The Shepherds and the Angels; Luke 2:8-18
… And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the City of David a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord! This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
… Suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!”
… When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
… So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
In the immortal words of Dr. Billy Graham, “Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream. It is a glorious reality. It is a time of joy. Bethlehem’s manger crib became the link that bound a lost world to a loving God.”
Wishing you and your loved ones the joy of the season and a very, Merry Christmas!
John