Christmas Eve: The Christ Child
"And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them." - Luke 2:15-20, ESV
Advent is coming to a close tonight. The journey has taken us through the Hope of waiting, the Peace of Christ, the Joy of anticipation, and the gift of Love. And tonight the question is how can we worship the Child tonight. Let's look at the first to worship Christ: the shepherds.
Luke records in the 2nd chapter of his Gospel the events surrounding the birth of Christ. We are told of lowly shepherds, watching their flocks, when an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and gave them a message of startling news, that The Christ was born, in Bethlehem, and laying in a manger. After this amazing news, that single angel was joined by "a multitude of the heavenly host", who continued to startle the shepherds with the news and with glorious praise for God. But it's the response of those shepherds that we look at tonight.
They could have easily fled, leaving their flocks. How many of us, if we were greeted the way these simple shepherds were, would not flee in shock and disbelief? But they didn't do that. Instead, they agreed together to walk to Bethlehem (perhaps they walked quickly, since the passages states they "came with haste"). They found Mary and Joseph, and because of how they were told to identify the Christ, they found the newborn Jesus. While Luke's Gospel doesn't clearly state that the shepherds worshipped the newborn Christ, the act of seeking out the child, with haste, and then returning to their fields glorifying God for what they saw, could be considered worship.
When we approach the manger, where the child lays, how shall we worship the newborn King? I think we can take an example from those shepherds, who were humble in their approach, yet full of curiosity and wonder. We can worship the Christ Child, with humility in our hearts, with the hope of salvation, with the peace that passes all understanding, with joy that fills our hearts, and with the love of God for not only the Christ Child, but for all men.
Merry Christmas.
Follow John's Advent journey here on his blog, johnscoffeehouse.blogspot.com, or on Facebook,
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