Just a quick THANK YOU to ALL my readers! I appreciate your emails, questions, and your reactions to The Christmas Story! It is my intention to make sure we never lose the real,
"Reason for the Season - Jesus A Gift of Love!"
I've placed the "The Chosen's Christmas Special" just below for those of you who do not have time to read and review it at the end of this particular blog.
If you have watched "The Chosen" for any of their gospel programs, you will certainly enjoy this Christmas Special:
A Christmas Presentation on: The Shepherds
THE BELOW:
THE CHOSEN
A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PRESENTATION: THE SHEPHERD
December 14, 2021
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them:
"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
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. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was
told unto them.
LUKE 2:8-20
FROM THE SHEPHERDS TO THE WISE MEN
Have you ever wondered why it was that shepherds and wise men came to see Jesus following his birth? Or why tax collectors, doctors, or farmers meet Jesus at the manger?
The shepherd and wise men narratives are found respectively in LUKE 2:1-20 & MATTHEW 2:1-12. Some have speculated the shepherds and wise men represent the spectrum of humanity: the shepherds symbolizing the poor and uneducated of society, while the wise men stand for the rich and well-read; this may be true, but could they also hold prophetic meaning?
Nothing in Scripture is written as an aside; everything has significance. Therefore, might it be that the shepherd narrative points to the mission of the newborn babe?
PROPHECY FULFILLED
The prophet Ezekiel spoke of a day when the Sovereign Lord would remove the shepherds of Israel-the leadership-and hold them accountable for not caring for his people. He would replace the wicked shepherds, who cared only for themselves, and become the Shepherd to his people: "For thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I will search for my sheep and will seek them out... I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep...
See: EZEKIEL 34
The nativity store in LUKE 2 tells us the shepherds were in the fields nearby watching over their sheep. Undoubtedly, some of those sheep would later be sacrificed in the temple, which means those shepherds were charged with tending perfect and without blemish sheep that would be sacrificed for the atonement of sins.
Is this not an echo of Jesus' mission? He is the Good Shepherd who "lays down his life for the sheep." JOHN 10:11 He is the perfect "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
JOHN 1:29
JESUS, OUR MESSIAH,
WILL RETURN FOR HIS OWN...
Jesus, our Messiah, is coming again; he is either coming for us one-by-one in our deaths or in the clouds for all to see. As we meet at the manger this Christmas Season to celebrate his first coming, let us remember the nature and mission of this baby and be inspired anew to go tell the rich and poor-and everyone in between-God's good news message of Salvation!
THE CHOSEN
If you have watched "The Chosen" for any of their gospel programs, you will certainly enjoy this Christmas Special:
A Christmas Presentation on: The Shepherds
A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PRESENTATION: THE SHEPHERD
December 14, 2021
SONG OF THE SHEPHERD
With Lyrics