Luke
2:8-20
An Angel
comes to the Shepherds
The Christmas Story
2:8
And there were shepherds living out in the fields
nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of
David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ
the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to
you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly a great
company of the heavenly host appeared with the
angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the
highest,
and on earth peace to men
on whom his favor rests."
15 When the angels had
gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to
Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has
happened which the Lord has made known to us."
16 So they came in a hurry
and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the
baby as He lay in the manger.
17 When they had seen
this, they made known the statement which had been
told them about this Child.
18 And all who heard it
wondered at the things which were told them by the
shepherds.
19 But Mary treasured all
these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds went
back, glorifying and praising God for all that they
had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
NOTE:
I want to also list the King James version
of this passage as it is more poetic and familiar
to those of you who heard it at a younger age...
8 And there were in the
same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 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.
10 And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born
this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a
sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men.
15 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.
16 And they came with
haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe
lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen
it, they made known abroad the saying which was
told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard
it wondered at those things which were told them by
the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these
things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told
unto them.
-
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to
change the way that we think, and the way that
we live.
Commentary
by Bob
Pardue
The Angel
Announces the Birth of Christ
- The Christmas story is
about the birth of Jesus but it is also a story
of God's great love He has for us. He sent His
only son to die so that we might be saved from
eternal death.
-
- The good news about
Christ is that he comes to all, including the
plain and the ordinary. Even a person like me
can receive the same love of Jesus as the
richest man on earth.
-
- He comes to anyone with a
heart humble enough to accept him. Whoever you
are, whatever you do, you can have Jesus in your
life.
-
- Don't think you need
extraordinary qualifications -- he accepts you
as you are. Believe in the Christmas story and
the love of God. He will never stop loving you
and once you have Christ in your heart He will
guide you in your everyday decisions. You can
count on Him whenever the need arises or you can
just talk to Christ anytime you want answers to
a difficult choice you have to make.
-
- Drink in the Christmas
story and reflect on its meaning. You'll find
Christ there but you will also find
God.
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of Jesus Christ, please take a moment to
go
here and take the
first
steps to salvation.
Bob
Pardue is a member of
First Baptist Church in Lancaster, SC. He is
ordained from Rich Hill Baptist in Lancaster. The
website is at http://www.makingchristknown.com
Want
to place this passage and commentary on your
website or e-zine for content?
This article about the
Christmas story and the birth announcement of Jesus
may be freely reprinted or distributed in its
entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog, or
website. The author's name, bio, and website links
must remain intact and be included with
every reproduction of this report.
Bob
Verses are from New American Standard
Bible & King James Bible
Comments are welcome. Please email
me with any questions or comments you
may have.
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