THE SHEPHERDS' VISIT

Luke 2:15-16  When 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.  They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph.  And there was the baby, lying in a manger. 

      Have you ever had a visit from God?  Have you spoken to His angels or have they spoken to you?  The Scriptures tell us of different times when God sent an angel to people to tell them of something that was about to happen through them or someone else.  I have not had such an experience personally, but I can only imagine how much a life-changing event that would be.

      The shepherds did not dismiss the angels’ visit with them as being a dream or something they had imagined, even though that would seem to be the logical reaction to what they had just witnessed and heard.  After all, heaven had been silent for over 400 years.  They were shepherds, not someone important like maybe a priest would be.  They did not doubt this was a message from God himself, that the Christ child had just been born. 

      They wasted no time and went into the village in search of this special child, the promised Messiah, Savior of the world.  They had to see firsthand this baby boy.  We are not told, but I don’t think it took them long to find the Lord and his parents.  They came to pay Christ respect and worship Him.

      Jesus is not hard to find.  Anyone who is sincerely looking for Him will find Him.  He had never, and never will, hide from anyone. 

      Are you looking for Jesus in the midst of your busyness?  Are you more focused on your preparations for Christmas than you are the Christ of Christmas?  Are you taking time out of your hectic life to enter into His presence and worship Him?  Is Jesus your main focus for Christmas or is He low on your priority list?