Christmas Musings

As I think on the night that our blessed Savior was born and all that was happening in that town of Bethlehem; with the census taking place there must have been a flood of people that filled the town.  All these people and yet God chose to send His angels to make the very first announcement of His son’s birth to some simple shepherds that were watching over sheep in the field.  Shepherds; not the most dazzling of jobs, nor probably the highest regarded by society (though Christ Himself would call Himself the good Shepherd later), but still chosen by God.  

I imagine that the angels greatly anticipated announcing the long awaited birth of Christ that would bring hope to a wicked and dark world.  Oh how the angels rejoice when just one soul is saved, surely the magnitude of joy and praise that would come forth from those same angels at the very moment the One to bring us salvation was born could shake the heavens!  I imagine that at the moment the prophecies of a Savior being born was fulfilled the angels rejoiced greatly and brought that rejoicing to earth as they proclaimed to those simple shepherds “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  
Oh how the joy of the Lord poured out as the sky filled with “a multitude of the heavenly host” as they continued their praise to God!  How the shepherds probably quaked as the angels declared “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.”  A birth announcement like no other!  

The first proclamation of the birth of Christ: not to kings, not to priests, but to shepherds.  God had a reason for choosing these men!  Luke 2:8 tells us a little tiny bit about these shepherds but it is enough for us to know that these shepherds were diligent.  They were not sleeping or slacking, and though their job may not have been the best according to society they were there diligently watching the sheep.  They did not know the significance of the night, nor did they know that anything special was going to happen, they were just doing their job.  “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  When most of the very full town was sleeping, God chose these men to receive and then share the good news.  Just as these men were diligently keeping watch over their flock, God knew they would diligently listen then go and tell all that they could that the Savior was born!

Just as the shepherds were chosen, though not looked upon as the greatest in society, we too are chosen by God to share that Jesus was born and then died for us so that we may have life!  You may not think of yourself as anything special or great but, you are!  You are chosen by God to be a light in this dark world we live in.  At a candle light service on Christmas Eve I watched as, starting from one candle, a fire was shared from person to person until the whole sanctuary glowed.  All this from ONE candle, and in giving its light to other candles it lost nothing, but gave so much and illuminated so many faces.  If only we, obtaining that fire from Christ, could share it with all those that are around us, how many lives could be illuminated!  We may have to step out and go to others, as some had to step out into the aisles at the church to light another’s candle, but it will be worth it.  May we take the Light of Christ and share it with all we can in the time that we have ahead of us.  

Read Luke 2:8-14

Written by: Diana Clements