Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:”

   This must have been an amazing sight to say the least. We don’t know how many shepherds there were, but they were surely outnumbered by the hosts of heaven. They would never forget that night.

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your great glory! You make Yourself known as You see fit. Give us Your guidance as we see Your truth. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:12 “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

   I wonder if the shepherds thought to themselves, wow, really? That’s just not where one would expect to find the Messiah. But, they would expect His birth to be unique. And it certainly was!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the unexpected. Sometimes it can be hard to thank You for that, but it is always for the best. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

   Notice the order here. He is a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The Jews understood a lot about the Messiah, but they did not yet fully know how the Messiah would save His people. Beyond this, the angel did not proclaim Christ as prophet, preist, or king. He is all three, most certainly. But, the focus here is on His role as our Savior.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Savior! We will praise You for ever for Your plan of redemption. Your wisdom in orchestrating it all is so amazing. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:10 “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”

   The news of the birth of Christ is the best news any human could ever receive. Christ brings hope to the human soul. Without Him, all we have is Adam. Adam, as each of us, has fallen. He will never bring us hope.

Heavenly Father, thank You for hope in Christ! We can never thank You enough! Give us Your grace as we seek to share Your truth with others. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:9 “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.”

   This angelic visit was different in several ways from many of the others we find in Scripture. For one, it was very public. Usually we find angels meeting with only one or two persons. Secondly, we see the glory of the Lord shining around them. In other words, it seems like there was a source of light other than just the one angel. And, of course, a whole group of angels joins the one after his announcement. I can only imagine being those shepherds!

Heavenly Father, thank You for how You have communicated with Your people over time. You are gracious, loving, and good. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:8 “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

   Those who believe God is an impersonal force have never considered the God of the Bible. He is personal to the greatest possible degree. Our own personhood is but a reflection of His.
   We see the evidence of this in verses such as this one. The Lord chooses to announce the arrival of His Son not to the political powers, or the religious elite, but to the common shepherds. Like Jacob or David, these men were familiar with the difficulty of first-level survival. They knew the toil, the dangers, the surprises, the sleepless nights, the cold and rain, and all of the miserable real of subsistence. They would be the first to understand the circumstances in which the Lord of Glory was about to be placed.

Heavenly Father, give us a perspective on life that keeps us close to the real. We can so easily forget the circumstances of the less fortunate as we enjoy the convenience of our lives. Thank You for Your blessings, but thank You also for Your wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

   There are a lot of things we don’t know about the birth of Christ. But perhaps the most remarkable things are the ones we know for sure. Though the King, He wasn’t born in a palace. Though the High Priest, He wasn’t born in Jerusalem. Though the Prophet, few were aware of his birth. Though the Creator, He was clothed in common rags.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the great gift of Your Son. We will praise You for ever for Him! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:6 “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.”

   This was a special time for this young couple. Not only were they having their first child, but they were about to embark upon the greatest task of their lives. They would be responsible for caring for the needs of this Divine Person that was about to be born.

Heavenly Father, You give us the things we need to do with our lives. The great big tasks You have for us are worth every minute we spend on them. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:5 “to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.”

   Imagine the excitement! Joseph and Mary had to have known what was about to happen. It would have been great expectations in thier lives at this time.

Heavenly Father, thank You for always doing so much in our lives! You give us experiences we never would expect. You know just how much we can take, and how to lead us into the next thing for us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:4 “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,”

   David was from Bethlehem. That is where Samuel found him and anointed him to be the king of all Israel. Surely this journey was special to Joseph, especially because of the extraordinary timing and circumstances.

Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You have done in our lives. When difficult things happen we are always tempted to ask why. Yet we don’t question the blessings. Thank You for Your goodness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.