The Third Sunday of Advent

If you have read the last two weekly posts of mine, you have some background in understanding Advent. It simply means the arrival or coming. In terms of Christmas we are considering the arrival of Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah. The first week focused on the PROPHETS who foretold the coming of the Messiah and emphasized HOPE. The second week focused on BETHLEHEM, the place of Jesus' birth, and emphasized LOVE. Today, we look at the third focus which is upon the SHEPHERDS with an emphasis on JOY.

Have you noticed or experienced the JOY that comes with the birth of a baby. My wife and I have been blessed by having a son and daughter who brought joy into our lives the moment of their births - to see the unique creation God had provided to us and then to continue to experience the joy that they bring to us as they have married and been blessed by having their own children, each one bringing joy to their lives. This past Tuesday God extended that joy in our family with the birth of our third great-grandchild. The announcement that a baby has been born still causes an overwhelming sense of joy to permeate our lives and our extended family.

While our whole family makes a positive difference in the lives of others around them, none of our children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren came into this world to be the Savior of all who will believe. God sent His Son, Jesus, as the Messiah into this world to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the Messiah's entering our world as Baby Jesus with a mission and purpose to provide a means of salvation and a restored relationship with God by placing our faith and trust in Jesus alone.

When Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem in a stable because the inn was overcrowded, the announcement did not go out to kings and rulers of the nations or to the extended family members of Mary and Joseph. Rather, God sent a angel out to the fields where shepherds were taking care of their flock of sheep. The angel's message to the shepherds was simple and clear.

"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you

will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in

a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude

of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory, to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among

those with whom He is pleased.'"

Luke 2:10-14

If you read the verses that follow the passage above, you will find that the shepherds had a quick discussion among themselves and determined that they should immediately go to Bethlehem and see this baby. They had probably read the prophets or at least heard the teachings from the prophets that God would send a Messiah to the world. After the announcement by the angel to them, they had no doubt that this was the birth of the promised Messiah. They wasted no time in making their way to Bethlehem.

I have often thought of the shepherds immediate response to the announcement from the angel. In our day, we would probably take time to shower and change into better clothing. I heard of a speaker who referred to the shepherds as "stinky shepherds." That is probably true. They were staying out in the fields with the sheep. There was not a hotel nearby with a good hot shower wherein they could refresh themselves. They just took off for Bethlehem to see the baby whom we know is Jesus, the Messiah, the King.

The Bible tells us that once they had seen the baby, they returned to the fields. But as they did they were glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen (Luke 2:20). They experienced the great joy that the angel had said would be for all people, but the shepherds got to hear it first.

Too often we allow stress to overshadow the joy that we should be experiencing at Christmas. Decorations, special meals and treats, gifts, and cards should not be the focus of Christmas so that we fail to experience and rejoice in the first advent, the first coming, of Jesus into our world. May our lives be filled with the spontaneity of worshiping Jesus over anything else this Christmas even as the shepherds did that very first Christmas.

(FYI - Many people utilize an Advent Wreathe as part of their Christmas celebration. The traditional wreathe has four candles on the circle and one candle in the center. The center candle is white and represents Christ. This candle is usually lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The other four are lit, one at time, on each of the four Sundays proceeding Christmas. Three of those candles are traditionally purple, the color of royalty, reminding us that Jesus is the King. The third candle lit is the Shepherd's candle and is pink. Why? Because of the JOY that comes from seeking and worshiping the Christ. Experience the JOY that comes from knowing Jesus this week and every week.)