One of the familiar stories of the first Christmas is
that surrounding the shepherds, who were tending their flocks by night. An angel appeared to them, saying: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign
for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a
manger.” The shepherds then went to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and
the baby Jesus.
Even though we’re familiar with this account, it’s the
next part of the story on which I’d like to focus. After they found Jesus, we’re told, the
shepherds made known the saying that had been told them concerning this
child.
Reading this story, in Luke 2, we might understand this
phrase to mean that the shepherds shared with Mary and Joseph the message they’d
received from the angels. However, we’re
told in the next line that all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told
them. This suggests that the shepherds
shared their experience not only with Mary and Joseph, but many others.
What a great example for us, today. We know that we’ve been called to share the
gospel with all people. However, few of
us are faithful in this calling. We’re
typically content to keep the good news of Jesus to ourselves.
Like the shepherds, we too should gladly go and share the
message of Jesus’ coming with those we encounter. As the angel proclaimed, it is a message of
joy for all people. It isn’t intended
for only a select few.
This is especially easy during the season of
Christmas. It’s easy because, even
though it’s often neglected, the reason for the holiday is widely known. And it provides us with a simple outlet to
share the message of salvation. As we
sing the Christmas carols, proclaiming Christ’s birth, and as we recount the
Christmas story, we share the gospel with those around us.
As we look throughout the Old Testament, we see that this
was one of the main purposes for the celebrations God instituted for
Israel. Not only was it a remembrance of
the salvation God had provided them. It
was also a means for them to pass the message on to the next generation and to
others in their community. As they
celebrated their redemption, they shared the good news of God’s salvation.
Even though Christmas is a ripe time for us to share the
gospel, it’s not the only time. This is
a message that we should joyfully proclaim each day. It’s a message we should gladly proclaim that
we might glorify God for what he’s done for us.
And it’s a message we should gladly proclaim that others might hear,
believe, and confess faith in the Savior.
No comments:
Post a Comment