Angelic beings highlighting a peasant child – that in itself is miraculous. I mean, who cares…who would even notice? It is just a kid!
World over – world-wide do you have any idea “how many” peasant babies are routinely born?
I would venture to say a lot. Just a lot.
I wonder if the angels in heaven – take note of every little one that is born. I would think they do, and if they don’t, they certainly should!
I wonder if they serenade the little one – with music only the little ones can hear…that too, is a nice thought.
Their first audible words are, “Hey don’t be afraid. Here is a word of “good news.” I suggest to you that it is always “good news,” always “a blessing” whenever one of these little ones is born.
But the angelic host goes on: “A savior has been born to you!”
This is “good news” not only for the select few, the rich, the famous and the powerful, the beautiful people, those who have it all together…
No this is different. This is “good news” for all the people. No one is left out. No one is left behind. This is all inclusive.
This is good news for the poor, the silly, the foolish, the sinful, the broken and the hurting…this is news for all the people and it is all encompassing. It includes everyone…including you.
A Savior has been born for you. Like it or not, accept or not, here I come…and Jesus is born.
The angelic host called him “the Christ”…the Greek word for “Messiah,” the “anointed one of God,” the “long awaited for one.” He is the Lord. There is no other.
The excited angels go on, “You will know what we say is true, when you run into Bethlehem and find a broken hovel of a stable complete with animals.” Within you will see a peasant couple and a fragile baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger….
When you see them…and they see you, you will know that God is at work among you. God is present in your midst.
I suggest to you, that the savior is needed now more than ever. This babe in the manger is exactly what we need.
A savior right about NOW – would be perfect.
You see we are foolish or can be, we can also be disobedient and easily led astray. We are rather easily enslaved and deceived by all kinds of passions and pleasures.
We are surrounded by a world that seemingly thrives on malice, hatred and envy. Man against man…nation against nation.
Sometimes hope seems far off and elusive. We can’t fix ourselves, because Lord knows we have tried.
We live in a world where people are afraid to go to malls and to movies, or to office parties, where people think twice about large gathering places…and where people even worry about “houses of worship.”
Trust is fleeting…who can you trust? Even hope sometimes feels fleeting…
Oh, we need a savior, we need a savior maybe NOW more than ever. We have needed a savior all along. We are foreigners to the covenant of promise.
The “Good news” is what the angels sang about – and what some of us, still sing about…
A Savior has been born for us…a savior has been born for all of us. There are no exceptions.
We needed and need rescuing, and God has provided a rescuer.
We needed and need delivering, and God has provided a deliverer.
We needed and need redeeming, and God has provided a redeemer.
We can be pardoned. We can be forgiven. We can experience reconciliation with God and with others. We can pardon others, forgive others and become reconciled with others…we can love others, even if they do not love us in return. We can pray for others…reach out to others…
We can become sons and daughters of the most high God…because we have a savior. We have an advocate. We are not abandoned or alone. We can have hope for tomorrow and all the tomorrows after that…
Our God has come to us…he loves us and wants us that badly…
But the big questions is – will we go to him, come to him or walk away and abandon him.
The “Good News” is we have a savior – now whatchu gonna du about it?