God's Grace to Know Him

Luke 2:16-18 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
 
CAN you imagine the conversations the shepherds had with people after they had left the Christ child? “Listen everyone! We have some great news! Tonight we were working as usual, watching our sheep. Then suddenly an angel appeared in the sky. He told us the Savior was in a manger here in Bethlehem! Then we saw the most remarkable sight. The sky was filled with angels praising God! Then they told us to go see the baby born in a stable of all places. So we went to that stable just up the street. There he was. The newborn baby boy there, just as the angel had said he would be. That baby looks like any other baby, but we know  he is our Messiah. The heavens have told us. He is Savior of the world!”
   How do you think people responded to the shepherds’ remarkable news? We read all who heard it were amazed. It seems the Holy Spirit had given some people in Bethlehem a willingness to consider the shepherds’ news. When God wants a revival, he will make it happen. We see this in Acts as well. Many believed and began the church!
   You can certainly imagine, too, many doubted the shepherds’ words. “Yeah, right guys. What are you drinking out there in the pasture? The Messiah is born in a stable? How can we believe such a thing? After all, you are only shepherds. What do you know? Someone could have been tricking you.”
   How do people respond to your good news? “Hey everyone, here’s some great news. God’s Holy Bible says that Jesus, the Son of God, was born in Bethlehem as a human. He did this because we are born separated from God in sin. Still, God loves you so much, he came to earth to save you from your sins. The message of all the Prophets and the Apostles is that you can know that the baby Jesus grew to become the Savior. He showed and taught us God’s ways, so you can live in an eternal loving relationship with the holy God. Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus offers to you a faith to cleanse your sins from your soul. You will be free to live forever in a true relationship of joy and peace with God! Praise God! Jesus is the way to eternal life!”
   The Holy Spirit has opened some hearts to believe your gospel. Some say, “I believe!” Some doubt: “Yeah, that might be good for you, but it’s not for me.” is sin’s response.  
   Too many times the truth isn’t enough for people, is it? Perhaps God’s truth is too loving and gracious for our shame and guilt to understand. God works so differently than we expect, our minds cannot easily conceive of his redeeming power. But if we truly stop to see the Messiah come to Bethlehem, to go to a cross, to rise from the grave and to ascend to heaven, we see how God “so loved the world”.  Rejoice and know the way to God is sure and sweet when on confesses, “I believe.”  
  
Prayer: from the 8th-century Alchoin (al cue in), an English scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher: “Eterna l Light shine into our hearts. Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil. Eternal Power, be our support. Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance. Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us, so with all our heart, our mind, our soul, our strength, we may seek your face and be brought by that infinite mercy to your holy presence through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Amen.