Advent IV Witnessing
Luke 2:8-20
What is the most amazing thing you have seen happen? How did it impact you? Did you tell others about it? Witnessing something significant, spectacular, or miraculous is always memorable and often life-changing. Today I want to focus this Advent reflection on the shepherds who were witnesses to Jesus' birth so long ago.
Luke 2:8-20 tells us about the shepherds interaction with angels in which they hear the good news that "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). After the angels leave, they decide to go "to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." (Luke 2:15). And that is exactly what they do. They go find Mary and Joseph and the baby. They see Him with their own eyes. They are witnesses to the Advent of the Christ. What is their response? Verse 17-18: "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them." The talk about it, telling the amazing story of what they had just witnessed.
When I was in university and began to take my faith in Jesus more seriously, the word "witnessing" was used to describe sharing the Christian faith with others. The emphasis would always be on telling others the good news of salvation through Jesus. I struggled with witnessing to others and remember when it hit me that witnessing had two parts to it. First, we must witness God's work - see firsthand the saving grace of God through Christ in our lives - then we are able to witness to others - speak about what we had seen and experienced. When I began to focus on witnessing God's work in people's lives (my own included), the second part of speaking to others about it became the simple practice of being honest with people.
I love the story of the shepherds because it contains both those parts. They hear the announcement from the angel and then see Jesus with their own eyes. After this they go tell others about the coming of the Christ child. May this Christmas be one in which you are able to witness the coming of Christ afresh in your life as well as witness to others about the birth of the Jesus, the Son of God.
What is the most amazing thing you have seen happen? How did it impact you? Did you tell others about it? Witnessing something significant, spectacular, or miraculous is always memorable and often life-changing. Today I want to focus this Advent reflection on the shepherds who were witnesses to Jesus' birth so long ago.
Luke 2:8-20 tells us about the shepherds interaction with angels in which they hear the good news that "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). After the angels leave, they decide to go "to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." (Luke 2:15). And that is exactly what they do. They go find Mary and Joseph and the baby. They see Him with their own eyes. They are witnesses to the Advent of the Christ. What is their response? Verse 17-18: "When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them." The talk about it, telling the amazing story of what they had just witnessed.
When I was in university and began to take my faith in Jesus more seriously, the word "witnessing" was used to describe sharing the Christian faith with others. The emphasis would always be on telling others the good news of salvation through Jesus. I struggled with witnessing to others and remember when it hit me that witnessing had two parts to it. First, we must witness God's work - see firsthand the saving grace of God through Christ in our lives - then we are able to witness to others - speak about what we had seen and experienced. When I began to focus on witnessing God's work in people's lives (my own included), the second part of speaking to others about it became the simple practice of being honest with people.
I love the story of the shepherds because it contains both those parts. They hear the announcement from the angel and then see Jesus with their own eyes. After this they go tell others about the coming of the Christ child. May this Christmas be one in which you are able to witness the coming of Christ afresh in your life as well as witness to others about the birth of the Jesus, the Son of God.
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