Glory to God in the Highest! 

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Scripture text:  Luke 2:8-20

Near the town of Bethlehem there were shepherds protecting their sheep from danger in the darkness of night. Their lives were about to take a turn from anything they could have ever expected -- when suddenly an angel appeared to them and the glory of the Lord was all around! The angel sensed that they were afraid and said to them “Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (Luke 2:10-12)

 

And then just as suddenly, a heavenly host began to praise God saying:

 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

  (v. 14)

 

Once the heavenly host had gone back into heaven, the shepherds immediately decided to go and see for themselves what the Lord had made known to them about the babe.  After searching for Him they found Him, lying in a manger just as the angel had said. 

 

The shepherds didn’t waste any time in leaving from there and telling the Good News of all they had witnessed that evening.  They glorified and praised God for all the things they had seen and heard.  It was probably a story too miraculous for some to believe, but many did. 

 

Can you imagine what those simple, most likely uneducated men would have felt like after such an eventful night?  Once they had collected their senses, they no doubt talked amongst themselves as to why God would decide to reveal such a message right there in the midst of a bunch of sheep and ordinary men as themselves. 

 

The awesome thing about our Heavenly Father is that He sometimes chooses men and women who are ordinary and even uneducated to give others a message of hope.  The shepherds told all they knew and that message gave a message of salvation and deliverance.  It was one that was life changing for many lives from that night on and throughout all eternity.  The people in the village had waited many years for their blessed Messiah to come and finally He was born to them that night.  Their hope had not been in vain and it came all wrapped up in swaddling clothes. 

 

Did Jesus come in splendor and majesty?  I think not!  After all He was born in a stable in the midst of hay and smelly livestock. You know, God sometimes chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise!  (I Cor. 1:27) The King of Kings and Lord of Lords laid down the grandeur of heaven to give hope and healing to His people when He came to the earth that holy night. 

 

God chose ordinary people such as the shepherds, Mary and Joseph.  He also chose a simple, ordinary stable for His Son to be born and He was anything but ordinary.  He came by ordinary means so that people from all around the world might come to Him and not be afraid.  He was ordinary with exception!

 

This ordinary society we live in is trying its best to downplay the birth of our Savior and His miraculous conception. They have done their best to trample over a hymn that has been with us for years -- Silent Night -- re-writing it with frivolous, meaningless words for elementary school children to sing. But nothing can change the beautiful story of our Savior’s birth and what it means to all who believe in Him.  Nothing can change the fact that Jesus Christ our Savior still saves from sin and delivers us from ordinary, worthless lives and will make us into daughters and sons of righteousness -- lives that are anything but ordinary. 

 

  Psalm 24:7 (NIV) Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted

up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

 

 

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for all You have done for us by sending us Your Son, Jesus.  I praise You Father because we can feel comfortable in coming to Him if we will only trust Him who is gentle, loving and kind.  There is nothing to be afraid of and nothing to fear.  Thank You that there is nothing You will not do for us if we will come before You humbly and as a little child.  You will touch our lives in ways that we cannot even imagine.  We can do nothing on our own, but we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.  Thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sins.  He was born to die for us.