Why did Jesus have to come this way? Part 4
Luke 2:6–15 (NASB95) While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 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.”
You have all probably heard that shepherds were not especially well respected. They were usually dirty and unkempt and poor. One twist on the story that I have heard lately is that these fields around Bethlehem are where the passover lambs were raised. They had to be physically perfect with no blemishes, so when they were born they were swaddled and protected. Jesus is our passover lamb.
But the angels don’t make the announcement in Herod’s palace at Herodium just a few miles away. They don’t show up at the High Priest Caiaphas’ house in Jerusalem. Pilate doesn’t get an angel flyover. Rome and Caesar get no notice. No, just some poor, random, unnamed shepherd guys out in a Bethlehem field received this amazing privilege.
When the disciples of John came to ask if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus said;
Luke 7:22 (NASB95) And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
It seems that God goes out of His way to welcome the poor the broken and the excluded. Those who knew they were sinners, like prostitutes and tax collectors. Because He does. He had to come this way to make sure that nobody gets left out, nobody gets excluded from the invitation to the Father’s house.
Come on, let’s go, the invitation says that you are invited too!
I love you, have a Merry Christmas, Pastor Randy