DECEMBER 19 A BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT By David Payne
Senior Pastor, Flemings Chapel Baptist Church Adjunct Faculty, Word of Life Bible Institute
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. (Luke 2:17–18)
Practically everyone has seen a birth announcement on social media. There are statistics (weight, date, and time of birth) and photos of the precious baby. We look with interest. Birth is a time to celebrate. Two millennia ago, the first people who came to see Jesus made their way back down the road in Bethlehem. They were simple shepherds from society’s lowest rung. They were so excited about what God had revealed that they couldn’t keep it to themselves. Words overflowed from hearts brimming with the things the angels had proclaimed. They described how the sky went from darkness to blazing light. They spoke reverently of the wondrous child lying in a feeding trough. They marveled at having seen the Messiah. On their way back, these shepherds “made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.” They had to tell such good news. It’s easy to see how this experience became the defining moment in the shepherds’ lives. Face to face with the promised One, these humble keepers of the flock were allowed to see God’s perfect Lamb. Don’t allow the years that separate us from that moment to dampen the wonder. This baby deserved a host of angels to make the announcement. He was worthy of a team of shepherds who looked and listened with awe. Seeing the Lamb turned simple shepherds into eager evangelists.
What the shepherds saw and learned was worth sharing over and over. It still is!
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