Celebrating Christmas IV

Shepherds were once honorable men of God: Abraham, Moses, David. However, from historical accounts, by the time of Christ being a shepherd was not a noble profession. They had become thieves, their word was not trusted, they were spiritually unclean and restricted from entering the temple. Their profession was less than honorable, no one living around Bethlehem was less likely to be invited to see the birth of Jesus than shepherds. So, why did the angel come to the shepherds? God knew they would be converted to a mission that others would not. They were called of God to bring clarity to the Christmas Story.

CELEBRATION began with great fear as they met “the angel of the lord,” whom they knew single-handedly killed 185,000 sinful men (2 Kings 19:35). This angel calmed their fear with a message of joy, that these reprehensible men would witness the birth of their long-awaited Messiah. Our celebration should begin with the fear of the Lord and culminate with great joy in our salvation.

CELEBRATION stood in awe at a heavenly celebration with easily “more then twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53). Thousands of angels, in the heavens, on the hills, as far as the east is from the west! Our celebration should be no less magnificent, with Christmas lights as far as the eye can see.

CELEBRATION sent them “with haste” to the feet of their Savior. They had received the message of hope (2:15) and now responded to this message (2:16), and would relay this message (2:17-28). Our celebration with lights, gifts, feasts, etc. must be in such a way that it relays the message of hope to our lost world.

CELEBRATION “returned” them to their homes and workplace; returned means “converted.” They did not simply return from Bethlehem; they returned converted with a mission! They returned with a message of hope for the hopeless, “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.” Our celebration must go on for 365 days after Christmas, carrying the message of hope for the hopeless. Why? At salvation we were converted with a mission to share the Gospel of that babe in a manger, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Just as the celebration of the angels overflowed from the heavens above into our earth below, our celebration will overflow from our world into the heavens above as souls get saved!