Nov 22, 2017
by Pastor Bob Babcock
Luke 2:8-20
Perhaps one of the most glorious aspects of the birth of Christ is that He came into this world, not by a prestigious, upper class lady but by a lowly, modest, commonplace woman. It was not a glamorous, pretentious entrance into this world, but a simple birth in a stable. Add to that, the announcement of “the good tidings of great joy” was not proclaimed by the angel of the Lord to the aristocracy of the land but to common country shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night. The scripture tells us that the shepherds did three things: in faith, they went with haste and found Mary, Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. Then they made it widely known what was told them concerning this child. Lastly, the scripture says that they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
The theme in this Sabbath Recorder is “Rejoicing in Action.” It seems only right that we consider the reactions of some of the first people who were privileged to hear of the birth of the Savior of the world. We can see that they didn’t just revel in the fact they were chosen to be the recipients of the Good News. They went and saw for themselves. Rejoicing and praising God they then shared with others what they had been told. What a perfect example of what should be the response of every believer — not only rejoicing in the knowledge that our Savior has come but also making it widely known.
At Christmas time the easy part for Christians is the glorifying and praising God that the Savior has come for all mankind. However, that is only half of the equation, isn’t it? If our faith is genuine, how can we not then go into all the world and preach this gospel to every creature?
