A new appreciation for the Christmas story

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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.

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. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

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, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." - Luke 2:1-20

I have always believed that the most beautiful story in the world is the story of Christ's birth as told in the King James version of the Bible. The language used to describe this blessed night make this one of the most memorable events of the Bible; even for non-believers. I find it both saddening and frustrating that there is such a negative feeling toward this story today. The wonderful gift of God in the birth of His only Son is so beautiful and incredible to me.

Most people tend to focus on the Baby Jesus and the three wise men when speaking of this story, but I have a new found respect for the much too overlooked shepherds. I find it to be very enlightening that an Angel came to the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ to the world. In those days, shepherds were viewed in much the same manner that the homeless are viewed by our society today. To the Egyptians, shepherds were an abomination (Genesis 46:43). The Shepherds weren't like the ones that you see in these Christmas plays; dressed in fine linens, with a turban on their head, and $50 sandals on their feet. In reality they were dirty, dressed in the same old wraps that they had worn for ages, possibly even barefoot, sitting on the ground, watching over sheep on a cold night, hoping that yet another sheep would not be taken by wolves or some other animal. I think that it is important that we try to look into God's reasoning behind telling the most important news ever told to a couple of lowly shepherds.

They, no doubt, lived a very meager existence and basically survived the best way that they could. Think about the condition of their hearts that would allow them to be the first to hear of the Saviour's birth. With their lives, in all it's simplicity, being void of material goods, you could believe that they had many times thought of their hopeless state and wished on those cold nights that things were different, but I believe that they humbly accepted their purpose in the world; watching over and protecting their sheep. I can imagine them sitting in the grass praying to God with all humility for yet another night of safety for themselves and their flocks. To them, it was just another cold night in the field.

Can you imagine how they felt when, while sitting quietly in a field in the dead of night, suddenly "the glory of the Lord" surrounds them in it's light? The Bible states that they were "sore afraid", or terrified. I have no doubt that they were quite shaken by this sudden appearance of an Angel of God. It was an event that would forever change their perception of their lives and what eternity held.

After the Angel announced the birth of Christ, the bible says that there was "a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God". The Amplified Bible calls them "an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood)". I can only guess exactly what the Shepherds looked up and saw with their tired, earthly eyes, But what a wonderful thing it would have been to look up and behold countless Angels all singing praises to God!

The Shepherds then went and found the one who was born to die, a precious little lamb wrapped in fabric, peacefully sleeping in a feeding trough. That night, two thousand years ago, hopelessness found hope.

As I was driving along in Atlanta the other day, prayerfully considering what I was going to write today, "Come let us adore him" came on the radio and I began to sing softly. As I began into an interchange, the Lord reminded me of the Shepherds. He spoke to my heart, reminding me that the Angels didn't go to a Prince, a King or Queen, or the deeply religious to announce the birth of His Son, but to a couple of shepherds; dirty, plain, and without ... And that they were to see the Baby Jesus before anyone else.

As I rounded a curve to get onto the interstate, the Lord led me to look off to the left. Under a bridge, covered in dirty blankets was a couple of homeless men, lying on the ground and trying to stay warm in the cold morning air ... reminding me of the shephards that God spoke to that night so long ago.

And as I turned back to face the road, the Spirit of God enveloped my heart and opened it. With tears pouring from my eyes, the real meaning of Christmas came into focus as I humbly and tearfully asked God to forgive me for not being thankful for what I have and for what He has done for me. Christ is the greatest gift ever given and nothing we have can ever repay His sacrifice.

Christmas isn't about the gifts we give or receive, the food we eat, or the Christmas tree. It isn't about where we live, the clothes we wear, or the money we spend. The greatest gift that we will ever receive is eternity through God's gift of Jesus Christ, his only Son. And it is up to us to share that Gift with those that need it ... To bring hope to the hopeless. There is a whole world out there that needs it.

God bless you and Merry Christmas.