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WE Have Been Here Before – Expectant
An Expectant Gift Premature

Our anticipation of Christmas each year points more toward the expectant gift than the expected Messiah. The world rushes about all around us, no prophet has been heard from for centuries and evil prevails in the palaces of power.

We tell the child to play this game and ignore that evil. You deserve fantasies of falsehood and the best gifts of nature. I will get it now even months before your time, so that you may have the riches you deserve.

This time anticipating the holidays (of Christmas) even more than every day is a time of the expectant child hoping for the best diversions the life of busy parents can offer. Yet what of the expectant mother?

Pregnant with an Unexpected Child

When honor of men and respect of women mattered, when life itself and the vastness of the heavens and earth filled man’s heart with awe, and when a child was to be born to a daughter of dust — we awaited the time of her miracle, the birth of the unexpected child.

Though we did not know when, all certainly knew why and the inevitable outcome of one more created small being was never a choice. Praise God and honor the father, husband to this expectant mother. May the LORD grant this beloved expectant mother a quick and natural completion to this miracle of new life.

Unexpectant Pregnancies Forgotten

Birth is always a miracle. Yet what of the out-of-the-ordinary births of the sons of man to women of little importance? What of the children of these expectant mothers none thought of any significance?

Elizabeth

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”
The Gospel of Luke 1:24-25

39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit…

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her…

… “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.

Hannah

We do not hear much about Hannah preached, probably due to our sensitivity to the political and social correctness of this day. Hannah, however, was favored by the Lord and also her husband as we shall see.

1 Samuel 1:

[Elkanah] son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite… had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second … had children, but Hannah was childless.

Like all genealogies, including that of Jesus, history emphasises the man. This history of Hannah (one of two wives) once again connects to the favor of a woman, a humble and loving woman like Mary mother of Jesus.

4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice [to the Lord of Hosts], he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. 5 But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving.

The Expectant Father

Every man becomes an expectant father the moment he loves the woman of his desire, yet he hopes to have won her heart forever.

A child is the blessing of the mother, but the nobility of the father.
Roger Harned

⁸“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. 11 Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life…

17 Eli [the High Priest and Judge of Israel, a descendant of Aaron whose name means “ascension” ] responded,

“Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”

Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

Hannah’s Prayer

Hannah prayed:
My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one besides you!
And there is no rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:1-2

3 The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.

Sampson’s story

Like Samuel the Priest who anointed Saul and David, we also know the hero of an earlier story and his genealogy. Again, a humble woman of the Lord waits for the Lord’s blessing.

This too is a story of patience for a couple possibly expectant of the Lord doing great things through their faith. And the name of Manoah’s humble and faithful wife is not even recorded here.

Judges 13:

The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight…

2 There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was unable to conceive and had no children. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are unable to conceive and have no children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son…

6 Then the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. He looked like the awe-inspiring angel of God. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 He said to me, ‘You will conceive and give birth to a son…

Manoah Worships The Angel of the Lord

… and the angel of God came again… 10 The woman ran quickly to her husband and told him, “The man who came to me the other day has just come back!”

11 So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?”

“I am,” he said…

13 The angel of the Lord answered Manoah, “Your wife needs to do everything I told her…

15 “Please stay here,” Manoah told him, “and we will prepare a young goat for you.”

… (Manoah did not know he was the angel of the Lord.)

The Angel of the Lord

פלאיה דַעַת מִמֶּנִּי נִשְׂגְּבָה לֹא־אוּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃
Tehillim (Psalms) 139:6 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

17 Then Manoah said to him, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your words come true?”

“Why do you ask my name,” the angel of the Lord asked him, “since it is beyond understanding.”
Judges 13:18

19 Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the Lord, who did something miraculous while Manoah and his wife were watching.

20 When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the Lord went up in its flame.

When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown on the ground. 21 The angel of the Lord did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord.

22 “We’re certainly going to die,” he said to his wife, “because we have seen God!”

23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had intended to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from us, and he would not have shown us all these things or spoken to us like this.”

24 So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 Then the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him…

The Wives of Abram

Here too is a controversial conversation concerning the Lord’s promise to a man with two wives. (Therefore, we seldom mention that part of Abraham’s story.) Though the expectant father Abraham received the promise of the Lord, he had to wait for its fulfillment.

Each segment of Abraham’s journey of faith becomes partial fulfillment of the the Lord’s promises fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

Genesis 15:

Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֔ם הֵ֣ן לִ֔י לֹ֥א נָתַ֖תָּה זָ֑רַע וְהִנֵּ֥ה בֶן־בֵּיתִ֖י יֹורֵ֥שׁ אֹתִֽי׃
Genesis 15:3 Masoretic text

6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 16:

וְשָׂרַי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת אַבְרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יָלְדָ֖ה לֹ֑ו וְלָ֛הּ שִׁפְחָ֥ה מִצְרִ֖ית וּשְׁמָ֥הּ הָגָֽר׃

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived…

Hagar the maid of Sarai, also a wife to Abram, despises Sarai. Abram continues to allow his wife Sarai to rule over his other wife Hagar the Egyptian her maidservant. Hagar flees their household and provision.

Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
Genesis 16:7 NASB – with additional links to ‘mal’ak’ ‘Yĕhovah’

8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?” …

9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority… I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count… Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael…”

Hagar: expectant of a child troublesome to some even until this day.

Eve – Mother of Man

וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו וַתַּ֨הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.”
Genesis 4:1 WLC; NASB

One cannot fully approach the topic of birth and the expectant mother without some discussion of the first woman. Once again we cannot take time here to examine man and woman and child closely.

Nevertheless we should look at the Person of the Lord in Moses’ narrative of creation.

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Genesis 2:18 NKJV

Genesis 3:

Adam and Eve were not blind, for they saw the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before that their relationship with the Lord was a personal one with a God who walked and talked with them.

Just one command, but like all mankind since they were enticed by the sin of disobedience to the Lord.

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

“Where are you?”

“I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

“The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

“What is this you have done?”

Sin’s Imagination Beguiled Me

“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Her husband also ate and blamed her, while Eve explains that the image of Satan (the serpent) beguiled (KJV) her.

Are you and I so different when we sin?

We know and will not dwell on the curses of sin.

21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

Then the LORD God said,
“Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil.
Genesis 3:22a NKJV

And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

An Expectation of Blessing

Surely the Lord God will do good and has a plan. So should we not expect His mercy to right the wrongs of the past?

The Person of the Lord God touches lives of the faithful, expectant worshipers of God’s own promises. And we know that the Lord has been here – on earth, that is, in Person. Also note this from the Lord’s last conversation in Eden: “Behold, the man has become like one of Us.”

The Lord God, therefore, IS plural. The LORD IS ONE GOD, yet plural in Persons and His mysterious nature beyond our knowledge.

LOOK – behold – we have seen the Lord, for He has been here before. Surely the Lord will return as He said.
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The continued story is that of Christmas
the awaited birth of the Messiah Jesus.
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December 24, 2019
WE Have Been Here Before – in Awe of JESUS
We show no awe of Jesus in our no-salt ‘christian’ lives. Oh, perhaps in a stanza of singing, a sentence of sermon or a moment of compassion in our encounter with another; but for the most part we Christians fail to show any awe of Jesus in our worship or daily lives.

Our church and yours will most likely witness the “aahhh” of a baby born in Bethlehem directed for our children. Ah, not awe — the small sprinkling of Christ for the community, rather than Spirit led worship of the Christ who still lives.

AWE!

The forgotten awe of the Lord God witnessed in the past becomes the superstition of today’s disbelief.

When we read of the awe of Jesus we quickly overlook it. How easily we miss a personal awe of the Lord.

So just for a moment put yourself in the sandals of some witnesses we missed in Jesus’ introduction. (For the Gospel shows us much more than the ‘ah’ of a babe in a manger.)

The Gospel of Matthew

1:20b … an angel of the Lord appeared to him [Joseph] in a dream… 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him.

Note: Maji: Matthew 2:1 A caste of wise men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science

2:2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

The Gospel Mark

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

The Good News (εὐαγγέλιον) of Luke

1:8 … he was serving as priest before God… 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah…

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David…

2:9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid…

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2:14 NASB – Strong’s G2107 – eudokia Blueletterbible.org

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

Does Jesus still amaze you after hearing HIS STORY each year?

Do you hear the awe in these witnesses of Christ? And like them do hold HIM in awe as well?

34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—

Prophecy – Simeon recalls and applies prophecy of the Messiah to Jesus, the Son of Man born in a manger in Bethlehem.

The Gospel of John

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:2 KJV of Christ Jesus ‘this one, visibly present here

The Lamb of God in a manger

The Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’

John the Baptist was in awe of Jesus. Are you?

51 And He said to him [Nathanael], “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Awesome! Truly, the Gospel records many instances of awe connected to Christ Jesus.

What is Awe?

φόβος – phobos

You know the greek root and its connection to fear, dread, terror and that which strikes terror.

Yet we marginalize our phobias even of miracles. And awe in this sense startles our sense of the natural. For our human understanding must be finite and understanding of the infinite baffles us.

We mention the fear of the shepherds who witnessed the awe of angels at Jesus’ birth. Yet seldom will we note the supernatural motivations for the multitudes of followers who subsequently had to see and hear the Messiah Jesus.

In just one scene here in Nain, imagine yourself as part of the crowd gathered for the funeral of this man. Jesus, of whom you have heard, walks up and touches the coffin.

“Young man, I say to you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying,
“A great prophet has arisen among us!” and,
“God has visited His people!”
Luke 7:14-16

Luke further records witness of the first century church.

Everyone kept feeling a sense G5401 of awe; G5401 and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
Acts of the Apostles 2:43 – awe = Literally: fear was occurring to every soul

Fear as Consequence of Awe

We frequently live in fear during this brief mortal journey of our life.

Do we fear man and circumstance or the Lord?

Therefore here this one example of awe from the Hebrew Bible [Old Testament] as wisdom for our fear.

33:8 יִֽירְאוּ מֵיְהוָה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מִמֶּנּוּ יָגוּרוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵֽל׃
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Psalm 33:8 Masoretic Text; NASB
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To be continued...
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December 15, 2019
Emmanuel -3
Introduction to God in a Manger

We glanced at the introduction of Jesus in the Gospels of Mark and John in part 1 of this series. Yesterday in part 2 we examined issues of the virgin birth from the Gospel of Matthew. Today, Christmas, we conclude with scripture from Luke, our most familiar source of the Christmas story.

Immanuel (Hebrew: עִמָּנוּאֵל‬ meaning, “God with us”; also romanized Emmanuel) – Wikipedia

Every biography requires an introduction and the all-important announcement of “God With Us,” the Son of Man born in a manger requires not only an introduction, but a cultural context we can only mention today.

Introduction to the Nativity

The Nativity of Matthew, beginning with the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph and David, examines the Messiah of Israel from a Jewish perspective. Of course, Matthew, John and all of the Disciples were Jewish, as was Jesus.

Mark and Luke were first century gentiles, Greeks, men who recorded the impact of Christ born to save not only Jews from sin, but all who believe.

Luke 1:

1 … a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.

Luke begins his two-part writing, Luke-Acts, with an introduction and overview in Chapter one. Many believe John the Baptist to be the Messiah; therefore Luke introduces John and Jesus as teachers prior to the well-know nativity of chapter 2. Note the same angelic witness.

Gabriel

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah… 11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him…

13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.

… He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. … to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”

19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”

1:28 καὶ εἰσελθὼν ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπεν Χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν

Luke 1:28

Name Him Jesus

31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Please do not miss here that Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, comes to a woman, Mary. In most instances of angelic encounters, as was the case with Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, the angel brings the Lord’s message to a man with authority over his wife, family and others.

Translations

Much to consider here, even before the all-too-familiar narrative of the nativity which follows. Much disagreement among Christians based on translations which reinforce various cultural (denominational) beliefs. Consider just one brief passage.
- KJV (English) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
- HNV (from Hebrew) Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
- VUL (Latin) et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit have gratia plena Dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus
- Greek listed above for Luke 1:28. Some translations in Latin and the Hebrew Bible come from the Septuagint, with origins in Alexandria, Egypt.
Some versions of the Bible use less-controversial synonyms in some passages and prejudicial word imagery in certain key passages.

Mary – favored woman

And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” [Other mss add Blessed are you among women.]
Luke 1:28 CSB

The angel Gabriel does not say, “Hail Mary,” such as one might say, “Hail Caesar.” The Greek word χαίρω chairō could also be translated: rejoice, be glad, joy, greetings, even God speed or farewell when appropriate. Much like שָׁלוֹם shalom in Hebrew, chairō is simply a greeting of encounter.

Mary’s enduring witness

Luke records Mary’s reaction in verse twenty-nine. How would he know this or details of the rest of this portion of her encounter with angels?

Recall that unlike Joseph, Mary lived into Jesus’ complete life as the Son of Man and along with His brothers became part of the early church after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Therefore Luke would have interviewed Mary and/or those who had known her consistent witness for many years.

30 Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
- φοβοῦ Μαριάμ – Fear not Mary.
  - Do most all who personally encounter God’s angelic messenger not need this comforting assurance?
  - Yet what does it mean to have found favor with God?
- εὑρίσκω heuriskō –
  - ‘You have found,’ clearly indicates that Mary has been seeking the LORD.
    
    ‘To come upon after searching:
    
    to find by enquiry, thought, examination;
    
    to find out for one’s self.
Mary, a young Hebrew virgin betrothed to Joseph, is a worshiper of the LORD and she is a young woman with great faith.

Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” [Lit. since I do not know a man]
Luke 1:34 CSB

Gabriel then told Mary of Jesus’ conception and birth, the birth to be detailed more by Luke in the most familiar nativity of chapter 2 and reveals the distant miracle of her relative Elizabeth, to whom Mary will go as she is with child.

35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

The Magnificat – a Hymn of Praise

Mary magnifies or lifts up the Lord for His faithfulness to His faithful ones, much in the same way as Hannah, mother of Samuel, who anointed David.

46 And Mary said:
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My soul praises the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
because he has looked with favor
 on the humble condition of his servant.
 Surely, from now on all generations
 will call me blessed,
because the Mighty One
 has done great things for me,
 and his name is holy.
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“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
Luke 1:49 NASB

The Nativity

Nativity, Latin nātīvitāt, refers to birth, the place and circumstances of birth, the place of the stars at a time of birth, and most specifically, but not exclusively, refers to the birth of Christ, the Messiah, Jesus.

Luke 2:

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Luke 2:4-5 ESV

A census by order of Rome. Joseph travels to his hometown to register.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Luke 2:6-7 CSB

Birth happens (ready or not, irregardless of place) and this lowly humble couple had no place for the Son of God to be born into this world. No reservation and no place fit for a Son of Man, only an animal-filled barn with mangers of hay to feed the donkeys and camels.

We have already heard of other singular events of the Nativity unique to Jesus’ birth. Kings had followed a star to Bethlehem and then brought gifts just for this time and this King of Kings, so humbly born in a manger.

Luke then documents a similar event from the hills just beyond Bethlehem.

Angels and Shepherds

Of course, these very hills had been the place where Samuel had sought out David, the shepherd and youngest of his clan, when the Lord had anointed him King.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11 KJV

And the angels told these lowly shepherds where and how to find and recognize Jesus in Bethlehem, the baby Son of God in a manger made for lowly animals. Surely some among these Jewish shepherds would have known the prophesy of Micah.
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But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
 Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
 From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
 From the days of eternity.”

Therefore He will give them up until the time
 When she who is in labor has borne a child.
 Then the remainder of His brethren
 Will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock
 In the strength of the LORD,
 In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.
 And they will remain,
 Because at that time He will be great
 To the ends of the earth.
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Then these faithful keepers of the flocks received yet more confirmation.

A multitude of angels sang

Imagine angels from the sky joining voices with you as their audience!

δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:14 KJV

Amen! Glory to God in the highest, who has sent His Own Son to a manger as a Son of Man, one like a lowly shepherd.

And the shepherds departed their fields to witness and worship the Christ child, their Messiah in a manger. Then they will tell others, perhaps later one will even confirm their witness to Luke.

Recalling the Nativity to others

We do not have here or anywhere in scripture angels worshiping Mary, shepherds worshiping Mary or Kings worshiping Mary. And we do not have Joseph, Mary, shepherds or kings worshiping angels, even Gabriel. These are later idolatries suggested by false shepherds of the church and false prophets.

The LORD IS and the Nativity of Jesus is not His beginning.

Let us witness the redeeming love of God, who came to us in His Own Image in the Person and humility of Christ Jesus. He IS the One we worship, for Jesus IS the Messiah who will save all who believe.

But Mary kept all these things in her mind, pondering them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all things which they had heard and seen, as it had been said to them.
Luke 2:19-20 DBY

Keep these things in mind, pondering them in your heart, glorifying God for all things.

Christ is born. The Messiah died for your sins. Christ Jesus will come again.

Incarnate in a manger in Bethlehem; crucified on a Cross at Calvary, risen from a tomb in Judea; witnessed by thousands, risen into the clouds to return again…

Jesus IS, with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, the beginning and end.

Amen,
December 25, 2018