Jesus, Light of the World (12-10-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Luke 2: 15-18
"Let's return today to the Christmas story as it is found in the second chapter of Luke.  After the angels returned to Heaven, the shepherds were once again in the darkness of night.  But somehow the darkness was not nearly as dark as it had been.  Their hearts and minds had been illuminated by the truth of Christ, their saving Light.  They murmured, one with another, over what they had just seen and heard.  Their fear had been replaced with excitement as they considered these words of the angel.

'Today in the city of David  there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you:  you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.'

'A sign for us?  Did the angel intend for us lowly shepherds to go find this baby?' they must have thought.  How excited they were to know that the God the Universe allowed them to be the recipients of this heavenly message, but how much more excited to realize that God was drawing them to Jesus! 

'Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made know to us!'  They delayed no longer and took off in great haste toward the little town of Bethlehem to see if they could find the babe as the angel had described to them.

When at last they found the crude stable where Mary and Joseph and the baby were staying, the shepherds could contain the words of the angelic host no longer.  With great exuberance they must have shared every detail of their unbelievable night.  And in awe and amazement, the proud parents took it all in, gazing with such love at this little One who was the very fulfillment of the proclamations made to the shepherds by the angels.  The small crowd that was beginning to gather in the crude stable wondered at the things that the shepherds were sharing.

These nameless shepherds began the process of evangelizing the world.  They did not keep this good news to themselves, but shared it with those around them, and likely with all who would listen to their incredible story.  As the shepherds must have surely had to drag themselves away from the Child, they returned to their sheep on the hillside with hearts that were overflowing with praise and adoring worship to God for allowing them to be eyewitnesses to the One who would be the Shepherd of their people.  This kind of news would be surely treasured in their hearts forever, but it was not the kind that they would be able to keep to themselves.   They had to share it!  How could anyone contain so great a revelation?

Today, the shepherds are an example for us, not only to consider, but to emulate.  How often we revel in our own salvation, yet feel that sharing the good news with others is just too far our of our comfort zones.  Ask God to restore in you the good news of great joy that once filled your heart, so that you might follow in the footsteps of the shepherds, doing as they did.  Today, challenge yourself to 'go tell' someone of the Child in the manger who became your Savior!

Jesus, Light of the World (12-6-12)

Pin It Originally: How To Add a Pinterest (Pin it) Button to your Blog/Website http://cs-doon.blogspot.com/#ixzz1ryXJUBEC

(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World" in preparation for lighting the Bethlehem candle) 

Luke 2: 8-14

"In the continuation of the Christmas story as found in Luke 2 we see another picture of God bringing light into the midst darkness.  On a hillside somewhere outside of Bethlehem, with only the campfires of the shepherds lighting the night sky, a most unusual event occurred on the night that Jesus was born.  While the shepherds were watching their flocks of sheep, looking for predators that might break into the fold, the entire area was suddenly lit up by an angel of God who was standing in their very midst.  It was nothing other than the glory of God Himself that shone around them.  The angel was not sent to kings or governors, nor was he sent to anyone else of high class.  The angel was sent straight to the hillside where some lowly shepherds were performing their menial tasks.  The glory of God came not only to light the physical darkness; it cam to light the darkness of a particular class of people.  The light came to the ordinary.  I came to the least likely to be favored.  It came to men like you and me.

Just like us, the shepherds' collective response to this angel of light was one of ear, and not just any fear, but a 'shaking in your boots' kind of fear!  Can you imagine the scene? They were greatly startled by this highly unusual occurrence.  They had never seen an angel before,  and they certainly would not have been expecting such a thing.  Their fear, like our fears, would likely have created an even greater sense of darkness around them as they contemplated both this heavenly being and felt the conviction of their own unworthiness and sinfulness.

Immediately the angel addressed their fears and spoke directly of the purpose of his visitation.  'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people.'  It is possible that God sent this angel to a class of people who were not esteemed, for the message to be completely clear.  The good news is for everyone, no matter what family you were born into, no matter how much money you have, no matter what your social standing.  Because this message was for all, we have no reason to remain in any 'status-induced' darkness.  If God would send this news to shepherds, by-passing completely the rich and famous, it is surely for all of as well.  And where were these poor shepherds told that they could find Jesus?  Ina a palace?  No!  He would be found by  them in  the obscure village in a dirty stable, lying in an animals feeding trough!  The would surely be able to relate to such a Savior, their Savior, Christ the Lord, who had come to earth like them, as a baby.

When the shepherds thought that they had surely witnessed the brightest light their eyes had ever seen, more angels from God arrived before them.  This army of angelic beings glorified God and brought to the lowly and frightened shepherds a message of peace.  If you want to experience the peace that the angels spoke of, you must find time in your busy holiday schedule to listen to the message that God  is speaking to you today.  Spending time in the Word, reading and meditating on it, and praying, will please God and bring peace to your harried hearts and souls.  Don't leave Christ out of your Christmas activities.  He has come to you; now it it your turn to come to Him!"