READ: Luke 1:26-33; Luke 2:8-14; and Mark 1:1-3
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)
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.
Mark 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
KEY THOUGHT:
The coming of Christ and His ministry on earth was much anticipated. Prophets of old had foretold the coming of the Messiah, even identifying Him by name and by His birthplace. The arrival of Jesus was good news that the world needed and looked forward to hearing… As His advent became imminent, the angel Gabriel announced Jesus’ birth to a virgin that was chosen to carry the infant King as described in Luke 1:26-33.
The good news spread to others who were otherwise unaware of what was coming. On the night Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord accompanied by a heavenly host, announced the birth to shepherds tending their sheep, which is recorded in Scripture in Luke 2:8-14.
The message of the good news that started being spread abroad by the shepherds was communicated even farther by a very special messenger. As Jesus prepared to begin His ministry, a man chosen by God named John the Baptist brought the good news that the Messiah had come (Mark 1:1-3).
In each of these cases, there was a messenger of Christmas bringing good news:
- The angel Gabriel brought the good news that Mary would give birth to the Savior of the world.
- The angel of the Lord and a heavenly host brought good news to lowly shepherds that Salvation had come to the world.
- John the Baptist, crying out in the wilderness, brought good news that the Deliverer had come and His kingdom was at hand.
Even now, there is a place for messengers of Christmas. Keeping Christ first in Christmas is accomplished by bringing the good news of the gospel to family, friends and others we encounter during the Christmas season. We can be the messengers of Christmas and share good news with those we greet.
CONSIDER?
- What is the primary message of Christmas?
- How is the true message of Christmas communicated today?
- What role can you play in communicating the true message of Christmas?
APPLICATION:
Be a messenger of Christmas!
