Luke 2:9-10 KJV
[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.
We have considered the impact of the news of the birth of Jesus on several classes of people. We have seen interests from some people, as well as indifference and ignorance from some others. It is clear that the news of the birth of the Saviour will not be of much significance to some, as we saw in the focus of yesterday's devotion. The admonition is this: please do not be so caught up in the eating and drinking that you forget the reason why you are celebrating. The life that has been given to us is the kind that secures eternal life for as many as would take it on. You will not get it by assumption, assimilation or activities; it is first and foremost an inner witness before it becomes an outward celebration. The inn had no place for the One that was born; do you have room for Him?
We read of another category of people in the verse above, who would have been forgotten if not that God brought them into the picture. These were shepherds who were watching over their flocks at night. By the standard of the world, they may not have been wealthy or highly influential, but God does not deal with man by man's standards. The world may have forgotten them outside, but God brought them under the covenant of life that His Son came to lay down. With God, there is no one who is beyond the redemptive work of Christ. He came and He died for everyone, irrespective of colour, race, past or present. The only thing that matters to God is the future from here on now: what would you do with the life that has been secured for you? It does not matter how terrible your past was, or how bad your today is; today is the day to sort out that future that God is highly invested in.
The shepherds may not have known anyone popular, but the news of great joy made them popular. They received a visit from an angel, and they heard the good news. The message for them, as well as us, is that there is now great joy made possible for mankind. All men are covered under this policy, but like all policies, you have to subscribe to it. The policy is not asking for payment, as all the premiums under the policy were fully paid up by Jesus. He is only asking me to subscribe by faith, and surrender my life to Him. The popular and the influential are welcome, as well as the ordinary and the abandoned of the earth. As the angel came in those days to the shepherds, so does God remind us that this season is the season of God's visitation for all men. May the gift of God not be in vain in my life. May all that has been done and given become real in my life, so that my life can testify to the joy Jesus brings. God's time of favour is here.
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