Go to Bethlehem and See

You likely would not encourage your son to become a shepherd. The life of a shepherd had few perks. It was a bottom rung life. Shepherds were at the bottom of the society ladder.

There were perks however. Shepherds witnessed the sunrise and set. Not once a week or once a month…every day. They saw the heavens filled with stars; their hearts were touched by majesty. They witnessed clouds form and the storms which sometimes accompanied them. They knew the plants sheep could eat, those which would make them sick. They knew how to read weather signs. Storms could kill sheep, or make them sick. Shepherds may have been among Israel’s best naturalists. More than any other citizen of Israel they knew how nature worked. Shepherds needed to know how nature worked. It wasn’t a luxury. This knowledge was necessary to keep the sheep protected.

You ask, why is this important? Because there were no other people in Israel at the time who would have recognized and believed the message of the angels. They had never experienced anything like this...they had seen all of the natural events of nature. This had never happened to them-ever.

Do you think they listened? Do you think they believed what they heard? Read the account and decide for yourself…

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.””  Luke 2:8-15

These shepherds had faced lions, and numerous other dangers. They were courageous. At the sight of the angels “they were terrified.” Yet at the same time...at the sight of the angels they believed. These individuals at the bottom of society’s barrel were given by God first chance to see the Savior of the world. And they did. “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see...” There has never been a record of angels visiting shepherds since. The message of the angels is for us- today:

“a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”

My dear much-loved friend and reader of this Facebook page and Creator-Words blog. Merry Christmas! My wish for each of you is to do what the shepherds did Today...everyday, let us “go to Bethlehem and see”… Jesus. The shepherds praised God, they believed. One day in heaven we can ask them about the night the angels came.

They STILL talk about it.

And God still speaks. As my Christmas gift to you, I invite you to enjoy these photos of God’s creation. They are photos taken on the ice of a Minnesota lake. Let’s call them “stained glass” ice mosaics. The ONE who sent the angels to the shepherds reminds us of His presence and power every day…He creates things in nature. Why does HE do this? That we might know Him and believe.

Hark the Herald Angels sing! Glory to You Jesus-King of Kings, Lord of Lords! Merry Christmas! Thank you!