Advent 2023 Week Three: The Shepherds

Shepherds

"Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

"True wisdom—the wisdom of God—is found in the proclamation of the gospel, is empowered by the Spirit (1 Cor 2:4, 5, 13; 12:8; 2 Cor 1:12) and focuses on the cross of Christ (1 Cor 1:17, 21, 30; 3:19). Those who know Christ by faith have the "power" (1 Cor 1:24) and "wisdom" (1 Cor 1:30) in its fullness." [1]

Good News of Great Joy

Notice some of the beautiful contrasts in this passage. "An angel of the Lord appeared to them [the shepherds], 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." Luke 2:9–12.

Into the darkness shone a blazing light. Picture a night sky flooded with the brightness of God's glory. The glory of God shone not only in the sky but also around the shepherds. 

The angel introduces Jesus with three exalted titles: Savior, Christ, and Lord. The three titles contrast with the simple three-fold description of a newborn baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.  

The title Savior points to the fact that Jesus came to save all people. The title Christ is the Greek word for Messiah. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the anointed One. Thirdly, he is Lord, a name for God that indicates his sovereign authority. This Greek title is often used to translate the Hebrew word Yahweh. Jesus is the sovereign Lord of all.           

God's ways are not our ways. He loves to use the ordinary and the lowly. We would hardly expect the One who is the Lord, Savior, and Christ to come as a baby wrapped in clothes lying in a feeding trough in an animal stable. And Jesus will reach out to the humble, hurting, and those rejected by others. And he will die with criminals. Today, reflect on the wonderous contrast between Jesus' greatness and humility.

[1] Patzia, Arthur G. "Wisdom." Ed. Ralph P. Martin and Peter H. Davids. Dictionary of the later New Testament and its developments 1997: 1201. Print.