We have been studying how Mary and Joseph responded to what they saw, heard and experienced on that first Christmas 2,000 years ago. Today, think with me about how the shepherds responded.
According to Luke 2 they were privileged to see and hear the angelic announcement about Jesus’ birth. In that announcement they were told that the babe who was born in Bethlehem was the Savior, the promised Messiah. He would bring peace to men on whom his favor rested. They could have said that this was a crazy dream or just an imagined phenomenon. But they didn’t. They said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about” (verse 15).
They didn’t waste any time. They left the sheep in the fields, hurried off to Bethlehem and found “Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” Once they saw for real what they had been told they told others, and all who heard were amazed. It doesn’t say anything about anyone else going and checking it out for themselves. They were just amazed.
The shepherds then returned to their job of watching the sheep, but there was something new in their experience. It says they glorified and praised God. There is no record of how the rest of their lives were affected by this experience, but I would not be surprised if they were never the same. They searched, found, shared, glorified and praised God.
Don’t let this Christmas season pass without responding as they did.
