What Jesus Did! 'The King's Location' — Luke 2:8-12

Friday, January 27, 2023

That night [after Jesus was born,] there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."
— Luke 2:8-12 NLT

Key Thought

Incredibly, when the angel of God announced the birth of God's Son, the King, he gave his location to the shepherds as "lying in a manger." Luke wants us to grasp three powerful truths in this simple description.
  1. God tapped into the long line of imagery that ties him and his work to shepherds.
  2. Even though shepherds were not respected in Jesus' day, God announced the birth of his Son to them first - This announcement is part of Luke's emphasis on God's desire to reach all kinds of people across every stratum of life.
  3. The Savior entered the world in humble circumstances, born to an ordinary and otherwise unnoticeable family.
The grand and the forgotten, the glorious and the abandoned, those who have the promise and those who are hopeful are all combined into God's story of love, grace, and salvation. The needle that sews this tapestry of grace is God's love. His thread is the Holy Spirit. His good news is that Jesus, God's Son and our Savior, has arrived at a location we can all find, knocking on the door of our hearts.

Today's Prayer

Holy and magnificent God, thank you for making yourself accessible and reachable in your Son. Thank you for coming to earth in human flesh as Jesus bringing your salvation for me and taking away my most significant reason to be afraid. In Jesus' name, I give you thanks. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

51 Related Resources by Heartlight

Luke 2:8-11
Devo: Today's Verse
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the...."
Angel Appearance
Illustration of Luke 2:8-11
Inspirational illustration of Luke 2:8-11 -- And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. B
This Collision of Grace
Article by Phil Ware
Greatness and grace reveal themelves in a world so real we can smell the manure and hear the breathing sounds of the Son of God. Phil Ware reminds us of the discontinuity, the absolute collision, of the grime of our world and the glory of God in the birth of Jesus.
Escaping the Monotony of Low Expectations
Article by Phil Ware
Advent is rooted in the work of God in history, through real people, to do the miraculous in the most human of things, through the birth of a child. Phil Ware reminds us to celebrate Advent and not simply settle for Christmas, especially in a hard year like this one.
See All 51 Related Resources about Luke 2:8-12

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 2:8-12 NLT — "Don't be afraid!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, January 27, 2023

Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'In a High and Holy Place' (Is. 57:15)
"The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and..."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Water of Life' (Re. 22:1-2)
"Then the Angel showed [John] Water-of-Life River, crystal bright. It flowed from the Throne of God and the Lamb, right down the middle of the street. The Tree....."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Listening to the Wrong Voices' (Acts 27:10-15)
"[Because of potentially bad weather, Paul told the ship's officers of his concern about continuing the trip to Rome:] "Men," he said, "I believe..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Psalms 84:7
"They go from strength to strength. There are various renderings of these words, but all of them contain the idea of progress. Our own good..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!