Text: Luke 2:8-14, Hebrews 1:3
This is the best part of the story! The celebration, the exaltation of Jesus, the telling of His Coming. It’s all twinkle and joy and beholding; it’s a covenant kept and hope fulfilled.
This is a triumphant moment. It’s the scene of the Christmas play all the kids want a part in. The angels are announcing that time has indeed been torn in two—one time before the Hope of the World was born and everything after. An angel comes to a group of men who are tending their sheep and tells them, “Behold! I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”
Then, suddenly appearing with that angel is a whole skyful of heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Finally, the baby king is born. Finally, true Hope has come, and it is for us all.
God has sent His Son down to earth, made like us but still wholly God. A baby Savior! We all know the great joy and amazement that comes with the birth of a baby. Cheers! A huge sigh of relief and overflowing love! But, imagine the ruckus and praise from Heaven when the baby Jesus made it safely into the world, God tangibly with us—Emmanuel.
I have goosebumps thinking about it. This is the moment in history when the angels and the whole company of heaven get to welcome this tiny miracle they’ve been anticipating for ages. It is the fulfillment of a generations-old promise, one stretching from the fall of Adam, foretold through so many prophets, and finally coming to fruition there in tiny Bethlehem.
Hebrews has this beautiful gem of Scripture that just puts the majesty of Christ into words. It says,
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” – Hebrews 1:3
The radiance of the glory of God. The exact imprint of his nature. Upholds the entire universe by just the word of his power. This is the baby king the angel is announcing. This is the glory of that evening. He is the One the shepherds were seeking, and the One we’re all seeking today.
Glory be to God that Jesus was born so that we might find Him— the perfect imprint of God’s nature, the Savior for all people.
For an added layer of worship during this sweet season of adoration and expectation, we’ve created a Spotify playlist for Advent 2014! You can find the complete SheReadsTruth | O Come Let Us Adore Him playlist at this link, or listen to today’s track on the player below. Enjoy!
“Hallelujah! Christ is born!
All glory be to God on high
And to the Earth be peace.
Good will henceforth from God to man
Begin and never cease.” -Andrew Peterson
http://youtu.be/y7HPWlBKg9M
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
(Luke 2:14, ESV)
"Glory to God in the highest": the only thing we can do is receive Christ's gift with humble adoration and praise.
"On earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased!": Guys, He is pleased with us. Isaiah 62 has been a HUGE passage of scripture for me this year, one Christ has really imprinted on my heart for how He sees me, and the Chibok girls I'm currently praying and blogging for:
"No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married."
(Isaiah 62:4, NIV)
The fact that God's favor rests on us, because we are His children, coming close to Him by the sacrifice of Christ (Heb 10:19-22), blows my mind. His favor resting upon us– Him being pleased with us– grants us peace. Both the concepts of His favor resting upon me and His peace ruling over me (Colossians 3:15) have been truths I've slowly but surely been accepting as true in my heart. What a beautiful, blessed verse. <3
Merry Christmas, all of you!
–AnnaLee
Amazing! Merry CHRISTmas everyone
In verse 10, the angel says he brings them "good news."
HELPS word studies says this is different than just bringing a good message (hey guys, you just won $1,000,000!); it is about "sharing the full Gospel of Christ – literally, 'gospelizing' that announces the complete message of 'the good news."
The good news was "of great joy," which, according to HELPS, means "joy because of grace," which is so much more than good feelings.
In verse 14, the angels sing "peace" on earth, which is specifically "the Messiah's peace, the way that leads to salvation, prepared for us in heaven" and "God's gift of wholeness, when all the essential parts are joined together."
The magnitude of what was revealed to the "simple shepherds" is striking; this wasn't about warm fuzzies or admiration of a cute little newborn. God's message given through the angels was a revelation of His complete plan of grace and wholeness fulfilled in Jesus. Amazing!
Having just had a baby 7.5 weeks ago, the connection of the joy everyone around us felt when she was born to the rejoicing in Heaven when Jesus safely made His entrance into the world is a fresh one for me. I can't even begin to imagine what a celebration must have been taking place as God's rescue plan for humanity was finally put into action. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas sisters! Thank you for a year of wonderful studies, for sharing your hearts, and for being present. I'm so excited for 2015!!!!Praying for you all. Love, Princess Sky
I have ALL the goosebumps!!
Rejoice! That was beautiful. Thank you and Merry Christmas!