Scripture: Luke
2:15-18
When
the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying
to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing
that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they
came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay
in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the
statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who
heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
Insights: Today’s verses show us two dynamics
of the shepherd’s obedience. The first
part is the time frame in which the shepherds respond. They stated, “Let us go straight to
Bethlehem.” Just as yesterday I remarked
you will never convince me the angels did not sing their praises to God, I
would say the same kind of thing in regards to the shepherds. I do not think that a single shepherd said,
“Hey guys, it’s okay, I will stay around and watch the sheep. You guys go on into Bethlehem and see this
baby the angels just told us about.” I
believe every one of them headed off to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. They risked their livelihood to see the
wonder of God. The second part of their
obedience deals with what they did after they saw the baby Jesus. Notice that the verses state, “And all who
heard.” Remember earlier in the week we
discussed how there was no room in the inn for Joseph and Mary. When she had the baby, it is more than likely
that it was only the two of them present.
Yet, after the shepherds see the Christ child, they go out and proclaim
the good news the angels spoke to them and all heard and wondered about the
things the shepherds said. In other
words, proclamation was reverberated all across the area. Beloved, the shepherd’s response is exactly
what our response ought to be. We need
to immediately obey whatever the Lord tells us to do and we must also be about
the proclamation of the gospel. This
kind of response is what pleases the Lord.
Let me encourage you to be faithful and obedient right now today.
Questions:
- Who
have you recently told about the saving work of Jesus?
- What
is holding you back from being a bold witness for our Lord Jesus?
Prayer: Father, I pray
You bend me to Your will and grant me boldness and courage to proclaim the
truth of the gospel to a dying world. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment