncared for people.  Why?  Because they needed Hope!

If the birth of Jesus Christ would have been announced to the heads of state, Caesar Augustus and others, the common people would never have heard that they, too, had hope.  We ALL are included in verse 10!

What did the shepherds do in verse 15? They went straight way to Bethlehem to see exactly what the Angel of the Lord had spoken of.  They searched out the Babe.  They did not stop till they had seen with their own eyes what the Angel had spoken of and about what the multitude of heavenly hosts was praising God for.

Get a good grip of what the shepherds had just seen.  The Angel of the Lord appeared to them; the multitude of heavenly hosts had praised God right in front of them; and Christ Jesus in a manger.  We can get a glimpse into the number of the multitude of heavenly hosts.  A heavenly host is a number that is as numerous as the stars in the sky, now multiply that by whatever a multitude is!  Multiples of the numbers of the stars in the sky.  I don't know what your take away is from this scene, but I have come to the conclusion that the shepherds were pretty special for God to allow them this miracle.

You know what, God loved the shepherds and He proved it, by announcing to them what His plan and intention was.  God loves us and He proved it, by including us in verse 10.  I hope and pray as you read this account of the Birth of Jesus Christ that you can see yourself in verse 10, "good tidings of great joy which will be to "all" people".  Take a real close look; you, my friend are included in the "ALL"!!(writtenby:pjg12-24-13)

Merry Christmas, Y'all and on earth peace, goodwill to all people!  Hugs and much love to all, Patty