"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."
When Jesus was born, a great company of angels announced his birth. He was the Son of God, after all—he deserved a grand entrance into the world. They sang a glorious song, and they must have looked amazing as they shone in the night sky.
But the angels announced the Savior’s birth to a group of peasant shepherds. They were not a very grand audience to receive the King of all nations, “the Messiah, the Lord.” Nevertheless, the birth of Jesus was announced to lowly shepherds.
It’s fitting that the birth of Jesus was announced to a lowly group of people. The purpose of the Messiah’s coming was to bring God’s love to lowly people like us and to fulfill the hopes and dreams of lowly people like us. The purpose of Jesus’ coming was to restore lowly people like us to relationship with God. So the shepherds were just the right kind of people to hear this news.
The world desperately needs God. We desperately need God. But no matter how hard we try, we cannot get to God on our own merit. The good news of Christmas is that God has come to us. The good news of Christmas is that in Jesus the hopes of the world are fulfilled.
As you spend today getting ready for your church's Christmas services, pause and remember—in all we communicate, let’s make this good news the focus of our Christmas celebration!
Pray
Dear God, with the angels, we give you glory and praise. With the shepherds, we thank you that by your grace you have come to lowly people like us in the birth of Jesus. Amen.
This devotional is adapted from a December 2016 Today devotional written by Rev. Rebecca Jordan Heys. Today is a daily devotional that helps God's people refresh, refocus, and renew their faith through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer. Church Juice and Today are part of the family of programs from ReFrame Ministries.
