“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. “
Luke 2:15-16

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DECEMBER 11, 2024

After the heavenly host disappeared from the night sky, the shepherds immediately went to see the sign they had been given by the angel. Can you imagine them hustling through the darkness toward Bethlehem? Maybe they asked around to see if anyone was aware of a recent birth. Did they hear the soft cry of a newborn in the night?

Soon enough, they found the baby lying in a manger, Mary and Joseph nearby.

I wonder what the moment was like. Were Mary and Joseph alarmed when these rough men of the field showed up unannounced in the darkness? Did the shepherds kneel at the entrance? Did they stare silently and reverently at the infant boy? Did they whoop and holler? Were the words of God running through their minds?

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, …. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Isaiah 9:6a,7b

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Micah 5:2

What words were exchanged? The shepherds must have described what had happened in the field. What did Mary and Joseph think or say upon hearing of the angel’s message and the description of the host of heaven praising God? Were they apprehensive, or did wonder overwhelm everyone present?

It was certainly an unforgettable night.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • How do you put together the events of that night?
  • Have you ever imagined yourself in the story?
  • How would you have responded to what the shepherds saw in the night sky?
  • What would you have said or done upon arrival to the newborn baby in a feeding trough with his exhausted mother nearby?

 

Church Reading Plan: Zephaniah 3; John 1