God’s life-changing moments

Christmas

Arabic

The shepherds in the Christmas story show how God can change your life in an instant.

Like Moses centuries earlier, they were just tending their sheep when he burst in with his glory.

And after the angels had departed, these shepherds said to one another in Luke 1:15-16: ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

I’ve seen many new- born babies over the years. Maybe you have too. And although they’re all adorable, they’re all similar.

So, I I don’t think these shepherds saw anything they hadn’t seen before. The only unusual aspect was the circumstances - you don’t often see new been babies in mangers.

Just another baby?

So, what was it about this baby that made them go and spread the word? And what was it that amazed everyone they told?

The clue is in v17: ‘When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.’

They didn’t speak about how cute the baby was, but what the angels had told them about him. That he was the Messiah.

And that was enough to make them the world’s first Christian evangelists … perhaps establishing the link between the ministries of pastors and evangelists.

The shepherds challenge our own evangelism. It’s easy to talk about safe subjects like babies.

But the message for mankind is not that God sent a baby, but that the baby was the MESSIAH, Jesus, the son of God, the saviour of the world.

That message still has the power to amaze people. That’s what we need to focus on.

Cleland thom helps to lead Freedom House, a prayer mission based in the UK.