Luke 2:15-20
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger.
17 And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child,
18 and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them
Many times, during the Christmas season, even when intentionally focusing on Jesus, it's easy to get so busy and tired you lose sight of spending time with Him. He can be the "reason for the season" and we still manage to have no time for Him. I'm saying this from running on about seven hours of sleep over the past three days and having to be very intentional with my time/energy/focus. The struggle is real!
Yesterday in Luke 2:8-14, we saw an angel of the Lord appear to the lowly shepherds out in the fields. They were blessed to be the first to hear the astoundingly powerful and amazingly great news, that Jesus, Christ the Lord, had been born! Then they receive details on what to look for so they can go see Him.
So, today we come to their Shepherds' response to this awesome display and news. We find them talking to one another and all saying, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem…". There was no argument, no hesitation, just an agreement to go right now to see the Christ, the Messiah!
In verse sixteen we see them put action to what they've just said as it tells us "So they went in a hurry…". The Greek word used for "in a hurry" is speudō which is the Greek word our English language draws our word Speed from. They were moving quickly to find this baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
In the same verse, sixteen, we see they, "found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby…". The Greek word used for "found their way" is aneuriskō and means to find out by search. They didn't use GPS for the fastest route, they hastened themselves and with speed got to Bethlehem, searched until they found the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, just as the angels had told them. These guys were on a mission, quickly searching, until they found Jesus!
Then we see in verse twenty, when they returned to the fields, glorifying and praising God! They heard the good news, they believed, they came to Jesus, they were changed!
Christian, when was the last time you sought out Jesus with the same passion as these shepherds? When was the last time you heard the good news, heard a good word, then with speed and haste ran to search Him out, to see Him, to talk to Him, to be with Him, then to praise and glorify Him everywhere you go afterwards?
Walking with the Lord goes beyond the meeting place! It is the adventure and blessing of a lifetime, that's intended to go beyond the four walls of the building called church.
Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. May your heart be filled with the joy of being in the presence of our Lord this Christmas Day!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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