“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption… (Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV)
The had world waited for its Messiah. Suddenly, in the fullness of time, he came.
It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.
In the fullness of time, to the chosen people, in the prophesied place, God deposited in the womb of a teenage girl the fullness of Glory. The One who had created all things, was now birthed into the hands of a being he created. Most of the people who had walked in darkness, awaiting the promised Messiah, those who knew and kept the Torah, did not recognize his birth. But the angels did, and they told the shepherds.
These first ones to hear of the birth were watching and sleeping in the gate to the sheep-fold under a vast, starry sky. Not exactly the high and mighty of the day, these young people witnessed God’s glory in a way that kings, priests, and others entirely missed. Instead, they joined Moses on Mt. Sinai, the priests at the Tabernacle, and King Solomon in his Temple who had all experienced the GLORY of GOD – the weighty, heavy presence of YHWH. Whenever God revealed his glory in the Old Testament, it was because he was about to do something BIG. And now he sent these angel armies – this mass of the heavenly host – to announce this huge birth of GLORY to unimpressive, ordinary shepherds.
The presence of the heavenly host frightened the shepherds (as it would anyone!), but the angels reassured them. They proclaimed the birth of Christ the Lord, and then praised God:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
But what is “on earth peace, goodwill toward men?”
It means that just as God sees the chaos and struggles of this world—past, present, and future—Jehovah Shalom desires that we live in his sweet, abiding peace.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold!
When peace shall over all the earth
Its final splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing!
God,
On this Christmas Day we praise you for the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. We praise you for revealing your Glory to us in him. We pray for peace in our hearts, in our families, in our communities, and throughout our world. Jehovah Shalom, may your peace over all the earth join the song the angels sang. We pray in his name, AMEN.
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
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, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 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.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 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. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard itmarveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (Luke 2:1-18 NKJV)