Saturday of Week of Lent 1 Merry Christmas
Read: Luke 2:1-20
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lordshone around them, and they were greatly afraid. (Lk. 2:9)
The birth of Jesus certainly isn't one to inspire by appearances. The Son of
God isn't born in a Jerusalem palace and laid in a comfortable crib. He's born in
that stop-on-the-way town of Bethlehem and laid in a manger because there's no
room in the inn. As the Newborn lies swaddled, adapting to life outside the
warm womb, by all appearances He's just one more baby born in poverty. He
certainly does not look like the Creator of heaven and earth.
But according to the Word of God, this Child of humble birth is Immanuel,
God with us. There He is, diapered in a manger.
There is some glory that night—witnessed not by kings but by lowly
shepherds in the fields. An angel of the Lord appears to them, and the glory of
the Lord shines around them. Why the glory? God's glory is only apparent
when He is present, and so it is here: God is present in a manger close by, and
so His glory shines on the fields outside of town.
The angel announces to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to
you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will
be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a
manger." (Lk. 2:10-12). “Unto you,” says the angel: the Savior is born even for
these lowly, outcast shepherd-types. In fact, these shepherds are the first
gathered by God to see their Savior in the flesh!
It is then that the hosts of angels arrive and sing, “Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” The Savior is born to bring peace
between God and man by His death for sin. He's born with a good will, a
righteous nature that will accomplish His Father's plan for man's salvation. He
will complete the work of salvation on His own; therefore all glory belongs to
God.
Having heard the Word, the shepherds believe and make haste to go to
where God is to be found. That's what faith does—it desires and rejoices to be
in the presence of God. By their eyes, they see a vulnerable newborn; by faith,
they trust that those tiny fingers and toes belong to God Himself. Then they
depart, spreading the Word and evangelizing those whom they meet. Those
who hear wonder—some likely dismiss the news (who listens to shepherds
anyway?), while others believe that the Savior is born.
As we move further into Lent, there is one thing more astonishing than the
Word becoming flesh: the Word made flesh permits His body to be nailed to a
cross, His blood shed for the sins of the world. That's why He's incarnate—to
take our place in life and death, to share with us His resurrection. The world
will always look in the manger and see a baby, nothing more; it will look at the
cross and see only tragedy at best. But like the shepherds, you've heard the
Word: there He is, present to have mercy on you.