The Nativity story never grows old. Adeste fidelis – “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” bids us to come adore the living Christ. Multiple Millions of sermons and teachings have been spoken about the events surrounding the coming of Jesus, and the wonders of it still inspire and bless the hearers. Humanity finds itself in the story—young mother Mary, kind Joseph, travelers and innkeepers, shepherds, magi, a cruel king. For some, it was simply another child born in humble circumstances—no big deal. For simple country folk tending sheep on the Bethlehem hillsides, it was a miraculous encounter with the angelic host of heaven. For a wicked king, it was a threat to his reign. For the magi, astronomers and prognosticators, it was an auspicious event displayed in the night sky that was worth their enormous effort to pursue.
How is it different today? To some, it still is no big deal, and in fact, a nuisance of a holiday gone out of control. For His followers, it is deeply spiritual—“joy unspeakable and full of glory,” as we celebrate the cornerstone of our faith. Some feel such colossal threat to their philosophies, they make intense efforts to stamp out the most remote reminder of Jesus. For others, finding the Christ is the fruition of a long journey of search and wonder that culminates in humble worship.
And the Glory of the Lord Shone Around Them
The shepherds’ story in Luke 2 is one of simple folk just going about their business when suddenly, they have a divine encounter of such intensity, that they became afraid. Angelic visitation and divine glory is not exactly an everyday experience, and the other-worldliness of it rocked them to the core.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Mercy prevailed and the angel quickly comforted them with the prophetic words of comfort and explanation. I find myself in the story in that when I’ve had intense divine encounters, they too have been filled with glory, wonder, and prophetic words.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”
The words of the angel did not fall to a deaf ground. The shepherds were quick to act on the encounter. They made haste to Bethlehem to behold that which the angel foretold. We are not told what they did with the sheep. More than likely, they left the flock encamped on the hills until their return. Sheep can slow you down. (I think there is a message in there somewhere.) They found the child exactly as the angel had told them.
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
What could have been their reaction to encountering Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus swaddled and lying in a manger, a trough of sorts used to feed animals? I have serious doubts that it looked like the crèches on display on your neighborhood lawn. It was dark, grimy, and smelled of animals. It’s a funny thing about difficult environments. I have found in my travels that when you are in the center of God’s will, the discomforts of the most harsh and primitive surroundings fade, and the glory of the moment consumes you. It must have been something like that for that holy nativity scene.
The humble shepherds were the first evangelists. They spread the good news (gospel) of Jesus in the surroundings of Bethlehem and it was well received. The good news is meant to be spread by everyday folks—like you and me.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
It certainly is a lot to take in for a young mother, and Mary was no exception. She had a divine visitation of epic proportions and gave birth to the promised Messiah—certainly much to ponder. It was not in grand spaces of a palatial home. It was in the lowliest of places, yet the glory of the Lord transformed a stable into a king’s nursery. It’s what God does with us. He transforms grimy, smelly, lost souls into glorious children of the Most High God as we receive Him by faith.
I love the carol, “Oh Come all Ye Faithful,” especially in Latin (brings back precious childhood memories).
Adeste fidelis
Laeti triumphantes
Venite, venite in Bethlehem
Natum videte regem angelorum
Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus Dominum.
Today, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.