Glorifying and Praising

Good Morning! 

I am sitting here listening to the rumblings of a thunderstorm and the sounds of raindrops landing on the chimney.  It’s Tuesday … golf day … but probably a wash for today.  That’s okay.  I still have some Christmas shopping to complete … so I will take this opportunity to accomplish that important task.  And I can also tackle some of the mess in Slobovia (my bedroom) … perhaps finding a place for some of the junk I have accumulated.

Yesterday’s worship service at Gateway Rehabilitation Center (a.k.a. nursing home) was a real hit for the residents as two of the families brought their talents to lead the service.  Banjo, mandolin, violin (fiddle), piano and guitars played.  The children are very well-behaved and so motivated to serve Christ.  What a blessing to all … giving hope for our future as believers sharing God’s Word. 

Well, let’s take a look at some Scripture this morning about some witnesses …

Luke 2:8-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”^[a]

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Footnotes:

Luke 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men

Any one of us who has watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” remember Linus reciting the above passage.  It is the crux of the gospel message … “unto us is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”  It seems to me that the angels stated it pretty plainly. The child is the Christ … the long awaited Anointed One promised by God to Israel. The shepherds got it … and hurried to Bethlehem to see.  And, when they had seen, they didn’t JUST return to their work … they went GLORIFYING and PRAISING GOD!!!  I don’t imagine they did so silently.  I don’t imagine we would either.  Imagine being awakened from your slumber by the voices of thousands of angels (like the sounds of the thunderstorm that interrupted my sleep today).  Imagine being told that Jesus is on His way … and you can see Him come.  Would you just roll over and go back to sleep? Or, would you get up and call your family and friends and let them know?  I think we would be so excited that we couldn’t contain ourselves from rejoicing.

Before you say it, yes, I know … Jesus has told us that His coming will be as a thief in the night. But the point is that the shepherds didn’t just respond with a ho-hum, the Christ has come.  They rejoiced.  How about us?  Christmas has been celebrated for centuries. Has it become so commonplace that rejoicing is just a concept and not a reality?  Do we really glorify and praise God for the coming of Jesus? Are we true witnesses of the coming of the Christ?

In just a week, many of us will gather at our local churches on the Eve of Christmas … some will celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist, Communion) in remembrance of His life and death and resurrection.  Some will baptize new believers.  Our focus will turn from decorations and gifting and the other trappings of the Christmas season to the real reason we celebrate … Emmanuel; God is with us. As we leave our places of worship, let us go rejoicing … glorifying and praising God … just like the shepherds did on that night so long ago.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, I admit that I have in times past failed to really celebrate the coming of Christ. Forgive me for not my spiritual blindness … and open my eyes again this Christmas to the enormity of the coming of my Savior and my Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:8-20