My wife, Sharon, and I have our devotions at the same time early in the morning. This morning I heard Sharon’s voice from the bedroom where she was reading her Bible… “Did you notice who received the heavenly message regarding the birth of Jesus – have you thought about that?” She said. And we both had been impressed by it… it is incredible actually!
I realize a devotional from this passage is usually reserved for reading during the Christmas season, but It was our reading today from the Gospel of Luke. I’d like to have you think about it perhaps in a new way today… we both did, and it was really uplifting…
Who would you expect to be the audience – the recipient – of a message so grand and glorious? Here it is… (visualize this scene – imagine it happening!)
“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them… And the angel said to them, ‘fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that that will be for all the people! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He is well pleased!’” (From Luke 2:8-14 ESV)
Dignitaries? World leaders? Royalty? People of influence and power?
No!!! Bedouin shepherds!! Now you may never have seen a Bedouin shepherd… I have! They are a common lot – very common! They may not have bathed in a while – long greasy hair, clothes that have been on their body for a week or two, slept out in the Judean hillside, a tooth or two missing, not much money in their pocket. Educated? Perhaps… but maybe not. Influence? Not so much.
THAT is who the Living God sent an angelic messenger and a heavenly choral multitude to announce the birth of the Messiah – “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” – God’s Son!!
This morning as I reflected on that, another passage of Scripture came to mind…
“For consider YOUR calling: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, SO THAT NO HUMAN BEING MIGHT BOAST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, ‘LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’” (1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV)
Coffee With The Lord 