Thursday, December 25, 2014
Christmas Day
Luke 2:15-18 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
RUN WITH THE SHEPHERDS TO THE SAVIOR!
Do you remember growing up and hearing mother call you home for supper? If you were really hungry or if it was your favorite meal, did you run home as fast as you could? I remember doing this, and it makes me imagine how the shepherds "came with haste" to see the Babe lying in the manger. They didn't walk, they ran with haste to see the good news the angels had just told them about, news about the Savior of the world! News worth running to see!
When's the last time we "ran" to hear it? Is the angel's message old news? Has the Child "gotten old" and lost the wonder? It's time to go to Bethlehem again! It's time to see this promise which has come to pass, that our Lord God has revealed and gifted to us!
But there's another reason to be running with the shepherds too. Just as we run to the manger to see Jesus our Savior, we RUN from the manger like the shepherds did to tell everyone! Let's run to tell others about our Savior's birth so that they too will marvel at His arrival!
To Bethlehem straight th' enlightened shepherds ran
To see the wonder God had wrought for man
And found, with Joseph and the blessed maid,
Her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid;
Then to their flocks, still praising God, return.
And their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.
(John Byrom, 1749, The Lutheran Hymnal, 84:4)
