Glory To God

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

(Luke 2:13-14)

Meditation

A baby was born over two thousand years ago, wrapped in swaddling cloth, laid in a manger, and they called his name Jesus. That was the single most important birth in the history of the world. His time on earth was approximately a scant thirty-three years but he is co-eternal with the Father, without beginning or end. His first advent on earth was not as a judge but as a servant and a savior. He came, not to condemn sinners to hell, but to redeem them from that awful place. He came, not to conquer and rule, as was befitting the King of kings, but to suffer and die. He came, not for the rich and powerful, but for the poor and humble. He came to save us, not condemn us. He came to sacrifice himself for us, not to be sacrificed to.

Why would God choose to share the greatest news ever told to shepherds, the virtual dregs of Judean society? Why didn’t the angels appear to King Herod, or better yet, the Caesar in Rome? Did the angels make a mistake? Did they bring the good tidings to the wrong people? No, they came to exactly who God wanted the news to be delivered to, the poor and humble. The shepherds we obviously humble because they did just what the angel had instructed them to do. They went into Bethlehem, found the baby just where they were told he would be, then proclaimed the good news to all the people. In other words, God wanted his good news to be spread among the common people, not the high and mighty. We were meant for this message.

The most wonderful thing is, even though he died on the cross and was buried, he’s not still in the grave; he is raised from the dead! That’s not just a wonderful thing for Jesus. That’s what gives us hope for our eternity. He rose first, then we who are saved will know we can follow him wherever he goes. There is no longer any uncertainty about our eternal rest. Because he is alive and at the Father’s side, we will one day be with him. He put aside his divinity for those thirty-three years to become one of us. He came to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and awaken the dead. What is there to fear from a man such as him.

The fear of him will come upon us if we are alive and unsaved at his Second Coming. At his next advent, he will not be a helpless babe wrapped in swaddling cloth. He will be a mighty and wrathful King, come to judge and punish. We cannot be good enough a person to escape his wrath on our own. There is no other way to come unto the Father in heaven except to call on the name of Jesus. All we must do is repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of our sins. If you have already given your life to Jesus but have fallen away there is no better time than now to recommit your life to him. If you haven’t put your faith in Jesus yet there is no better time than now. Merry Christmas to all and God bless.

Prayer Time

Heavenly Father, we hold you in the highest esteem. We praise and glorify your name. You watch over and protect us in our times of need. We love you and want to follow Jesus all the days of our lives. However, we fall into temptation almost every day. Lord, please forgive us when we fail you, and give us strength to resist the next time. Your plan from the beginning was to provide us a way to be saved. A babe would be born to save the world. Lord, on that precious night of Jesus’ birth, you could have made the announcement to kings and princes, but you chose meek and lowly shepherds. You didn’t tell the whole world at the same time. You had angels give the wondrous news. It’s the same way today. You don’t demonstrate yourself to everyone, everywhere. You show yourself to us, individually, at a time when we need you most. Thank you, Father, for the baby Jesus, who was born to follow your will and die for our sins. It’s in his precious name, we pray. Amen!