Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash
Think of that black night outside of Bethlehem. There hadn’t been a prophet in Israel for over 400 years (the 400 silent years). Darkness was more than what you could see with your eyes.
For those who believed the promises of God regarding a coming Messiah, their hope that this prophecy would ever come true was dwindling…and yet, somewhere in a deep part of their hearts was the faint glimmer that maybe, just maybe soon, Messiah would come. It was time. It had to be!
Out in the dark, on the fields, shepherds were watching their sheep. They were sitting around a fire, no doubt, talking about their mundane lives. Suddenly, there was a fearful brilliance! It was an angel.
Can you imagine the terror? A bright angel standing there in the darkness? It’s no wonder the first thing said was, “Don’t be afraid.” Me afraid? You bet! Don’t be afraid? Of course, I’m afraid!
Their mundane worlds had been transformed! The promised Messiah had come. Light had transformed Darkness.
Suddenly, the sky was alive with the brilliance of angels saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”
After all those years of silence, these angels are bursting with the news they had been wanting to tell! Christ has come! Emanuel: God with us. This is a joyful day!
Can you imagine the mixture of emotions the shepherds must have felt? Terror, fear, wonder, mixed with joy, delight and amazement! Could this be Messiah for whom they had waited so long?
With all these heavenly messengers making the announcement, it had to be! Had the Promised Messiah finally come? Why would they tell us? We’re not prominent people. For now, that was not important.
The shepherds hurried into the crowded city to find out where the baby was. Finally, they found Him…in a manger! Not the place they expected the Christ to be.
But they told Mary and Joseph what they had seen and heard. As they returned to the fields, they worshiped God. What an amazing night!
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
Whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:78-79
How has Christ’s coming been like sunrise to you?
What has the Light of Christ brought to your world that makes you pause and thank Him?
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**My imagination was stimulated by Kent Travis in Sunday School Sunday!
What has the Light of Christ brought to your world that makes you pause and thank Him?
The Light of Christ continues to illuminate my dark and sinful heart so that I can see where I am falling short regarding God’s perfect plan for me. The real beauty is that He slowly, bit by bit shows me the sin that keeps me from living in His light. He illuminates the sinful places until I can see them. Then walks with me on the road to overcoming.
thanks for stopping by elizabeth. Christ’s work also provided relief from guilt and complete forgiveness from sin because He satisfied His justice (living a perfect life as God/man and paying the infinite penalty for sin by His death that no man could pay.) He also was able to give us the gift of forgiveness freely, something we don’t seek after. Receiving a free gift that we know we don’t deserve takes humility to accept. SO not in our dna!