But God chose to bring them into the scene. To whom does HE first announce the New moment? Shepherds! "And
behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were greatly afraid. 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." (Luke 2:9-10, NKJV) "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.” And they came with haste and found Mary and
Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger." (Luke 2:15-16, NKJV)
Make of it what you will, there were no
Pharisees (people admired for their devotion to religious detail) at the
manger! But there were shepherds and
they did not take their time going to see Jesus. “They came with haste.”
Men who normally avoided society, who were used to rejection, who were
obligated to make sure their flocks were safe, took off running to find Jesus!
`
Have you been pushed aside, told that you’re not
worthy of God or His goodness?
Have you concluded that you are beyond the reach of grace because you are too bad, too sinful, too old, too sick, too poor?
People have lots of reasons (excuses) for not responding to God’s invitation to come to Jesus. But, right there at the manger of Bethlehem, He reminds us that we are never too anything to be beyond His love and grace. Jesus Christ is ’ good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’ Jesus found men, ordinary men fishermen, laborers, and said, “Come, follow Me.” They, too, dropped what they were doing. "At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:20, NIV) He changed them into spiritual giants who changed the world!
Have you concluded that you are beyond the reach of grace because you are too bad, too sinful, too old, too sick, too poor?
People have lots of reasons (excuses) for not responding to God’s invitation to come to Jesus. But, right there at the manger of Bethlehem, He reminds us that we are never too anything to be beyond His love and grace. Jesus Christ is ’ good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’ Jesus found men, ordinary men fishermen, laborers, and said, “Come, follow Me.” They, too, dropped what they were doing. "At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:20, NIV) He changed them into spiritual giants who changed the world!
Are you a reluctant disciple (an oxymoron,
really)? Are you eager to follow Him?
Are you a captive of fear, believing the lie
that God does not care about you?
Are you tangled in the troubles of life,
convinced by circumstances that you’re outside of the circle of God’s grace?
Isaiah, moved by the Spirit, wrote an invitation
that still stands - “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and
you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money
and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what
does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul
will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that
your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful
love promised to David." (Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV) "Seek the LORD
while he may be found; call on him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6,
NIV)
Come running!
Don’t stop at the Manger.
Continue to the Cross where love spilled forgiveness, then move to the
Empty Tomb that assures us of our final victory over sin, death, and Hell.
________________
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels.
Yea Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning.
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n.
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing.
O come let us adore Him.
O come let us adore Him.
O come let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!
C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade
Public Domain
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