11 more days....
Here are some more ornaments from our tree. The first ornament is one I made long ago. LONG AGO.... The second one is also an oldie goldie from my childhood that someone cross-stitched for me. I love it, though.
Today I was teaching the students the actual Christmas story about Jesus' birth. I began to talk about the shepherds and as I was teaching I was imagining what it would have been like out there on that hillside. Can you imagine? Total quietness as you watch over the sheep and then all of a sudden an angel appears and tells you "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
God chose to announce His Son's miraculous birth to some lowly, stinky shepherds. I began to chew on that as I taught and the Lord brought to my mind three reasons why He chose shepherds, of all people, to be the first to know about Christ's birth.
1. A shepherd was a lowly, "every day" person. If Christ had been born in a palace (He IS King of Kings and Lord of Lord's so He had that right), then those shepherds would never have been able to see Him.
Luke 2:15,16 - And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
They were chosen because God wanted to show that ALL people, no matter what your "rank" in life, can come to Him.
2. The Bible tells us that we are like sheep and need a Shepherd to lead us.
Psalm 23:1,2 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters. Isaiah 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
What better people to come see OUR Shepherd when He was born, than shepherds! They were a picture of HIM!
3. The Bible tells us also that Jesus was the perfect lamb that was slain for us.
Isaiah 53:7 - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
John 1:29 - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The shepherds would have taken care of the sheep that were used for the sacrifices that atoned for the sins of the people. Jesus was the PERFECT Lamb that was the final sacrifice for our sin. He shed His blood so that we could have freedom from and a covering for sin.
I am thankful that those shepherds were the first to see Christ. What a picture of Him they show!!!
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