The birth of a child is an exciting time. I remember when our first son, Adam, was born. Throughout the pregnancy, it was hard for me to believe that there was actually a baby growing inside Lisa. Now, Lisa had no problem knowing this, especially once he started kicking her in the ribs or lying on her bladder. The miracle of birth is truly a miracle. Prior to Adam being born, the only births I had witnessed were calves, pigs, and puppies. As exciting as that was, nothing compares to witnessing the birth of my sons.
I’m sure Joseph and Mary had witnessed the births of lambs and goats. But nothing compared to the birth of their first son, Jesus Christ. When the baby is born, and placed in the arms of his mother, all time stands still. Every pain goes away. All the problems of life disappear. For a little while, life stops and there is joy.
I remember holding each of our sons and just looking at him, counting fingers and toes, and realizing how helpless they were. They needed us to feed them change, their diapers, and clothe them. They couldn’t even turn over on their own. They were totally dependent on Lisa and me. I also remember looking into their eyes. I’ll never forget look in their eyes as they looked back at me. They were looking at every detail of my face. They knew the sound of my voice, but now they were getting familiar with my face.
At some point the realization hit me that God had given these boys to Lisa and me to raise. My ability to be a father to them would determine the kind of men they would grow to become and the fathers kind of fathers they would be. I felt so inadequate to be the father of these boys.
I’m sure Joseph felt the same thing. He had a right to. After all, he would be responsible for raising the Messiah, the Son of God. What if he messed up? How did he feel when he had to correct and punish the young boy? Being a father isn’t easy. I’m sure there were tough times for Joseph as well.
So, how do we celebrate the birth of a baby that we can’t touch? How do we rejoice that the baby and mother are healthy and doing well when we can’t see them? How do we celebrate the birth of a baby that took place over 2000 years ago? People haven’t changed in over 2000 thousand years. We do the same thing the shepherds did.
Luke 2:15-20 (NLT)
15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
They interrupted their schedule to go see the baby. (2:15)
15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
It’s amazing how we’ll drop everything to go see a new baby. When contractions hit, everything planned for that day is put on hold. The only thing on our minds is getting to the hospital before the baby is born. When our boys were born, mine and Lisa’s parents dropped everything and drove to the hospital to see their new grandsons. Nothing was more important than seeing their grandchildren.
After the angels announced the birth of the Messiah, the shepherds left work and ran to Bethlehem to see the baby. They left the sheep. The only thing on their minds was getting to Bethlehem to see the baby Messiah.
When interrupts your schedule, do you stop for him? We will interrupt our schedules for all that is important to us: doctor visits, auto repairs, TV shows, and people. God often comes us announced. He didn’t send Moses an email telling him to meet him on the mountain at 1:00 PM on Tuesday. No, he showed up in a burning bush. God didn’t send an invitation to Gideon requesting that Gideon meet him in the wine press at 10:00 AM on Friday. God didn’t instant message Mary and arrange a time for Gabriel to meet with her. God just shows up. No warning. No prior announcement. He just appears.
The shepherds weren’t looking for the Messiah to come that night. From time to time they talked about the Messiah coming and defeating the Romans and all their enemies. But, they never expected him to come during their life time. So, when the angels announced his arrival, they were shocked.
Have you ever wondered why the angels chose to tell them rather than another group of shepherds? Why didn’t they tell the local priests or rabbis? Why didn’t they appear to King Herod or Augustus, the Emperor of Rome?
The shepherds were willing to let God interrupt their schedule. Although they didn’t expect God to split the night sky and send angels, they were looking for God to arrive.
Are you willing to let God interrupt your busy Christmas schedule? Do you really expect him to show up at your house? Will you be watching for him at your family gathering? If you are not looking for him, you will miss him.
They went to the baby. (2:16)
16They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
When our boys were born, the first people we called were our parents. They did not say, “Congratulations! When are you going to bring the little fellow to us so we can see him?” No, they came to us. They loaded their suit cases and drove to the hospital to see their new grandson.
When God speaks to us, he will often beckon us to come to him. Moses saw the bush burning but not being consumed and went to this strange sight. Abram left his home in Ur and set out for an unknown destination. Saul met the Lord in a blinding light and was told to go to Damascus and wait for further instructions. Worshiping the Lord will always involve going to where he is.
It’s a good thing that the angels told the shepherds about the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary were alone. There were no grandparents. There were no friends. Their rabbi wasn’t there. The shepherds were the first visitors to see the new-born Messiah, the Anointed of God.
We never know who we will see when we follow the Lord. I have never seen angels in the sky. I have not seen a burning bush. I have not been blinded by a light from heaven. Nevertheless, God has called me to meet him in some unusual places: in a deer stand, driving down the road, in the middle of the night.
When you’re willing to let God interrupt your schedule, you may have to go where he is to see him; the lonely widow down the street, a person in the hospital, your child who is asking you that ten millionth question for the day, or a quiet place to worship and listen to God.
Will you go to where the Lord is waiting for you?
They told everyone about the baby. (2:17-19)
17Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often.
They were excited. Have you ever been around person who has a new grandchild? They will whip out the pictures so quick it’ll make your head spin. They have wonderful news to tell.
When the shepherds arrived in Bethlehem they told whoever they saw about the angels and about the baby. They couldn’t keep the good news quiet. They had to tell everyone they met.
One of the things we did in preparation for the birth of our sons was to make a list of who to call. After Lisa and the baby were settled into their room, my job was to call everyone on the list. We even had people on the list who were to call other people. The news of the birth our boys was too good to keep quiet.
When you encounter God, regardless of how spectacular or mundane, you have good news to tell.
They returned to their routines changed men. (2:20)
20The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
We do not know how long the shepherds visit was. It may been brief or they may have lingered for a while. But one thing is for certain, they were not the same when they returned to the pastures.
Many people told me that my life would change when we had children. I knew it change some. I wasn’t prepared for just how much my life changed when each of our sons was born. The circumstances of my life have definitely changed. Lisa and I have little time to sit alone on the coach to talk or cuddle. The mornings I want to sleep late are the mornings Seth wakes up early and comes to our bedroom. Packing for a trip can’t be done in a few minutes. Lisa cooks meals that the boys will eat. It’s a good thing I’ll eat almost anything. Money I used to spend on tools, hunting, or fishing is spent on toys, clothes, doctor and dentist visits, and eye glasses. But no one told me about the changes that would take place within me.
All of the changes have been for the good. I am a better person today because of the births of my sons. Some of the changes have been easy. Many of them have been hard. Some of them are still in the works.
• My sons have taught me many lessons in patience. I have passed a few of these tests and have failed many of them.
• My sons have taught me to communicate in simple words and to repeat them frequently.
• My sons have taught me that being a man of God means being the best dad I can be.
• My sons have taught me that doing what’s right isn’t always easy.
• My sons have given me many lessons in shaping and molding the character of another person.
The shepherds were not the same when they left. Their night of tending sheep had turned into a night of miracles, worship, and praise. Rather than merely watching sheep and finding some way to whittle away the night, they now sang and worshiped God as they watched the sheep. They retold the story of the angels to one another many times. They told about searching for and finding the baby.
Don’t you wish we knew what they told their families when they returned home? Wouldn’t it be great to hear more about how they were changed because of the events of that night? Too bad Paul Harvey wasn’t alive then. If he had been, we’d “know the rest of the story.”
Closing
We may not know the rest of the shepherds’ stories, but you can do something about the rest of your story. You can continue to watch sheep in the mundane routine of life. Or, you can allow God to interrupt your life-schedule, go where he tells you, and be born again.
If you have experienced the new birth of Jesus Christ within you, then you have great news to tell everyone. The baby that has been born is you.
If you have not experienced the new birth of Jesus Christ within you, will you allow him work a miracle of new birth in you? Christmas would be a wonderful time to receive the greatest gift ever given—the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Let’s stand and proclaim the good news that Christ, the Lord is born by singing, Go, tell it on the Mountain.
