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Somehow it is December already. And there are less than three weeks until Christmas. The joy and anticipation is almost tangible in my house. My girls are 3 and 4 right now and just about everything is awe-inspiring for them at this age. Twinkling lights, hot chocolate, Christmas movies, holiday events that fill the calendar, family gatherings. The Christmas season is such a magical time especially as a parent to young children. One thing I want to do this year is be more intentional about reading and talking about the Christmas story as a family.

Luke chapter 2 is a great place to start. I was reading through this chapter recently and something stood out to me that I don’t think I had ever noticed before. In verses 8-20 the shepherds are told by angels that the Messiah has been born and then they go to investigate. I had never noticed the emotional journey that the shepherds go through that night. At first they are terrified (verse 9) when an angel suddenly appears. To be fair, I’m sure I'd be scared too if someone just appeared in front of me in the middle of the night. They shift to curiosity (verse 15) after the angels left them. They begin to discuss amongst themselves and decide to go to Bethlehem right away to see if what the angels told them was true. After the shepherds see Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, they shift to excitement (verse 17). They have learned that what the angels told them was true - the Messiah had been born and old testament prophecies were coming true - and they told everyone about it! They then shift to glorifying and praising God (verse 20) for what they had heard and seen. 


Luke 2:8-20

In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. 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. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah). And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find a Baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger.” Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest [heaven], And on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger. And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

I’m sure the shepherds expected that night to be uneventful - just a typical night of protecting their flock. But instead they experienced fear, curiosity, excitement, and praise. They experienced a vast array of emotions in just a few hours. Their lives were changed. And then they changed the lives of others by sharing what they learned.

This year let the Christmas story be new to you. Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who is hearing it for the first time. Find details that you haven’t noticed before. Recapture the awe and amazement of Christmas.