"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds."
Luke 2:15-18
Christ's birth changed the world when the shepherds spread the word.
President Ronald Reagan once commented on the earthly ministry of Christ: "Meaning no disrespect to the religious convictions of others, I still can't help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that He lived and that He was put to death by crucifixion. Where...is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time-possibly to your own home town.
"A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in His father's shop. One day He puts down His tools and walks out of His father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though He is not an ordained minister. He does this for three years. Then He is arrested, tried, and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so He is executed at the age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of His execution roll dice to see who gets His clothing-the only possessions He has. His family cannot afford a burial place for Him so He is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, propertyless young man who...left no written word has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived-all of them put together. How do we explain that?...unless He really was who He said He was."
As President Reagan noted, Jesus has had more impact on the world than any ruler or philosopher who has ever lived. He changed history by His birth and is still changing the world today. But imagine what would have happened had no one known about Jesus' birth. What if the shepherds didn't tell others about the babe in the manger? How would they have known their Messiah had come?
Even today, how will others know about the Saviour if no one tells them? Like the shepherds, we are sent to tell everyone we know about the birth of our Saviour 2,000 years ago and the free gift of salvation He offers them today.
The Christmas season is here, and the hope of salvation is still alive in each of us if we know Him. Take time each day to share God's Good News with someone. Keep the Christmas spirit alive by sharing the spirit of Christ today.
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Daily Bible Reading
Daniel 3-4 | 1 John 5
