What Jesus Did : Luke 2:16-20 - Astonishment, Treasure, and Praise
by Phil Ware
Astonishment, Treasure, and Praise - Luke 2:16-20
So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. The baby was lying in the feeding box. The shepherds saw the baby. Then they told what the angels said about this child. Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. Mary continued to think about these things. She was trying to understand them. The shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything that they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them. (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
If we will allow it to touch us, the birth of Jesus can produce the same reactions in us as it did in those three groups touched by it. The villagers were astonished at the story—and so are we, because God would love us this much. Mary stored up the words and events in her heart like treasure—and so do we, when we read the story of Jesus with love, joy, and anticipation. The shepherds returned to their work, but they do so with joy and praise knowing that their world would never be the same. God has come and visited us. He has shown us his love. He has ensured us that life doesn't have to have its normal boundaries. So we greet this story and this Child with astonishment, taking in each story and every word as a treasure, while offering our heartfelt praise to God for his gracious love.
Today's Prayer
O Almighty God, so majestic and yet so accessible, thank you for drawing near us when we could not draw near you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
That night, some shepherds were in the fields there watching their sheep. An angel of the Lord (God) stood before the shepherds. The glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds became very afraid. The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. I have some very good news for you. It will make all the people very happy. Today your Savior was born in David's town. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box." Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel. All the angels were praising God, saying: "Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people that please God." The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, "We will go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. We will see this thing the Lord (God) told us about." So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph. The baby was lying in the feeding box. The shepherds saw the baby. Then they told what the angels said about this child. Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. Mary continued to think about these things. She was trying to understand them. The shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything that they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.-- Luke 2:8-20 (ERV)
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