To all we insignificants upon the earth - the Significant God has sent forth His indescribable Gift
Dec 23, 2022 21:57:15 #
"Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,
'Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people:
Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!'" (Luke 2:9-11)
Imagine, momentarily, that you’re a shepherd in the Middle East in the 1st century. Many would say that you are no one of any real significance, for you possess no worldly power and own few earthly possessions. You don’t even sleep in a bed; you sleep on the grass next to your sheep to protect them.
Being a shepherd isn’t a glamorous profession, but it is a necessary one. Especially in this ancient context where sheep are essential for God’s people - not for warm sweaters and blankets but for sacrifices to cover your sins. For every one of your mistakes, mess-ups and hang-ups, sheep (or cows, turtledoves or pigeons) pay the price, your sin debt which you owe to God.
Sheep are born to die, and as their shepherd, you always have job security because there is always a high demand.
But imagine for a minute that one night you awake to a glowing stranger hovering above you in the sky?
"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 2:10)
The angel informs you a baby has been born in a nearby village. This is not just any baby - but, the Messiah, the promised Savior for whom you and your countrymen have anxiously awaited, searched, and prayed during generations that have bridged centuries.
But why you? Why didn’t the angel first tell someone more notable, more worthy, more prestigious? Why a lowly shepherd like you?
You hurry to find a baby not born in a palace to the royal family, wrapped in the finest silks. No, you find a baby in an animal trough, wrapped in simple swaddling cloth, born to a young virgin mother and standing beside her, her betrothed, a carpenter.
You marvel at the scene for the ages that is unfolded before you. An unwed mother, who the law says should have been stoned to death for conceiving a child before the enactment of marriage, and a humble carpenter, who has remained by her side, faithful to the revelation he received in a dream that she conceived via the Holy Spirit's divine intervention, according to God's plan of redemption.
This isn’t the sovereign-magisterial-rule-and-reign image everyone had anticipated of the long-awaited Savior. There’s no awesome display of wealth or power at the birth of the promised almighty King - just domesticated farm animals and disempowered socially insignificants.
Why would such a significant baby be born in such an insignificant way? Why would such significant news be told first to such insignificant people?
Look closely - the symbolism here is as rich as triple chocolate fudge cake with walnuts and maraschino cherries: shepherds beholding the birth of a new lamb, - the Lamb of God; the all-powerful Savior, born to die as a onetime all-sufficient-for-all-time sacrifice..., but not just for the elite upper crust, the rich, the privileged. The Lamb of God came for the dregs of society, for the weak, for the lowly shepherds out in the fields safeguarding their sheep.
The sheep on the hillside were born to die: some as food to nourish someone's body, and others, to be sacrificed as a temporary, eminently repeatable sin covering to blot out someone's specific sin. The Lamb of God, however, was born to die once, and to then rise again to new life, as the complete and final sacrifice, blotting out forever all the sin of mankind, for all those of every persuasion who are willing to believe and accept His eternal pardon.
The most powerful One in the Universe came in the humblest way possible in order that all would feel not excluded, but invited to know Him.
This isn’t just good news - it’s the best possible news anyone can ever receive, the news of a lifetime, for it need only to be heard once, received once, then believed, and acknowledged before men once, for an eternal result.
The shepherds in Luke 2 may have imagined themselves to be of no real significance, just as we are inured to do today... but because of that one most holy night, we are now invited to learn of our significance in the eyes of the most Significant One in the Universe.
This Jesus who humbled Himself for all the world, came to earth seeking and searching out all who are willing to believe, to meet and to redeem each one of us from our own insignificance. The simple details of his birth paint a magnificent picture of His radically inclusive love. Help Him spread this Good News!
Luke 2:17-18, “After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what they had witnessed, and the knowledge which the angel had imparted to them concerning this holy child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished."
"The shepherds couldn’t contain their excitement after seeing Jesus, and they spread His Good News, the word of God's love to anyone willing to listen.
Today, Jesus is still calling out to all who will believe in Him so that they also might share His Good News of God's love with a spiritually lost and dying world.
==================================================================================================================================================
Adaptation from
Proverbs 31 Ministries
'Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people:
Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!'" (Luke 2:9-11)
Imagine, momentarily, that you’re a shepherd in the Middle East in the 1st century. Many would say that you are no one of any real significance, for you possess no worldly power and own few earthly possessions. You don’t even sleep in a bed; you sleep on the grass next to your sheep to protect them.
Being a shepherd isn’t a glamorous profession, but it is a necessary one. Especially in this ancient context where sheep are essential for God’s people - not for warm sweaters and blankets but for sacrifices to cover your sins. For every one of your mistakes, mess-ups and hang-ups, sheep (or cows, turtledoves or pigeons) pay the price, your sin debt which you owe to God.
Sheep are born to die, and as their shepherd, you always have job security because there is always a high demand.
But imagine for a minute that one night you awake to a glowing stranger hovering above you in the sky?
"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 2:10)
The angel informs you a baby has been born in a nearby village. This is not just any baby - but, the Messiah, the promised Savior for whom you and your countrymen have anxiously awaited, searched, and prayed during generations that have bridged centuries.
But why you? Why didn’t the angel first tell someone more notable, more worthy, more prestigious? Why a lowly shepherd like you?
You hurry to find a baby not born in a palace to the royal family, wrapped in the finest silks. No, you find a baby in an animal trough, wrapped in simple swaddling cloth, born to a young virgin mother and standing beside her, her betrothed, a carpenter.
You marvel at the scene for the ages that is unfolded before you. An unwed mother, who the law says should have been stoned to death for conceiving a child before the enactment of marriage, and a humble carpenter, who has remained by her side, faithful to the revelation he received in a dream that she conceived via the Holy Spirit's divine intervention, according to God's plan of redemption.
This isn’t the sovereign-magisterial-rule-and-reign image everyone had anticipated of the long-awaited Savior. There’s no awesome display of wealth or power at the birth of the promised almighty King - just domesticated farm animals and disempowered socially insignificants.
Why would such a significant baby be born in such an insignificant way? Why would such significant news be told first to such insignificant people?
Look closely - the symbolism here is as rich as triple chocolate fudge cake with walnuts and maraschino cherries: shepherds beholding the birth of a new lamb, - the Lamb of God; the all-powerful Savior, born to die as a onetime all-sufficient-for-all-time sacrifice..., but not just for the elite upper crust, the rich, the privileged. The Lamb of God came for the dregs of society, for the weak, for the lowly shepherds out in the fields safeguarding their sheep.
The sheep on the hillside were born to die: some as food to nourish someone's body, and others, to be sacrificed as a temporary, eminently repeatable sin covering to blot out someone's specific sin. The Lamb of God, however, was born to die once, and to then rise again to new life, as the complete and final sacrifice, blotting out forever all the sin of mankind, for all those of every persuasion who are willing to believe and accept His eternal pardon.
The most powerful One in the Universe came in the humblest way possible in order that all would feel not excluded, but invited to know Him.
This isn’t just good news - it’s the best possible news anyone can ever receive, the news of a lifetime, for it need only to be heard once, received once, then believed, and acknowledged before men once, for an eternal result.
The shepherds in Luke 2 may have imagined themselves to be of no real significance, just as we are inured to do today... but because of that one most holy night, we are now invited to learn of our significance in the eyes of the most Significant One in the Universe.
This Jesus who humbled Himself for all the world, came to earth seeking and searching out all who are willing to believe, to meet and to redeem each one of us from our own insignificance. The simple details of his birth paint a magnificent picture of His radically inclusive love. Help Him spread this Good News!
Luke 2:17-18, “After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what they had witnessed, and the knowledge which the angel had imparted to them concerning this holy child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished."
"The shepherds couldn’t contain their excitement after seeing Jesus, and they spread His Good News, the word of God's love to anyone willing to listen.
Today, Jesus is still calling out to all who will believe in Him so that they also might share His Good News of God's love with a spiritually lost and dying world.
==================================================================================================================================================
Adaptation from
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Dec 24, 2022 09:42:25 #
TexaCan
Loc: Homeward Bound!
Zemirah wrote:
color=red "Just then an angel of the Lord st... (show quote)
Beautiful message!
Merry Blessed Christmas to everyone!
MARANATHA 🙏🏻
Dec 24, 2022 15:10:59 #
God bless the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ, as a historical fact, upon all our hearts and minds, TexaCan, -
for we must first believe that He once came to this earth before we can believe in the reality that He will soon return to claim His own!
God bless your family gathering with love, joy and peace in this season, and in the new year to come.
May we all see in our new year a Christian renewal of purpose in fulfilling Christ's Great Commission, as immigrants pour into our land from 150 nations, may His church body recognize God's field as white for harvest.
for we must first believe that He once came to this earth before we can believe in the reality that He will soon return to claim His own!
God bless your family gathering with love, joy and peace in this season, and in the new year to come.
May we all see in our new year a Christian renewal of purpose in fulfilling Christ's Great Commission, as immigrants pour into our land from 150 nations, may His church body recognize God's field as white for harvest.
TexaCan wrote:
Beautiful message!
Merry Blessed Christmas to everyone!
MARANATHA 🙏🏻
Merry Blessed Christmas to everyone!
MARANATHA 🙏🏻
Dec 26, 2022 06:52:25 #
Zemirah wrote:
color=red "Just then an angel of the Lord st... (show quote)
What a wondrous gift! I hope your Christmas was filled with joy and blessings!
Dec 26, 2022 06:53:22 #
TexaCan wrote:
Beautiful message!
Merry Blessed Christmas to everyone!
MARANATHA 🙏🏻
Merry Blessed Christmas to everyone!
MARANATHA 🙏🏻
A belated Merry Christmas to you! ✝️
Dec 26, 2022 13:56:12 #
Rose42 wrote:
What a wondrous gift! I hope your Christmas was filled with joy and blessings!
Thank you, Rose, I return the sentiment... Certainly, our insurmountable gift was sent 2,000 years ago.
Jan 10, 2023 14:15:35 #
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