December 13, 2010
Truth Connections
Devotions for Parents on the Go

Focus on Jesus Part One: Embrace the Message
Background Passages: Luke 2:1-35
Today's Focal Passage:

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 12 This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough."
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,and peace on earth to people He favors!
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.

Luke 2:8-16, HCSB
An Important Message

   Think of a time when you received a message you were not expecting that changed your life. I think of several messages: getting my first job offer out of college, having the offer accepted on my first house purchase, finding out my wife was expecting our first child, hearing that my dad had had a heart attack and receiving word that my grandmother had passed away. How did you respond to the messages you received?
  
With today's technology, if we have an important message to get to someone quickly, we simply grab our cell phone and send a text or make a call or we get online and send an instant message or make a post to a social network. These advances have made connecting with others so much quicker and easier. What did we do before the days of cell phones and computers? Can you even remember those days? Communication was certainly different and not nearly as convenient. Before the days of this modern technology, we had to rely on a personal connection or find a land-line to make a call. 
  
The shepherds in today's Scripture passage had their own form of instant messaging, an angel. This angel had an important message to deliver-the good news of the birth of the Christ child.   Scripture tells us the shepherds went immediately to find the Child. They did not tarry or question or debate. They just went. And, after they found Mary, Joseph and the Baby and experienced this miracle, they could not wait to tell everyone they saw about it.
  
Christians have a message the world needs to hear-that God sent Jesus as Savior. This is good news for all people. We simply cannot wait to share or not share at all. These are just not options. We can learn much from these shepherds.
Kyle Cravens
Digging Deeper: Shepherds in New Testament Times (v. 8)

As a group, shepherds were unclean according to Jewish custom even though they may have provided the animals used for temple sacrifices. They were also mistrusted, considered dishonest and unreliable. They were not even allowed to give court testimony as a result of their reputation. Still, Christ-followers should take heart that the message of salvation was first delivered to the lowliest of society. The gospel is indeed good news for all people!