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When They Heard

As we celebrate one of the most sacred days in our faith. Christmas means so many things and signifies the initial sacrifice of Jesus to leave His heavenly home. 

I’ve been thinking about those that were privileged to first hear the news of this tremendous gift.

Let’s start with Mary. A teenage girl could have been horribly ruined with the news that she had found such favor with the God of the universe that she was chosen as the mother of the Savior of the world. She could have panicked. Most unmarried women in her position would have. But she heard and responded:

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭38‬ ‭NLT‬‬

On to Joseph. When you consider his position, it’s easy to empathize with how he considered the situation. Despite his disappointment, his righteousness-and, I believe, his love for Mary-kept him from publicly shaming her and ruining her future. His faith led him to not only accept Jesus as God’s Son, but embrace him as his own during his time on earth. He made the decision to raise this child because of what he heard.

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬, ‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Now for one of my favorite parts of the story. Those shepherds. They were literally just working. Fulfilling my their mission to make sure the sheep were protected and would be ready for sacrifice. How beautiful and profound that a host of angels came to announce the arrival of Christ, indicating that they would soon be out of a job because the Lamb of God had finally arrived to redeem the world! Their response is my personal favorite.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Those shepherds didn’t waste any time to confirm wha
the angels had proclaimed. Nor did they hide the fact that they were an elite group that had exclusive news of the birth of Jesus. Instead, they spread the word. They went back to their work with excitement know that their Savior had finally arrived. 

And Mary, the favored young girl, hid it all in her heart. She tucked away every memory of this most blessed event so that as her son and Savior grew, she could remind herself that this child was extraordinary.

There are others, of course, who responded with haste to what they heard about the birth of Christ. My question today is, how do we respond? 

The Christmas story has become such a tradition, so sometimes we forget the significance of the sacrifice. Maybe we hear God speak, and we choose to wait for a sign. Maybe we think we have time. 

Instead, consider the example of Mary as she vowed to be the Lord’s servant. Consider Jospeh and the choice he made to act on the word of God.

Most of all, think of the shepherds. When they heard, they responded as quickly as possible. They didn’t keep the miracle to themselves. With the great news of Jesus, we must also respond eagerly and proclaim the miracle with the same excitement as that first Christmas.

Blessings and joy to you and your family this Christmas!

© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.


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