"In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 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, 'Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.'"
Luke 2:8-11
Imagine the little town of Bethlehem on the night Christ is born. It is overflowing with guests and distant relations who have traveled to be counted in a nation-wide census. It buzzes with activity uncommon for such a quiet corner of Israel.
But in the rolling countryside just outside town, a group of shepherds watch over their sheep. The hills are calm but for a cool breeze sweeping the grassland. Bright stars and a slender moon shine overhead.
There are stories of places where the barrier between heaven and earth grows thin, where echoes of eternity seep into the fallen world. This might be one of those places, where drops of heaven mingle with the silver light of evening to rouse a weary and broken land.
But on this night, the barrier is torn in two, and glory pours onto the hillside in full splendor! In an instant, the silent hills are invaded by the deafening, holy sound of angelic worship. They sing the arrival of the messiah, the savior, a baby born this very night not in a palace, but in a barn. This praise has gone on for ages past, but for the briefest moment, heaven touches earth, and these shepherds witness a rapturous worship, unyielding, unceasing, and eternal.
And the angels carry one message: JOY!
Joy for the coming of a Savior. Joy for the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise. Joy, not only for the nation of Israel, but for the whole world. The shepherds do not walk, they run to search for the sign the angels proclaimed: a newborn baby wrapped in swaddling cloth and lying in a manger.
Friends, the joy of that night did not end when the sun rose the next morning; it endures today as brightly as the night Jesus was born and will continue into eternity. This is why we celebrate! As you walk through this season, remember the good news of great joy that is for everyone! The Messiah has come, His work has been completed, and His gift – the ultimate gift of life – is yours forever and ever.
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