The story of Christmas is one of those classic stories that gets told every year on this day, usually from Luke 2. It’s one that we all know, but have you ever pondered the details?
There was no room for Mary and Joseph at the Inn. I’ve always wondered about that – if they had to go to their home town to be registered in the census, then why wouldn’t Joseph have had relatives to turn to? Perhaps it was because Mary had become pregnant before they were married, thus she was somewhat of an outcast. Or perhaps it was because she was already in labor when they arrived and no one wanted to deal with the mess of birth. Theologians point to the second reason: unlike today where we go to the hospital to have our babies, they had specific rooms in homes for that purpose. All those rooms were taken. So, where else could they go that it would be okay to be messy? The barn.
From there, the story shifts to those God told first about Jesus: the shepherds. The job of a shepherd was among the least sought after occupations. These were mostly commoners who did not qualify for a “cleaner” job. So, they dealt with the animals. Today farmers/ranchers have earned a lot more respect than that! Growing our nation’s food has become somewhat of an honor.
Those were the people God told first. We’re not told if this was Gabriel again, or a different angel, but the angel started out the same way: “Do not be afraid.” It’s an experience we don’t have today, but I bet it was quite a shock to have a supernatural presence appear from nowhere and speak words from God. The shepherds likely would have known about the prophecies about Jesus, but not the timing.
A choir of angels appeared and said,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Can you imagine the emotion of the moment? They were probably overwhelmed with excitement and rushed to get to Bethlehem!
How are you feeling about going to church tonight? The shepherds heard the message from angels, servants of God. We stand in a place of honor. God sent his Son on this evening so that we could become children of God. Let’s celebrate that together this Christmas.