Journey to Bethlehem: An Advent Challenge

Day 17: Read Luke 2:15-18

Shepherds Hear About Jesus

Luke 2:15-18 continues the shepherds' story. After the angels left the shepherds and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened which the Lord told us about." The shepherds went quickly to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby (Jesus). Jesus was lying in a feeding box, just as the angels had said. When the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone what the angels had said about the child. The people were amazed at the shepherds' words.

In the scripture angels and prophets are the primary source of God's messages to His people. Yes, He spoke to other people directly, but primarily the messages were delivered in the form of angels or prophets. So when the angels told the shepherds about the birth of Jesus and told them to go find him, this was a direct message from God. God was telling the shepherds, through His angels, to find His son and to worship God because of His son. The shepherds heard the news of the angels and chose to obey God. Their obedience brought them to the birth place of the Savior and they were able to experience a new aspect of God. When the shepherds found the family and when they saw the baby the angels spoke of, they decided to share the good news with the family. The shepherds didn't know that angels had already revealed the truth to Mary and Joseph and they wanted everyone to know the good news of the baby. The sharing of the angels' words invited more people into the good news of the Savior's birth and allowed more people to give glory to God.

From this passage we can learn how to be more like the shepherds. First, the shepherds took the directions they were given by God and obeyed them immediately. The angels appeared to them at night and the shepherds were likely tired, yet they still journeyed further to obey God. The shepherds didn't complain about the directions given to them, but instead excitedly acted upon their instructions. Second, when the shepherds found who they were looking for, thus verifying the words of the angels,  they immediately shared the good news that the angels spoke of to them. Their words could have been ridiculed and they may have even be seen as sleep-deprived, but the shepherds didn't allow the potential reactions of others to deter them from sharing the good news. When God gives us a direction we should obey Him immediately and then share the good news with everyone who will listen. The shepherds' decision to share the good news brought many more people into the truth of the Savior's birth.

Journey to Bethlehem: An Advent Challenge

Day 16: Read Luke 2:13-14

Shepherds Hear About Jesus

Luke 2:13-14 states, "Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying: "Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.'"

I believe this passage reveals how God desires us to celebrate the birth of His son and that this should be a model of how we celebrate Christmas. The Angels tell the shepherds two things: first, give glory to God in heaven and second, be at peace with the people who please God. Christmas is the symbol of Jesus's birth and should be a time of celebration. It is through Jesus that our fate is sealed and so Christmas should be full of giving glory to God. Second, Jesus lived His life at peace and this is how God desires we live our lives. Yes, Jesus had enemies, but His philosophy was to turn the other cheek if one of them struck Him. Beyond our enemies we are to love one another and be at peace with our brother. Scripture states that a man who loves God, but hates his brother is a liar because if he can't love his brother, who he has seen, then he can't love God, who he hasn't seen. 

Peace is not easy to achieve or to keep in any relationship because God has made each of us unique, with our own opinions, but peace is what God expects in us. This Christmas let us honor God by praising Him and finding peace in our relationships. In doing this we will fulfill what the angels told the shepherds to do after telling them of Jesus's birth.