"That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will be great joy to all people. The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others -- the armies of heaven -- praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." (Luke 2:1-14)
Merry Christmas (Eve)! Today is one of the most joyous days of the year -- salvation has come! How shall we respond?
Angels from the Realms of Glory
(James Montgomery)
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang Creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship,
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
What a message the angels delivered to the shepherds on that day! They proclaimed "good news" and "great joy". But their message was not a passive one; the announcement was an open invitation: come and worship.
"When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them." (Luke 2:15-20)
In case you are interested, this is a search for "angel" in Bible Gateway. They are pretty busy!
Shepherds in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the Infant Light:
Come and worship,
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
The shepherds responded to the angel's message; they went to the town and found the baby. They worshipped. And they proclaimed! Everyone heard. We are called to come. We are called to worship. We are called to share the good news of great joy with all people. Ours is not a secret to be kept. Ours is a revelation to declare.
"Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.' King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, 'Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?' 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they said, 'for this is what the prophet wrote: 'And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a Ruler will come from you who will be the Shepherd for My people Israel.' Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, 'Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find Him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship Him too!' After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2: 1-11)
Sages, leave your contemplations;
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star:
Come and worship,
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
The wise men had studied the stars. They were waiting for this sign. And when it came, they traveled a great distance to come to see the new King. They worshipped. At the feet of a poor baby, they worshipped and presented gifts worthy of a king.
This is fascinating--do you think they felt silly? Can you imagine kneeling before a baby? In humble circumstances? Can you imagine what the people thought and said as this caravan of men came into town and brought kingly treasures to this simple, humble family?
We are likewise called to respond. We have been given the King of Kings. We are called to come. We are called to worship. We are called to present our greatest treasures to the King.
Many "sages" spend a lifetime studying and contemplating the "truths" of the universe. They sit, think, study, argue, deliberate. But they never respond.
Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord descending
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Today we watch and wait; the Lord will return. Until then, we worship.
"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still 'today,' so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ." (Hebrews 3:12-13)
- What type of response does God want from you? from me?
- How will you respond? How will I respond?
Heavenly Father,
How can we even begin to say Thank You for Your most precious Gift? You have given us Your all! We give You ourselves. Here I am, Lord.
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