by Sharon O | Dec 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
What we can learn from this story is for sure obedience and acceptance and even intense trust.
When we read this verse. In Luke 2:
[8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep.
Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.]
First we have to realize who these sheepherders were. They are a group of men who were considered outcasts.
The majority of people in the villages had nothing to do with them. They were rough and rugged.
Not much terrified them. They were used to fighting off wild animals while protecting their sheep.
They were not ‘lightly’ startled either, they were keenly taught to be sheep herders.
Were they standing around the camp fire and all of a sudden someone appeared right beside them?
We are not told what the angel looked like, and how it actually happened.
What about the glory blazing around them, that had to have been very amazing, and a bit scary.
[At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.]
Was it a flash mob of angels in the sky singing and praising God?
That would be enough to make one rethink some thoughts. In awe and wonder and also maybe disbelief?
I find it interesting they sang ‘the right language’ so the sheepherders understood the song.
[15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over.]
Then to see the angel choir go back into the heavenly clouds? that would be amazing too.
The sheepherders talked it over among themselves and said ‘we must go quickly.’
[“Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.”
They left, running,] We have to remember these sheepherders would never leave their precious sheep for any reason.
They knew that it was not an option to leave the sheep unprotected. Yet they did.
They ran quickly. What we can learn from these men is their desire to see with their own eyes.
The baby born in a stable laying in a manger.
[They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing.
They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.]
The other significant issues around this is the sheepherders were not often thought of as reliable resources.
Not believable, not someone who you would trust with information.
They learned to speak with impressionable language and believable attitudes and behavior.
The verse says ALL were impressed. NOT some but everyone.
Kind of like they were the first missionary’s on the stable floor.
They saw, they shared and they were truth tellers for the first time.
What we can learn from this story is the life changing ability of a little baby named Jesus.
The men who were outcasts became acceptable, the men who never were listened to, became credible witnesses.
They told everyone they met, about this life altering experience and as they returned to their field of sheep.
I am sure they shared among each other, the experience and the reason why they all ran to the stable.
by Sharon O | Dec 14, 2016 | Uncategorized
The time came for Mary’s son to be born and with Joseph by her side, she delivered her first child.
A baby boy who they named Jesus.
[In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David.
His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary.
Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you.
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.
But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you:
You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
Luke 1:26-28 MSG]
As she was remembering, I am sure she was overwhelmed with emotions.
The road to the stable was long and hard and she was tired.
You can imagine her feeling exhausted, sad that she left her family, weary from the days of travel.
I am also sure she was overwhelmed with the ‘thought’ of this little baby being someone very special.
As they rested she probably thought back on all the conversations she had shared with Elizabeth.
She remembered how Elizabeth’s baby responded to her voice and how powerful that moment was for them.
So much was on her heart and in her mind and mixed with her emotions of just giving birth.
The next cast of characters to arrive on the scene are the Shepherds.
In Luke we find the story.
[8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep.
Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified.
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide:
A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master.
This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”
13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over.
“Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.”
They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
Seeing was believing. (THIS is what WE SEE with our eyes)
They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child.
All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.
The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen.
It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!]
by Sharon O | Dec 13, 2016 | Uncategorized
Mary went with Joseph on the trip to do the census in the town of Bethlehem.
She didn’t have to go as she was not ‘his’ wife, and the custom was for families to be counted.
[Luke 2: He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.]
Our Pastor said today there were a few ‘ideas why’ she went with him.
Joseph was told by the Angel to name the baby Jesus.
If he had gone on without her the baby might have been born before he got back; and his name might not have been ‘chosen to be Jesus.’
Being young the ‘family’ might have chosen a different name for him.
The other idea was she was so far along Joseph didn’t feel right about leaving her alone, so he took her with him to be close to her.
Another idea was to protect her; for to be pregnant without being married would be cause for her to be stoned.
He was saving her life by taking her with him and walking with her on the road together.
The other idea was he had to follow the ‘direction given’ for them to have a baby in a manger, fulfilling the prophecy written.
[6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn.
She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel there.]
Remember this is in the middle of a census which would mean many rooms would be full and many homes not available.
We often remember the ‘story’ of Joseph going door to door asking for a room, and the Innkeeper saying, “there in no room in the inn.”
We don’t really know if that actually happened or if it has been a story passed down just to make it more interesting.
I also read somewhere that if he was to meet family on his side they might have not been accepting of her, since they were not married.
What we do know, Mary and Joseph were to have their little baby in a quiet little stable among the sheep and cows.
Maybe after being with Elizabeth Mary had an idea of what to do during birth, she might not have had a midwife help her.
I am not sure if they tore the donkey’s blanket and made it a swaddling cloth for the baby.
Perhaps they had brought a few baby things, just in case they would need it, before leaving on this road trip.
We are not told about conversations between the two of them, or the discomfort Mary had felt while traveling this ‘long journey.’
Anyone who has ever been expecting knows and understands this would be a very long hard road for her.
Whether she walked part of the way or rode the donkey the whole time, it was not easy or comfortable.
We don’t know many things about this Christmas story, but we do know, it was planned and it was supposed to take place.
In the little town of Bethlehem, so that scripture could be fulfilled.
by Sharon O | Dec 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
The next character we are introduced to; is Joseph.
There is not a lot about him that we know, he was older than Mary, he was a carpenter.
He was a descendant of King David so the lineage for Jesus would be right and accurate.
He was an honorable and righteous man. I would imagine and wonder if he had a ‘religious’ faith.
I also wonder about the conversation he might have had with Mary.
We know she went to go see and be with Elizabeth, maybe as a way for Joseph and herself to have time to think.
To be expecting a baby, without having been with ‘him’, or anyone would be hard for Joseph to understand.
I wonder what they talked about.
She was confused at what the angel had told her, and he must have been confused as well.
Mary seemed to accept her role in this ‘story of Jesus’, now Joseph has to accept this too.
When he has a dream he is told to marry her from the angel.
[Matthew 1:18-19 The birth of Jesus took place like this.
His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.
Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.)
Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.
God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived.
God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.
She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.”
This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this — a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).
24-25 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary.
But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.]
I wonder how this all happened to both of them emotionally.
To have a life ‘altering event’ come at you full force.
Not having a lot of time to think on or ponder about it.
They had to deal with it right then and right away.
During this time frame; Elizabeth gave birth to John and then a census was issued for all people to return to their ancestral towns to register.
Luke 2:6 So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census.
As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
The journey was not easy for them as we will soon find out.
by Sharon O | Dec 9, 2016 | Uncategorized
[39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”]
When we read these verses we are amazed that John who was not born but very much alive inside Elizabeth,
heard and knew Mary had arrived and HE knew her voice and the truth about her baby filling Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit.
Isn’t that powerful?
Elizabeth who had known Mary all her life realized in an instant, SHE was the mother of Jesus. The chosen one.
It is both amazing and awesome that the bond between these two women were around the miracles they were given.
Both were carrying special son’s and both were chosen to do the miraculous.
After hearing Elizabeth and seeing her excitement, Mary said this prayer.
[ “My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.]
What we are amazed by is her response.
She was a young teen and she has been told she was going to be the Mother of Jesus.
Her response was acceptance, obedience and even peace.
We are not told about Mary’s family, whether she had a mother and a father, but we do know she was close to Elizabeth.
Was she there when John was born? Was she there for Elizabeth to help her in her aging condition?
Many things we don’t know. What we do know is this: We are amazed at the miraculous.
Let us continue on as we move through the Christmas story.
