But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” – Luke 2:10-14
This is a classic verse used in the telling of the Christmas story. Shepherds were keeping their flock in the fields when all of a sudden an angel of the Lord appeared and spoke to them. I would have loved to have been a flea on a sheep’s forehead to witness their expressions!
Some key parts to this Scripture need to be exposed. First, who was the good news heralded for? For ALL people, Jew and Gentile, Assyrian and Egyptian, and unbeliever as well as believer. Jesus came into this world to forgive the sins of ALL people. His life was a model of perfection for ALL people. His sacrifice on the cross was for ALL people. His gift of eternal life is given to ALL people. You get the point!
Now, contrast that with what the angels said later, “And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Don’t miss this important message. The gift of eternal life is given to ALL people, but a gift is only a gift if it is received by the person to whom it is given. Those people that received him please Him through their accepting Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Those who decide, by choice, to reject the gift … well, let’s just say they don’t find peace! Unfortunately, some translations of the Bible leave off that key last part.
Now here’s another interesting point to this Scripture. The angelic hosts in heaven were given the chance to witness the birth of Jesus Christ. In response to this, they automatically begin praising God for such a miraculous event. Have you ever thought about the fact that the angelic hosts had never seen “God in the flesh”? Before this point, God was a Spirit sitting on His throne in heaven (although we know that Jesus existed at the time of creation. We’ll save those details for another article!). To actually see God encapsulated in a fleshly body must have been a wonder to behold! Wow! So, this is what God looks like as a human?!
We ought to react to Christ in the same manner! Wow, so this is what Christ looks like!!
In Christ,
Dave
Other articles in this series:
Jesus – More Than a Name
Immanuel – God is With Us
The Word – Reason for our Existence
Bethlehem – House of Bread
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