God’s Sign (Point to Christ-Day 2)
OPENING PRAYER:
Father, we thank you for your precious gift of a savior, told long ago: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel,” Isaiah 7:14, NIV.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:12, NIV
REFLECT:
Shepherds were thought to have represented the lowest levels of society when recounting the story of how the Lord sent the angel to share the birth of Jesus with them. Isaiah 40:11, NIV, says “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Many times, in scripture, the Lord is portrayed as our shepherd. Then how appropriate is it that God sends the “good shepherd – Jesus Christ” to the earth and tells these men about it first. They would be in for the shock of their lives!
Imagine, for a moment, the day these ordinary shepherds were having. They were tending sheep quietly on a mountain side. No other people were present, save a few fellow shepherds and bleating sheep. Everything seemed very normal, and these men certainly had no warning of anything different for this day. Then, suddenly, an angel appears! Talk about extraordinary! After the angel shares what is recorded in Luke 2:12, the next thing described in Luke 2:13 and 14 is equally mesmerizing: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” No wonder the writer of Silent Night portrays the shepherds in the second chorus like this: Shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar; Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia.” What do you suppose ‘quaking’ might look like? We can almost hear their knees knocking together as they stand in the presence of the heavenly host!
APPLY:
The Shepherds’ reaction was to go immediately to Bethlehem and see the Christ child! What then is our next move? No, we haven’t had the heavenly host appear to us and sing glory to God in the highest, but we have heard the good news ourselves! Jesus Christ the Savior of the world has come and is still looking to redeem people today! Romans 5:8, NIV, says “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We know that Jesus not only came as a baby but lived as a righteous man. He then became the perfect sacrifice, giving his life on a cross as atonement for our sin and shame, making the way for eternal life for us if we will believe in him.
Just as the manger was a sign to the shepherds of the birth of Christ, we too should be signs of Jesus to the world! Matthew 5:16, NIV, may sum it up best: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
CLOSING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, use me as you did the shepherds who went to tell others about the Christ child. You said, “whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, NIV). Make me an instrument of extending your saving grace to the lost today. Amen.
WORSHIP: