The Christmas story is rooted in God’s nature and character.
“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20 (NIV)
God’s story is the story of redemption. In His grace and mercy, God has come to us in order to rescue us from our sin and our eternal damnation. God’s redemptive activity is an outflow of His holiness and compassion. God became like us so that we could become like Him.
The shepherds responded to God’s invitation by going into Bethlehem to see Jesus lying in a manger. They shared their angelic experience with Joseph and Mary to affirm their belief in Jesus as the savior of the world. The shepherds returned with an attitude of praise and adoration for all that God had done in their midst. They identified that their personal experienced lined up with God’s revelation.
God keeps His word. When God speaks, you will know that His activity is just as He said. The shepherds anchored their faith in the certainty of God’s revelation. You can trust God to do what He says He will do. There isn’t a fraction of error. God speaks so that we can know Him, serve Him, and make Him known throughout the earth.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care