Christmas According to Kids Part 2 — Shepherds Knew - Thursday
TODAY’S VERSE
Luke 2:16-17
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. (ESV)
In a story as famous and familiar as the birth of Jesus, it can be easy to overlook simple statements like the one in bold above.
Here’s a quick recap of what has transpired leading up to this moment: an angel of the Lord appears to some shepherds in a field, tells them of the birth of the savior, some heavenly hosts show up out of nowhere and express their praise to God, the shepherds decide to go to Bethlehem to validate what was just told them, and then they find Jesus.
Upon finding Jesus (as the angel had promised), they began to share all that the Lord had revealed to them through the angel. As the NIV translates it, “they spread the word.”
It is one thing to hear the word of God for yourself. It is another thing entirely to share what you have heard with others.
Notice that they didn’t go off quietly after finding Jesus to write a three-part sermon about what the angel revealed to them and their journey to find Him. They, on the spot, told in their own words what they had experienced.
Thanks to the preservation of the greatest story ever told, we are now (through the Scriptures) bystanders to the angelic announcement given to the shepherds all those years ago. And we, too, now hold a responsibility to spread the word to others.
To clarify, I don’t think we are expected to run around shouting to anyone who would listen, “Have you heard about the baby born in Bethlehem?? Let me tell you about the son of David!!” You’d probably end up receiving more odd looks than invitations for further conversation if you did. Now, if you do end up trying that approach, please email me and let me know how it goes.
It seems to me that one of the clearest examples of our role as followers of Jesus (when it comes to “spreading the word”) can be found in Peter and John in Acts 3:1-4:22 (I highly recommend you read the entire story).
A couple of quick highlights:
(1) Peter and John are sharing the gospel with the religious leaders, and the leaders make note that they were ordinary and unschooled men (Acts 4:13). You don’t need a PHD or fancy words to share the good news.
(2) Though the religious leaders had so many reasons to oppose the work of the disciples, they had no argument for the transformation of the man with them (Acts 4:14).
(3) Peter and John saw no other option than to simply share what they’ve experienced (Acts 4:20).
APPLICATION
If you have been following Jesus for any length of time, you have inevitably experienced His transforming work in your life. Have you given the people in your life the gift of hearing how God has transformed you?
PRAYER
Thank God for all the ways He has transformed you, and ask Him for the boldness to share those stories with others this week.