BIBLE PASSAGE:
But Mary treasured up all these things
and pondered them in her heart.
(Luke 2:19)
MEDITATION:
The birth of Jesus (as the Messiah) created change in the lives of
many. As the shepherds were out in the field watching over their
sheep, an angel appeared suddenly. Imagine how disturbing this
was to the shepherds as they tried to figure out what they were
observing.
Of course God knew how they would react so the angel told them
not to be afraid. He probably calmed them even more when he
told them that he had good news for them.
Then he told them something that must have startled and
confused them – a Savior (the Messiah) had been born. To
verify the information he had given them, the angel told
them to go to ‘the town of David’ and they could see the
baby wrapped and lying in a manger.
This should be enough to confuse and arouse the curiosity of
anyone, but there was more. Suddenly a heavenly host appeared
and started praising God. This could have frightened the shepherds
unless they listened to the words of praise from the angels.
They were praising God for
the peace He would bring into the lives of those He chose to bless.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the
Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said
to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that
will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town
of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah,
the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great
company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising
God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:8-14)
If you were one of the shepherds, how would you react to everything
that just happened? More than likely you would respond in the same
way they did. They decided to go to Bethlehem and see what God had
told them through His agent, an angel.
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has
told us about.” (Luke 2:15)
They didn’t waste any time,
but rushed to find the baby (the Messiah) and His parents.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
(Luke 2:16)
How did they know where to find them? As shepherds, more
than likely they were familiar with all of the farm animal
facilities in the area. Were they convinced of everything the
angel had told them? Judge for yourself:
When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this
child, and all who heard it were amazed at what
the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18)
If they did not believe the angel and that they had seen the Messiah,
then they would not have been telling everyone, would they? And
look at how the lives of others were affected – they were amazed!
Shepherds weren’t known as the most reliable sources, so those who
heard them were faced with a decision to believe that the long awaited
Messiah had been born, or He was not.
How did the shepherds respond to the entirety of this unusual
situation they had just experienced? They realized their lives
had been dramatically changed and started praising God!
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all the things they had heard and seen, which were
just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20)
They had heard about a coming Messiah, been told that He was
born nearby, had seen Him and knew that they had experienced
a life-changing moment. Imagine how much different their life
was now. Shepherding may not be the most desirable job, but they
had seen the Messiah! They may not have garnered high respect
from others, but they had seen the Savior! Their lives and their
outlook had been dramatically changed.
But what about the Savior’s mother, Mary? How did she feel
about everything that had happened to change her life? The
scriptures tell us that she ‘treasured up all these things’, which
implies that Mary felt she had been blessed with the greatest
treasure she could ever receive. Her heart had been changed
as she contemplated the recent events in her life.
ACTION:
Have you met the Savior of the world and has He changed your life?
If you have met Him, what changes has He made in your life? Have
you experienced a ‘heart change’? Do you consider yourself as an
agent of the Lord? Does it excite you to think about what the Lord
has done for you? Paul encourages us to,
“Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to be
our Savior! Thank You for Your Word that describes the
events of His life on earth, including His birth! Without
Jesus, we would be lost and without hope. Forgive me if
I have not allowed my encounter with Jesus to significantly
change my life. Forgive me if I have not developed a new
heart. A heart of appreciation for what He did, and a heart
for others that considers their needs as important, or even
more important than my own. Cleanse my heart that it might
be a sanctified gift for You!”
BLOG: utvolwoody.wordpress.com
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
Discussion
No comments yet.