Angels, Shepherds and Birth Announcements

-
Play the scene in your mind: angels appear to the shepherds with the divine announcement of the Savior’s birth and the shepherds go find baby Jesus and return to their flocks rejoicing. And that’s it, right? The event is so short that we can encapsulate the whole affair in one sentence. The Nativity scene is burned into our brains. When we slow down and ponder the event, we discover the scene is so incredibly rich.

Luke 2 tells us the shepherds were minding their business when an angel of the Lord appeared, shining the Lord’s glory all around them. The shepherds were terrified! Why? Well, let’s break it down: dark night, bright light where one should not be, an off-subject announcement (who know what they shepherds were discussing, or if they were asleep)—fear seems to be the default response—but don’t stop there. Look and ponder.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, then a multitude of angels. Look at the heritage of these shepherds: Angels guarded the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24); Abraham encountered angels (Genesis 18; 22:11-12); Joshua saw the commander of the Lord’s army armed with a sword (Joshua 5:13-14); the centerpiece of God’s presence in the midst of Israel was the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-20).

There are over hundreds of references to angels in Israel’s past, and this birth announcement to the shepherds (“you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger”) is not the first birth announcement they’ve been able to deliver: they announced the birth of Isaac and Ishmael (Genesis 15-16. Note: 16:11) and Samson (Judges 13:3-5). This means that the shepherds knew this particular announcement was uber-significant; after all, they did not announce the birth of just anyone!
Here’s where it gets really interesting: the angels merely announced the birth, so where did the idea come from to leave the sheep and go find the baby? Did the angel tell them, “Go find the baby”? Actually, the idea came from the shepherds, “the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord made known to us.’” (Luke 2:15) And why not, as this birth-announcement pattern historically produced very notable individuals! And they had good reason to rejoice, having gone (Lk 2:20).

Now, as we continue in the Christmas season, think about the people in your context: they are overwhelmed (I believe I can safely say) with the sights and sounds of the celebration of Jesus’ birth; but, who is going to suggest they leave what they are doing for a time and actually go search out the Savior?

Popular posts from this blog

“Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?”

-
July 2004 I went to Kenya, Africa to speak in two Pastor’s Conferences on the subject of Man, Sin and Salvation. At the end of each day I left just over an hour for questions (half the time were questions touching the subject of my lectures, and the other half for “open questions”; that is, people could ask anything). For the next few weeks, I will be sharing the questions that were asked of me, and my answers—and believe me when I say these people really know how to think! Question from Kenya #1: “Men and women who saw God in the Bible: Why did they not all die?” [“ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live! ’” (Exodus 33:20) was the basis of the student’s question]. Answer: First, consider those who did see God—how did they respond when they saw Him? They were instantly aware of their sinfulness, and God’s holiness and righteousness (to name a few. And notice also that each responded in an attitude of worship, bowing down): Abraham built altars, wors
Read more

A Sonnet

-
“My God, where is that ancient heat towards thee, Wherewith whole shoals of martyrs once did burn, Besides their other flames? Doth poetry Wear Venus' livery? only serve her turn? Why are not sonnets made of thee? and lays Upon thine altar burnt? Cannot thy love Heighten a spirit to sound out thy praise As well as any she? Cannot thy Dove Outstrip their Cupid easily in flight? Or, since thy ways are deep, and still the fame, Will not a verse run smooth that bears thy name! Why doth that fire, which by thy power and might Each breast does feel, no braver fuel choose Than that, which one day, worms may chance refuse. Sure Lord, there is enough in thee to dry Oceans of ink; for, as the Deluge did Cover the earth, so doth thy Majesty: Each cloud distills thy praise, and doth forbid Poets to turn it to another use. Roses and lilies speak thee; and to make A pair of cheeks of them, is thy abuse Why should I women's eyes for crystal take? Such poor invention burns in their low mind Wh
Read more

A Fresh Perception

-
Image
  “In primitive times, when man awakes in a world that is newly created, poetry awakes with him. In the face of the marvellous things that dazzle and intoxicate him, his first speech is a hymn simply. He is still so close to God that all his meditations are ecstatic, all his dreams are visions. His bosom swells, he sings as he breathes. His lyre has but three strings—God, the soul, creation; but this threefold mystery envelopes everything, this threefold idea embraces everything. The earth is still almost deserted. . . . He leads that nomadic pastoral life with which all civilizations begin, and which is so well adapted to solitary contemplation, to fanciful reverie. He follows every suggestion, he goes hither and thither, at random. His thought, like his life, resembles a cloud that changes its shape and its direction according to the wind that drives it. Such is the first man, such is the first poet. He is young, he is cynical. Prayer is his sole religion, the ode is his only form of
Read more