Online Reporter
Looking at the unseen
Trust Maanda
LUKE 2:8-14
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. [10] And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, [14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The birth of Christ was a phenomenon. It was announced by an Angel, Gabriel. It was announced by angels to humble shepherds.
The words we read above are words of angels to shepherds. They were on Hudson Mountains tending sheep.
They were not where the news of that day was trending! They were in the periphery of events of that day. But they were not forgotten.
God remembered them, and sent His angels to them. The whole Jerusalem was not aware of events of the birth of the Messiah, yet His birth was the most critical part of the Old Testament prophecies. The Highest Heavens hastened to honour the earth’s most humble and unlearned people; the shepherds. The Highest of Heaven came down to make Himself known to the lowest of the earth, bypassing all to make the greatest news that has ever hit the world to be known to common herdsmen. Angels came give these common herdsmen the greatest Message of all time. There had been many great messengers we would think of in Noah’s day, and the prophets, and the great priests, and so forth, in the days gone by, but God did not choose to bring that message in their day.
He bypassed great learned men, kings, potentates, monarchs, and He came with the greatest of all the messages to humble shepherds. What was the Message? “Messiah is here now!” To make that known, He bypassed all the trained men, to make it known to humble shepherds. God remembers the obscure. He bypasses those of high degree.
That is the good news. He elevates the lowly. He gives significance to the insignificant. You do not have to worry if you qualify to be His child. He looks for those who believe in Him, not in themselves. When God wanted a king, the seemingly qualified brothers were disqualified. The seeming unqualified David was qualified. God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. You are never too small or too insignificant to attract His mercy.
The news of His birth was good tidings of great joy. The birth of Christ is good tidings: good tidings of great joy. How can anyone not rejoice at the birth of Christ?
The birth of Jesus meant that the lost would be found, the sick healed and the sinner would be saved. The birth of Christ was the fulfilment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. Isaiah had prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a Child. He had told them that the Child was going to be the Prince of peace. He would bring peace to the world. He would comfort those that mourn. He would open blind eyes and set free the captives.
He was the greater David who had come to kill the greater Goliath of sin and death. He was the ram that was killed by Abraham instead of Isaac. He was the seed of the woman that God promised from the Garden of Eden.
No good news can be better than the news of the coming of the Messiah. No wonder the Angels had to announce that. It was not news fit for a human being to declare.
The birth of Jesus brought joy to the world. Since then, lost humankind ever since Eden, began to have hope to be restored to God again. Messiah had come to save His people from their sin.
When He came He introduced the Kingdom. He brought light in darkness. The hopeless took new hope. Legion returned to his family, Lazarus came back to his sisters, Jairus received his daughter from the dead. The wedding at Cana had great wine and blind Bartimaeus ceased to be blind.
No wonder His birth was good tidings of great joy. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
TRUST MAANDA is a Gospel preacher and transformational speaker. He writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted on +263772432646
