Another Christmas has come and gone.The words flow effortlessly, as if announcing something that cannot be prevented. How I hate those seven little words. It’s the emptiness those words bring, emptiness from those who fail to understand, who fail to take anything from the season. They’ve had a holiday, and nothing more. I wish they could have been the shepherds.

One night as shepherds guarded their flocks, an angel appeared and the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel said, “Don’t be afraid. Today a Savior has been born to you, Christ the Lord. This will be your sign: a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.” Then a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests.” ¹

Each year on Christmas Day we celebrate Jesus’ birth. But long ago, on the real birthday, people didn’t know He was coming and just went about their lives. Now when Jesus was born and God wanted to tell somebody. Not kings, queens, or religious leaders. Instead He chose ordinary people who knew what it was like to work hard, fend for themselves, and be alone. So He told the lowly shepherds.

The shepherds hurried to find the baby…

And what a spectacular way, too! An actual angel showed up, giving a bunch of no-name nothings THE long awaited message of hope. And unlike so with many toys of today, it came complete with instructions they could understand. How cool is that? God laid it all out. There was no guessing. Then what did the shepherds do?

Put yourself in their sandals. If you or I for the first time saw an angel, were surrounded by the glory of God, and then saw a heavenly host appear out of nowhere, singing into the night air, what would be the very first thing you’d do when they disappeared? Exactly. You’d change your underwear. This wasn’t a story to them. It was terrifying…a close encounter of the heavenly kind. This was not fantasy. It was real!

When the angels left, the shepherds decided to see this thing that had happened. So, with clean underwear, off they hurried to Bethlehem where they found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. Filled with joy, they spread the word of what they had been told about the child, and all who heard were amazed at what the shepherds said. ²

Not by command, for they wanted to go.

I have a lot of respect for those shepherds. Would we do that today? Or would we cower in fear at what we don’t understand, explain it away as a dream, or tell ourselves we’re not good enough, no one will want us there, no one will listen.

But know this. The shepherds were not ordered to go. They went because they wanted to. Jesus’ birth was so important they hurried to find Him. And their journey did not end at the manger. Christmas had not come and gone. They took it with them to share with others…and those who heard were amazed.

If we see Christmas as just a holiday, we’ve truly missed it. Like the shepherds, we should embrace and share the experience, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior throughout year. So rejoice, my friends! Christmas has come! Keep it well, not for just a day, but all the days that follow. ³

 

Ciloa Forever!

 

Chuck

 

 

 

Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa, an international ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement and teaching others how to “encourage one another as long as it is called Today!” He is also an author, speaker, teacher, and encourager. Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. You can learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org.

 

 

 

Footnotes: The original version of this Note of Encouragement, May God bless you this day…to be like the shepherds!, was published December 26, 2005. (1) Read Luke 2:8-14. (2) Read Luke 2:15-18. (3) As once was said of a changed and newly compassionate Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol…It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!

 

Pictures: Banner: The Glory of the Lord, photo by Marcus Dall Col, Unsplash. (1) Terrified Shepherds, The Lumo Project, LumoProject.com.