When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. – Luke 2:17-18
What an incredible night these shepherds had! It had begun in terror when the skies above their heads lit up with an other-earthly radiance. Mighty angelic beings had not only spoken to them but sang God's praises. Heavenly voices, heavenly music and a message almost beyond belief!
The Messiah...the promised Messiah...the deliverer spoken of by their parents, their priests, since they were children, had come! And wonder of wonders, He had come as a newborn baby.
When the shepherds recovered from their fright at the sight of the angels, they ran, sprinted to find this baby. And when they found Him they fell down in awe, wonder and worship. Yes, He was a baby but there was no doubt in their minds that He was also God.
And so with tears streaming down their faces, joy unbounded in their hearts, they...went home and told no one....What???
Of course that is not what the shepherds did! Instead, they went out, that very night, and told everyone they could find about God being born in a manger! And everyone who heard their words were amazed.
And shouldn't we do the same? Shouldn't we tell others about "this child," this Savior, our Savior? We may not be able to tell them that we were visited by angels but we can tell them that we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. We can tell them about what Jesus has done in our lives. We can tell them that He has a plan for their lives too and that it's a plan to help them and not to harm them, to give them a hope and a future.
The Shepherds were the first missionaries. Filled with joy and hope they went forth to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. May we do the same...today and everyday until He returns.
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