ON CHRISTMAS EVE -
SOME THOUGHTS
Lilaclady Junebug2
LUKE 2. 16
And they came with haste, and
found Mary, and Joseph, and
the babe lying in a manger.
Quite often, it gets lost in the
telling of the Birth of our
Lord Jesus Christ
that the Shepherds
were outside of Jerusalem
in the Bethlehem hills
taking care of Sheep for
the Temple Sacrifices.
They were smelly,
dirty,
unclean
and not
welcome
at the Temple
or in town.
Sheep are harder in
some ways to
care for than
pigs,
because they
are so dependent
on the Shepherds
to care for them.
Do you know
someone
who is like that ?
the dirty,
the unlovely,
the hard-working poor,
the ones
who do the work
no one else
wants to do.
And here they are
Luke 2.8 And there were in
the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flocks
by night.
Luke 2.9 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.
Luke 2.10 And the
Angel said, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
Luke 2.11 For unto you
is born this day
in the city of David
a Saviour,
Which is Christ the Lord;
and ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes
lying in a manger.
Luke 2.11 And suddenly
there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God,
and saying,
Luke 2.12 GLORY TO GOD
IN THE HIGHEST,
AND ON EARTH
PEACE, GOOD WILL
TOWARD MEN.
Luke 2. 16 And they came with haste,
and found Mary, and Joseph,
and the babe laying in a mange.
DO YOU SEE THE WONDER
OF IT ALL?
THE GLORY OF IT ALL?
A babe promised from the
time of Adam's fall was to
be "of the seed of a woman"
And we know that women only
have "eggs" not seed.
SO GOD DID THE MIRACLE
OF ALL WHEN THE
BABE WAS CONCEIVED
IN MARY'S WOMB -
A BABE OF THE LINE OF
DAVID
A BABE THAT WAS
TO BE BORN IN
THE CITY OF DAVID -
BETH-LE-HEM.
A BABE THAT
WAS TO BE
GOOD TIDINGS OF
GREAT JOY
TO ALL PEOPLE.
A BABE THAT
WAS WRAPPED
IN SWADDLING CLOTHES
These were what
people used to
wrap the dead in
so it was
a sign of
WHY HE CAME
-
\These Shepherds knew
about death and dying
and about sacrifice
they knew
for
they
took care of
the Temple sheep
which had to
be
CLEAN
PURE
SET APART
AND
WITHOUT BLEMISH
for the
sacrifices in
the Temple.
These Shepherds were
the first to hear
the news.
As I approach this
CHRISTMAS EVE
I remember His Coming
with Holy Awe
with JOY
and with
the knowledge
that without
THIS DEAR BABE
IN THE MANGER
I WOULD
BE
;LOST.
without
THE SACRIFICE HE
MADE TO COME
FROM HEAVEN FOR ME
TO DIE ON THE CROSS
THAT I MIGHT
BE SAVED
ETERNALLY,
AND
THAT I
MIGHT LIVE
AND WALK
IN THE GLORY
AND THE
KNOWLEDGE
OF
HIS
LOVE
SO WORSHIP WITH ME
ON CHRISTMAS EVE
THE ONE
WHO
CAME
FROM HEAVEN
TO DIE
ON THE CROSS
THAT WE
MIGHT
LIVE
ETERNALLY.
EPHESIANS 1. 7
In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of his
grace
JOHN 1.12
11. As many as received him,
to them gave he power
to become the sons of
God, even to them
that believe on his name,
Titus 2. 11 - 14
11. For the grace of God that
bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men,
12. Teaching us that,
denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously,
and godly, in this present world,
13. looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our
Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ:
14. Who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us
from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself
a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.
REVELATION 22.20
SURELY I COME QUICKLY
