Read His Words Before Ours!
Luke 2:8-20
Matthew 28:16-20
Matthew 4:18-22
Ezekiel 33:1-8
When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we couldn’t wait to tell everyone we knew. We immediately began plotting how we would break the news to our family, friends, coworkers, and, of course, what the all-important Facebook announcement would be. I also couldn’t help but tell waitresses, cashiers, and baristas. The joy in my heart had to come out everywhere I went.
Can you think of a time you had great news that you couldn’t wait to tell someone about? Maybe it was a marriage engagement, a job promotion, or a great new restaurant you just discovered. Did you call your mom or text your best friend? Did you take to social media so that you could quickly reach as many people as possible with your exciting news?
Sometimes news, even good news, can be a little bit scary. What does this mean? How are things going to change? How am I supposed to respond to this new information?
Imagine you just received the most important piece of news in the history of the world.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the 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.”
(Luke 2:10-12)
The shepherds in Luke 2 were in the fields with their flocks. Luke doesn’t say there was anything special or out of the ordinary about that night, but I like to imagine that it was a clear night when the stars could be seen brightly. Suddenly, something happened that would certainly change the shepherds forever. An angel of the Lord was standing before them and he had something to say! After his announcement, a whole host of angels appeared, praising God and singing of His glory.
After the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds hurried to see this great thing that had been proclaimed to them. After seeing Mary, Joseph and the baby for themselves, they went on their way proclaiming the news they had experienced.
Can you imagine?
The Israelites had been waiting to hear from God for hundreds of years
and he chose that moment
and those shepherds
to make His big announcement.
God had been in the business of using ordinary people to bring His message throughout the Old Testament, so it shouldn’t surprise us that he would choose lowly shepherds to be the bearers of the news of the birth of His Son the Messiah.
He used Moses, someone poor of speech, to lead his people out of Egypt.
He used Esther, an orphan Jew, to save His people from genocide.
He used Rahab, a prostitute, to hide the Israelite spies in Jericho.
The shepherds were the start of a new era of unqualified people bringing the Gospel to the world. Jesus’s disciples were a ragtag group of ordinary men – fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots. He didn’t stop there. He also used the widow, the lame, the blind, the young, the old, and the sick to share His gospel.
God is still using ordinary people to bring His Good News to the world today;
people like you and me.
God could have chosen any mode to proclaim the Gospel,
but in His infinite wisdom and perfect plan,
He decided to use people.
People of small and large influence,
people young and old,
people rich and poor.
After Jesus’ resurrection, He gave the Great Commission before He ascended to Heaven.
And Jesus came and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20)
He wasn’t just talking to the crowd that day.
The Great Commission is for us!
We have Good News!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is better news that any engagement, job promotion, or new restaurant. Shouldn’t we want to tell everyone about the Good News that has been proclaimed to us?
Go Tell It On The Mountain is traditionally a Christmas song, but it is just as relevant to us in December as it is January through November.
So, where is your Mountain?
Who will you tell about Jesus Christ?
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