The Shepherd's View of Christmas by Carol Harrison

 

Hey everyone. Listen to what happened tonight. You’re never going to believe it but it’s all true. I don't have a good enough imagination to make this kind of thing up. I was with the other shepherds in the field outside Bethlehem just like every other night. It wasn't easy to stay awake during the blackness of the night. The job required it. Someone had to keep watch over the sheep and make sure they stayed calm not to mention keep the wild animals from snacking on them.We needed to sell all the unblemished ones for the sacrifice.

Once the sheep felt secure and rested quietly, I had settled in by the fire to wait out the long, dark hours of night. Hadn’t heard of bears or anything in the area so figured it would be a quiet night. I wrapped my rough cloak around myself against the chill of the night air and slid a bit closer to the warmth of the fire.

Suddenly the night sky lit up. An angel started talking to us. I rubbed my eyes but I was awake. This was no dream. It was like the glory of the Lord Almighty filled the night sky and a bright light shone down on us in that field. I was terrified. I hid my face and started to shake. I lifted my head to take a quick peek. I noticed my companions also hid their faces. I must not be dreaming. What was happening?

I listened to the words the angel spoke. He told us not to be afraid. Easier said than done I thought but the more the angel said, the less fear I felt. I started getting excited about the message.  Good news. Could sure use some of that. For everyone. Even me, a shepherd that no one had any use for. The Messiah had been born in Bethlehem. Israel had waited for centuries for this promise. But a baby as a Saviour?

How strange that we'd find this baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Wouldn't the Messiah, the Saviour come as a king to rid us of Roman oppression and right all the wrongs? How could a baby do any of that? Before I could figure any of it out, more angels than I could count joined the first one. The entire sky filled with light, The angels sang Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to men.

Peace would be nice. The Romans kept us under their thumb. Even our own people didn’t trust us shepherds. They figured our word meant nothing. Life was hard. This beautiful sight and the amazing singing filled me with wonder and hope. As quickly as they came they finished their song of hope and disappeared. The stars twinkled overhead just like any other clear, cold night. The night seemed blacker and more silent after the angels left. Yet in all of this our sheep felt no fear – they kept resting.

 “Come on, let’s go! What are we waiting for?” I shouted to the others. “Let’s see for ourselves if this is really true.”

 I jumped up and started running into Bethlehem looking for the stable the angels told us about. The others could follow or not but I knew I had to go and find this Saviour. I found the place and there he was, just like the angel said he would be. A baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. But in my heart I sensed this was the one the angels had proclaimed to us. He was no ordinary baby. 

I couldn't get the words out fast enough to tell Mary and Joseph everything I had seen and heard that night. I told them everything – about the angel and what he said and the choir of angels.

It still seems hard to believe that the God of heaven and earth told us first – lowly shepherds shunned by others. He sent us to see His Son, to be the first visitors to worship Jesus. I have to go tell more people. I want to tell everyone this wonderful news. Our Saviour is here – he was born tonight. He’s here – in that stable, lying in the manger. The wait is over. Thank you God for giving us the message of hope. Thank you Lord Almighty for letting me come and worship your son.

Glory to God in the highest. His Peace has come to the earth.

Come. You need to see for yourselves our Saviour is born. What are you waiting for?

Luke 2: 9-20

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ. the Lord. This will be a sign to you; you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising god and saying.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven the shepherd said to one another, let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherd returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

Carol Harrison writes from her home in Saskatoon where she lives with her husband and youngest daughter. She has always loved Christmas and the message of hope only available through Jesus. www.carolscorner.ca
 

The View from Above by Steph Beth Nickel

The Heavenly Host waited in the wings, watching a remarkable scene unfold before them. Their commander was announcing the Messiah's birth to a group of shepherds. Shepherds! Who could have imagined it? Who except the Lord God Himself?

"Can you believe it?" The angel may have looked imposing, but he was full of questions.

"Of course I can. After all, this is what ADONAI said would happen," his closest companion said.

"But Mashiach, the Messiah, born in the obscure little town of His earthly ancestors ... That, in itself, is almost unbelievable. The Saviour born to an unassuming virgin, to be raised by a carpenter."

The angel stretched his wings. "The prophets of old proclaimed all these things."

"They did. But who could have imagined it would all come together this way?"

The second angel turned his attention to the commander. "Do not be afraid," he began.

"Easier said than done," the angel whispered.

"What was that?" the first angel asked.

"There they are. Shepherds watching over what must be the most stubborn and foolish creatures the Creator ever made. These humans have to keep the sheep from being eaten by wolves and bears through every watch of the night, no matter the weather or time of year. Wolves and bears ... who would just as likely make off with one of the shepherds if they were half as oblivious as their charges. The shepherds may not be afraid of the predators, but when the commander appears to them, lighting up the night sky, how must they feel about a directive not to be afraid?"

The second angel considered that for a moment. "You're right. Just one more mystery we must accept by faith."

"You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth ..."

The first angel shook his head. "Yeshua exchanging His royal robes for strips of cloth. Isaiah had it right when he said ADONAI Elyon's plans are higher than the plans of all humanity."

"And His thoughts higher than theirs."

The angel nodded. "Look at those men. Huddling in fear despite the commander telling them not to fear and his promise of Good News and great joy."

His companion smiled broadly. "Can you imagine how they would feel if ADONAI stood before them?"

"And, in a way, they will soon be standing before Him." He shook his head in wonder.

"And here I thought I was the one thinking clearly. That may be the most profound thing you've ever said."

"ADONAI Elohim gives us wisdom and promises it to the men and women He created—"

"That's the only way they have any hope of grasping what's going on tonight."

The first angel nodded again.

The second held up his hand. "The commander has said all the Lord instructed him to."

"And now we get to join in the most amazing event since creation. I wonder if people will write about this night."

"For millennia to come, I'm sure."

With that, they joined the rest of their company proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth shalom to men of good will."

Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society.  Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.

Handel's Messiah, Our Messiah ~ Valerie Ronald

 

             

 

I first experienced the majesty of Handel’s musical oratorio, Messiah, in a quaint stone church that had been converted into a community theatre. My enjoyment of classical music had been nurtured through my daughter’s education as a pianist through the Royal Conservatory of Music. She chose just the right Christmas gift with this musical evening out for both of us.  

Once the performance began, the stuffy, overcrowded theatre was soon forgotten as the beauty and grandeur of Handel’s music captured me. The instrumental ensemble and choir were small, the soloists gifted amateurs, yet their ardent presentation revealed true hearts for the music. I knew Handel’s famous oratorio was about Jesus Christ, but was surprised to hear verbatim Old Testament prophecies beautifully set to music, foretelling the coming of a Messiah, a Savior for all people.

I felt a thrill in my soul when the choir burst forth with, “Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory.” (Psalm 24:10)

But nothing prepared me for the emotional impact of the renowned Hallelujah Chorus. All around me people rose to their feet as the glorious anthem rang out. By the time the last “Hallelujah!” faded, I too, was on my feet with tears streaming down my face. I felt as if a portal of heaven had opened so we could hear the angel chorus and experience a foretaste of being in God’s presence.

To this day, whenever I listen to Handel’s Messiah, I am overwhelmed with the majesty of God and awe at His divine plan to give us His Son in order to free us from our sins. Spirit-inspired music, biblical text so skillfully, at times brilliantly, assembled, combine to transport me out of my common humanity and lift me into transcendent worship. 

 

Handel’s Messiah has become a musical institution, traditionally performed at Christmas by choirs around the world. In 1741 George Fredric Handel composed the music for the world-renowned oratorio in a mere three weeks, after reading scripture passages and excerpts from the Book of Common Prayer compiled by his friend, Charles Jennens. History records that upon reading the texts, Handel was so overcome with their power that he shut himself in a room and worked day and night composing, often forgetting to eat. His servant sometimes heard his sobs as he labored over the inspired text. At the end of his manuscript Handel wrote the letters "SDG"—Soli Deo Gloria, "To God alone the glory.”

Handel is quoted exclaiming as he wrote the famous “Hallelujah Chorus”, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself!” At a performance of Messiah in 1759, honoring his seventy-fourth birthday, Handel responded to enthusiastic applause with these words: "Not from me - but from Heaven - comes all."  

Jennens, who compiled the scripture passages of Messiah, prefaced the first edition of the libretto with the scripture, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16 KJV)  

Jennens chose the scripture passages for Messiah to illustrate the person and work of the Lord Jesus as summarized above. The great mystery alluded to in the prophetic passages of Part 1 of the oratorio, is realized as God manifest in the flesh through the incarnation. Part 2 focuses on Christ’s redemptive work on earth and Part 3 culminates with His resurrection and future reign. Throughout Messiah, composer Handel employs a technique called text painting, where the musical notes mimic the lines of text. Therein lies the reason for Messiah’s power and longevity. Given the God-breathed words of scripture concerning Christ, combined with the God-given musical gifting of Handel, this timeless classic continues to inspire its listeners to rise to their feet, a custom established since England’s King George II rose at the first Hallelujah of the famous chorus in 1743.

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6_nJ11BgTE&list=RDu6_nJ11BgTE&index=1
    

Valerie's devotionals can be read on her blog https://scriptordeus.wordpress.com

Road Worthy by Valerie Ronald

Travel has a way of drawing out internal thoughts. As the body is engaged in getting to a destination, the mind has time to ponder and explore away from daily routine. On a seven mile journey by foot from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a few days after Jesus’ crucifixion, two of His disciples discussed the internal thoughts closest to their hearts. Shoulders slumped, feet scuffing the dusty road, faces sad and perplexed, their demeanor spoke their discouragement. They had put their hope in Jesus of Nazareth as the one who was going to redeem Israel, but He had been arrested, crucified and buried, and His body probably stolen for His tomb was now empty. With the road stretching before them, their conversation was tinged with sorrow and confusion. (Luke 24:13-35 NIV)

In the aftermath of a life-shattering event, we want to study it from all angles, dissect the details, try to figure out the why and how and now what. Somehow it gives us a sense of control to analyze the facts and search for answers, preferably with someone who can commiserate with us. Processing a traumatic event turns our focus inward.

The two walking to Emmaus were so absorbed in their discussion, they probably did not notice a fellow traveler until He came alongside them. Wrapped in a robe, dusty and windblown, like themselves, they did not recognize Jesus. Even though it was Jesus they were discussing, seeing Him in person was the farthest prospect from their minds. Although He had spoken of it often, His resurrection was an impossibility to them.

When we are caught up in our own problems, trying to cope with an imperfect reality, we can miss Jesus walking beside us. Life narrows our vision to focus on looming bills, a serious medical diagnosis, a fractured relationship, a worldwide crisis. Even when we fail to recognize Him, He is beside us through all the difficulties because He has promised He will never leave us or forsake us. (Heb. 13:5)

Still disguised, Jesus gently chided the two on the road for being foolish and slow of heart. In modern terms, He advised them to look at the big picture. Then painting the big picture in words, “He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27) And they were still not aware it was Him.

When all I can see are the problems right in front of me, the best thing I can do is adjust my spiritual lens, go wide angle and take in all of who Jesus is, what He has accomplished and what He has promised for the future. His story is woven throughout the Bible from the first word to the last. Reading it reminds me of the providence of God so clearly demonstrated in the life of His son Jesus, which means I can trust Him for my life too.

The two travelers warmed to their wise companion as they walked. They entreated Him to stay with them and have a meal. “He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight.” (Luke 24:30-31)

This part of the story touches my heart, because it was in the act of thanksgiving and sharing bread that Jesus revealed Himself. And He will continue to reveal Himself as we practice thanksgiving, focusing on the One who has given us all things. We are called to give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thess. 5:17) Thanksgiving points us to Jesus, our true north, who guides us into all truth.

Finally they put the two together. Jesus, the man who walked to Emmaus with them, once dead and now alive, was the Messiah, fulfilling all the prophecies in Scripture. Their hearts burned within them with this revolutionary knowledge.

The story of the two on the road to Emmaus is our story too. Often blind to the presence of Jesus right beside us, we listen to His story in Scripture, but until we thank Him for His body broken and His blood poured out for us, we cannot see who He really is. When we finally recognize our constant companion, our hearts will burn within us --- with love, with gratitude and with worship.

Valerie Ronald lives in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. She is a graduate of Vancouver’s Langara College journalism program, and has worked as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer, public speaker and bookstore employee.Valerie finds being a member of the Manitoba Christian Writers Association has honed her writing skills and confidence. She writes devotionals for her home church bulletins and her online blog. Her current book project chronicles how God’s faithfulness saw her through the dark valleys of divorce and cancer. Along with her husband, Valerie enjoys spending time with their blended family and six grandchildren.She is a nature photographer, water colorist, cat lover and Scrabble addict.
   

More of her devotionals can be read on her blog   https://scriptordeus.wordpress.com

Hell: How I Got Here by Bruce Atchison

If Judas Iscariot could send a message from hell, I suspect it might read like this:

If only I had listened to the Christ! If only I had understood the opportunity I had. But I didn't and here I am in this horrid place. What a FOOL I was!

When Jesus of Nazareth came to Jerusalem, I knew I must join him. This Galilean was more than a mere rabble rouser. There was something different about him and his "Kingdom of Heaven" speeches. I felt he would really be our Messiah, the one to kick out the oppressive Romans and make Israel great again.

And unlike Theudas and other rebels, this Jesus did mighty miracles. I saw with my own eyes how the blind were given sight instantly. There was none of that fakery like the phony healers and the quacks practice. People actually were healed of incurable illnesses like leprosy. He even raised people who were stone-cold dead.

Then this rabbi sent us out, two by two, to proclaim his Kingdom. I didn't really know what it was all about but I repeated the words of the master like I was told to do.

I also was able to cast out demons like my partner and the other disciples. When we returned and told Jesus that even the demons obeyed us, he said our names were written in heaven. I thought he'd congratulate us but he just gave us a platitude. Was that all we could expect from he who could have liberated Israel?

Then Jesus slipped into a funk. He kept saying he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die? How could that be? He was our only hope to kick those foreigners out of our land and free us from their pagan ways forever. I started asking myself why I was hanging around this contradictory leader.

Then, as some of you folks say, the last straw happened. Jesus let an immoral woman pour expensive perfume all over his feet. That alabaster box of spikenard could have been sold for a a year's wages. I said it should have been given to the poor but I wanted my share of all that money. After all, I had the cash bag and none of those empty-headed followers suspected that I took what I wanted from it. I had to live too, you know.

That's when the Devil himself entered me. I really didn't feel like myself as I went to the Pharisees and cut a deal. It was like being in a bad dream. I supposed I could have gotten more money for showing them where the Christ would be alone. But a deal is a deal and I wanted nothing more from my former master.

Well, you know the rest. Jesus was arrested and tried. The whole time, he made no protest. I began to have second thoughts as the crowds insisted that Pilate crucify him.

Satan left me after I betrayed the Lord and my conscience tortured me. I took the money back to the Pharisees but they wouldn't take it. So I threw it into the temple and left.

My conscience screamed at me as I walked the streets. The only way I knew to rid myself of that guilt was to hang myself. I found a tree with a limb growing over a cliff and made a noose of my tunic.

Suddenly, my guts fell out and I was in extreme agony. It felt much worse than my nagging conscience.

But that pain was nothing compared to the agony I now am in. No words can express the utter despair I feel and the relentless shrieking of my conscience. I knew the gospel and had been with the Son of God and yet I threw it all away for thirty pieces of silver. What an idiot I was!

My Journey With Jesus by Nina Faye Morey

The story of the two men “On the Road to Emmaus” reflects the journey that many of us experience in our walk with Jesus (Luke 24:13-32). They were preoccupied with feelings of sadness, grief, and disappointment because of their own failure and their leaders’ betrayal of their Lord. They neither recognized Jesus nor realized the true meaning of His crucifixion. They’d hoped that Jesus was the Messiah who would redeem the Israelites from Roman rule. They failed to comprehend the spiritual significance that His death and reported resurrection held for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). They hadn’t yet connected all the dots between the events they’d just witnessed and what Jesus had revealed to them through His teachings.

Just as Jesus came to meet and walk beside these downcast men on the road to Emmaus, Jesus comes to walk alongside many of us on our painful journeys through darkness and despair. We’ve all walked this road to Emmaus at least once during our lifetime. We’ve all experienced fear, failure, disappointment, sadness, hopelessness, uncertainty, and death. And just as He did for these men, Jesus comes to us and opens our eyes to reveal Himself as our true Lord and Saviour. The road to Emmaus is whatever road we’re trudging down when we encounter Jesus, resolve to walk and talk with Him, and open ourselves up to His radical transformation of our lives. It may be a calm experience like the one described in Luke, or it may be a more dramatic encounter like Paul’s on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9).

As we travel life’s road, Jesus joins us on our journey even though we may fail to recognize Him. It is His Spirit who arouses our curiosity and draws us towards Him. Like Moses, wonderstruck over the miracle of the Burning Bush, we find ourselves drawn aside from our usual path by a deep desire to explore a slow-burning but imperishable fascination with a spiritual world that’s difficult to fathom (Exodus 3:1-3). Our curiosity to know more about God leads us on an incessant spiritual quest. We find ourselves seeking fellowship with Him through His Word, prayer, devotionals, and meditative readings.

It’s at this point in our spiritual journey that we discover God is not some unseen, passive, “abstract” deity, but a very real and holy being who demands our complete loyalty, commitment, and devotion. Like Peter, it’s the crucial moment when we decide to “drop our nets,” to leave our former lives behind, and commit ourselves to Him (Matthew 4:18-20). It’s the moment when we open ourselves up to spiritual change.

At this stage in our spiritual development, we come to realize that this new life to which God is calling us is not only full of promises, but it’s also full of demands. We have not only accepted Christ, but the bonds, vows, and responsibilities that come with our spiritual conversion. God desires us to be active and fruitful in our spiritual lives. He’s given us gifts that He wants us to use to help and encourage others, open their hearts and minds to Him, and help direct them down the path in life that He’s chosen for them.

The Lenten season allows me to set aside extra time to walk and talk with Jesus. It enables me to focus more fully on my risen Lord and Saviour, reflecting on and renewing my relationship with Him. Lenten practices like Bible study and prayer open my eyes, move my heart, deepen my faith, and help me grow on my spiritual journey. Above all, Lent is a time for me to meditate on the profound meaning of Christ’s sacrifice and celebrate His eternal victory over sin and death.

Photos: Pixabay