Luke 2:8-20, Exodus 3:1-7 and I Thessalonians 4:5-18
It's the day after Christmas and we need to remember that the way Jesus came to us was predicted in the Old Testament. The details including the town the Messiah would be born in, that he would be wrapped in swaddling clothes, that a star would show the way and that the heavens would rejoice at His arrival were all written about hundreds of years before Jesus was born.
Key Idea: God gave signs throughout history and he still gives us signs today. These signs are to help us save us from ourselves, to help us reject evil and most of all to help us keep our focus on what God has for us to do here on earth. God knows we get discouraged and the signs he provides are intended to give us courage to move ahead in the face of what might seem to be impossible odds.
The star that the wise men followed to find Christ and that also amazed the local shepherds might be the most famous sign in history. And there was more for the shepherds. Luke 2:8 says that the shepherds were just doing their job and, "Suddenly God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified."
In Exodus 3:1-6 it says that God, "appeared as an angel in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush...and Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God." The shepherds knew the story of Moses and the talking, burning bush and we imagine that they believed they were in the presence of God.
Even though they were probably nervous, they followed the instructions delivered by the angel and found their way to the location described by the angel. They heard an angelic choir singing, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to all people who follow him."
What did they find? They found the ultimate gift of Christmas. They found the son of God, ready to rescue us from ourselves. The promise of the scripture is that the life of this child would change every man and woman who chooses to embrace Him as their Savior, Messiah and Lord.
The fulfillment of a life with Christ on earth brings us each to the greatest gathering of all. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 we read about another angel appearance. It says, "Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast!" The promise is that all of us who have chosen to follow Christ are one family and this entire family will unite to live forever with our Savior, Messiah and Lord.
On Christmas, Christ -- fully God and fully human -- came to rescue us from ourselves.
