“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
Luke 2:20
Today we awake, remember, and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Praise be to God for his mercy, grace, and love. Jesus is our most undeserved, precious Christmas gift. Nothing compares.
In Luke’s Gospel, we are told the first to hear of Jesus’ birth are shepherds. In the world’s standards these would not be the first to receive a royal birth announcement. Nonetheless, things are different in the kingdom of God. A multitude of heavenly host appear before the shepherds, singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14).
What would you do next? No doubt, we would follow the example of the Shepherds: “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15).
All of that is incredible, an unforgettable experience, but the part I can’t let go of occurs at the end of this story: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:20).
There’s the reality that life must go on as normal. The shepherds return to their flocks and responsibilities. Simultaneously, however, things can never be normal again. They went back to “normal” glorifying and praising God. Their lives were forever changed because they had heard the good news of the birth of Jesus. Even more, they had seen with their own eyes the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Have you heard the good news of Jesus? Have you seen the good news of Jesus?
Today on this most holy day, on the birthday of our Lord and Savior, you have heard the good news and by faith can see the good news. Will you?
Christian, this Christmas day, are you glorifying and praising God for all you have heard and seen? Don’t let this most holy day pass without glorifying and praising our God––Father, Son, and Holy Spirit––for the gift of Jesus.
