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 15: Read Luke 2:8-12

Shepherds Hear About Jesus

Luke 2:8-12 recounts how shepherds were told about the birth of Jesus. The night of Jesus' birth there were shepherds in a nearby field that were watching sheep. An angel of the Lord came to them in the field and stood before them. The glory of the Lord was surrounding them, which made them frightened. The angel told the shepherds not to be frightened because he was bringing them good news, "Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord." The angel told the shepherds that they would know it was Jesus because they would find him wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feed box. 

Jesus' birth could have been announced to kings or priests, yet instead it was announced to shepherds. Announcing His birth to a king may have caused His destruction, as we saw when the wise men told King Herod about the star they were seeking; while telling the priests would have been met with much speculation, as we can see in Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees during His 3 year ministry. Wise men were already seeking a star that they believed would show them the place of the Savior and so did not need an announcement. However, the shepherds or common people were the ones who most needed a Savior. The shepherds were not rich, but their hearts were humble and ready for a Savior. Again, we see that humbleness is rewarded. 

The shepherds are told exactly how they will find the baby in order that they would know it was Him.  This is important because Jesus wouldn't have been the only baby born in Bethlehem and the humbleness of His birth would have led people to conclude He wasn't their Savior. Again, the specific information given is crucial to verifying the authenticity of the news the people are receiving. The shepherds can confirm it was truly good news and this was their Savior based on the accuracy of the angel's description when the shepherds found Jesus. The authenticity of the angel's words are going to produce faith in the shepherds and this faith will restore their relationship with God. The humble beginnings of Jesus' birth and announcement to the shepherds nearby is only an indication of the glory God is going to demonstrate through His life. 

Journey to Bethlehem: An Advent Challenge

Day 11: Read Luke 1:39-45

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-45 reveals an encounter Mary had with her relative Elizabeth after Mary found out she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Mary, having learned her relative Elizabeth was pregnant although she was very old, rushes to a town in the hills of Judea. Mary greets Elizabeth and at the sound of Mary's voice Elizabeth's unborn child jumps within her. Elizabeth is then filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims, "God has blessed you more than any other woman, and he has blessed the baby to which you will give birth. Why has this good thing happened to me, that the mother of my Lord come to me? When I heard your voice, the baby inside me jumped with joy. You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord said to you would really happen."

This short passage tells us a lot about Mary and the experience she is going to have. Mary, upon hearing her relative's good news, goes to her relative to celebrate with her. She could have stayed in Nazareth and reveled in her own good news, after all God was going to bless her with her own baby, but instead she chooses to share in her relative's blessing. Mary doesn't tell Elizabeth what the Lord said would happen to her, but instead celebrates her relative. This action shows her humbleness and willingness to let someone else shine brighter. The Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth and it is then that Mary's news is revealed to Elizabeth. Elizabeth's revelation reveals that Mary is going to give birth to the Lord. Previously it was understood that the baby would be a part of God, His son, but this confirms that He will in fact be God. Elizabeth states that Mary is blessed because she believed the Lord when He spoke to her His will for her life. 

From Mary's story we are able to learn three things. First, humbleness is a character trait that God desires. We are human beings, which means that each of us is different in our areas of strengths and weaknesses. This means that no one can really be a better human being, in other words having a reason to hold themselves above others, because no one is perfectly strong in every area of life. Mary had a reason that we just don't have, she was carrying God's son, but she didn't allow that reason to change who she was, a human being. We are not responsible for our success, God is, and for that reason we should be humble about ourselves. Second, Mary heard good news about a relative and went to that relative to celebrate with her. Scripture says that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and be sorrowful with those who are sorrowful. Instead of focusing on herself, Mary chose to think of her relative and express her congratulations in person. Third, the Lord blesses us when we believe what He has said. Mary believed the Lord when He said she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and as a result He blessed her. The news Mary was given was not something that was easy to believe and yet she trusted in the Lord to such a degree that she believed something that was unbelievable.