Bonnie Alba
Shepherds spooked by angels
By Bonnie Alba
We experience information overload on a daily basis in our twenty-first century world of technological advancement. Unless we turn it off — we do have that choice — we are constantly exposed to instant news around the world.
Bombarded by slanted and biased news, we can never be sure we've received all the facts. This morning's coverage is pushed off the page by evening in the wake of the newest events taking place. Most of it we forget or only vaguely remember a week later.
The news of a birth 2000 years ago didn't receive wide-spread reporting. Yet that story lives on and continues to inspire the hearts of men. His name is Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God. As a baby born of humble circumstances, he lived and was exposed to all the things men have in common, good and bad. Yet he remained perfect. A simple carpenter, his story has survived whatever has been brought against him.
So who heard the news of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem if TV, radio, or the internet didn't exist in those days? There was one small group to whom God chose to announce the grand event. You might call them the reporters of the day.
Simple and devout shepherds were watching over their flocks in fields outside Bethlehem. Maybe the shepherds had gathered to catch up on local news. Or maybe they were going to take turns that night watching for predators or thieves coming to steal their sheep.
**************
Let's imagine ourselves in the sandals of these shepherds: (From Luke 2:8-20)
It's just another ordinary night, the sky bright with stars. Possibly we were discussing the crowds in Bethlehem who had come from far and wide for the census and to pay taxes.
Suddenly the starry sky changes in an instant. What is it? The light is different. As we stare upwards, an "angel of the Lord appears to 'us' and the glory of the Lord shone around 'us,' and 'we' were terrified."
In that split second, there is complete and sheer terror. No time to grasp what was happening or even comprehend; our bodies trembling, our hearts pounding. We felt an urge to run, find the nearest cave, hide. For surely this is not good!
Then the angel speaks, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby in a manger." (Luke 2:9-12,NIV)
Our fear and shock turned to amazement while our minds wanted to deny what was happening to us. As if to produce further evidence that this was God's angel, the heavens opened and a chorus of angels joined the primary angel praising God and singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."
When the angels were gone and the night sky returned to normal, still shaking in our sandals, we talked about all that had happened. We decided to go to Bethlehem "to see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." Investigative reporters?
We found Joseph and Mary at the stable and the baby Jesus lying in a manger, just as the angel had told us. Possibly we shared our wondrous experience with Joseph and Mary while gazing upon this special child.
We were so excited by all that had happened to us and seeing the baby Jesus, we ran through Bethlehem's streets telling all whom we met about this event. "...and all who heard it were amazed." I suspect a few were thinking we shepherds were nutty as fruitcakes. Drawn back to the manger and to our sheep, we were "glorifying and praising God for all the things 'we' had seen, which were just as 'we' had been told." Our lives were changed forever by the miracle of a baby's birth.
*****************
The shepherds were the reporters. In a few hours this miraculous event was broadcast throughout Bethlehem. People from afar would return to their towns and villages and spread the news of this wondrous event.
Today's editors would probably have relegated this story to the "Strange & Weird" briefs.
Each year, we celebrate and rejoice at Christ's birth reminding us that our Savior lives even now and continues to point the way for all mankind to the biblical Creator-God, His purpose and plan recorded in His Word — an eternal history — past, present, and future. Good News indeed!
Merry Christmas!
© Bonnie Alba
We experience information overload on a daily basis in our twenty-first century world of technological advancement. Unless we turn it off — we do have that choice — we are constantly exposed to instant news around the world.
Bombarded by slanted and biased news, we can never be sure we've received all the facts. This morning's coverage is pushed off the page by evening in the wake of the newest events taking place. Most of it we forget or only vaguely remember a week later.
The news of a birth 2000 years ago didn't receive wide-spread reporting. Yet that story lives on and continues to inspire the hearts of men. His name is Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God. As a baby born of humble circumstances, he lived and was exposed to all the things men have in common, good and bad. Yet he remained perfect. A simple carpenter, his story has survived whatever has been brought against him.
So who heard the news of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem if TV, radio, or the internet didn't exist in those days? There was one small group to whom God chose to announce the grand event. You might call them the reporters of the day.
Simple and devout shepherds were watching over their flocks in fields outside Bethlehem. Maybe the shepherds had gathered to catch up on local news. Or maybe they were going to take turns that night watching for predators or thieves coming to steal their sheep.
**************
Let's imagine ourselves in the sandals of these shepherds: (From Luke 2:8-20)
It's just another ordinary night, the sky bright with stars. Possibly we were discussing the crowds in Bethlehem who had come from far and wide for the census and to pay taxes.
Suddenly the starry sky changes in an instant. What is it? The light is different. As we stare upwards, an "angel of the Lord appears to 'us' and the glory of the Lord shone around 'us,' and 'we' were terrified."
In that split second, there is complete and sheer terror. No time to grasp what was happening or even comprehend; our bodies trembling, our hearts pounding. We felt an urge to run, find the nearest cave, hide. For surely this is not good!
Then the angel speaks, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby in a manger." (Luke 2:9-12,NIV)
Our fear and shock turned to amazement while our minds wanted to deny what was happening to us. As if to produce further evidence that this was God's angel, the heavens opened and a chorus of angels joined the primary angel praising God and singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."
When the angels were gone and the night sky returned to normal, still shaking in our sandals, we talked about all that had happened. We decided to go to Bethlehem "to see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." Investigative reporters?
We found Joseph and Mary at the stable and the baby Jesus lying in a manger, just as the angel had told us. Possibly we shared our wondrous experience with Joseph and Mary while gazing upon this special child.
We were so excited by all that had happened to us and seeing the baby Jesus, we ran through Bethlehem's streets telling all whom we met about this event. "...and all who heard it were amazed." I suspect a few were thinking we shepherds were nutty as fruitcakes. Drawn back to the manger and to our sheep, we were "glorifying and praising God for all the things 'we' had seen, which were just as 'we' had been told." Our lives were changed forever by the miracle of a baby's birth.
*****************
The shepherds were the reporters. In a few hours this miraculous event was broadcast throughout Bethlehem. People from afar would return to their towns and villages and spread the news of this wondrous event.
Today's editors would probably have relegated this story to the "Strange & Weird" briefs.
Each year, we celebrate and rejoice at Christ's birth reminding us that our Savior lives even now and continues to point the way for all mankind to the biblical Creator-God, His purpose and plan recorded in His Word — an eternal history — past, present, and future. Good News indeed!
Merry Christmas!
© Bonnie Alba
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(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
