Let's Go to Bethlehem and See

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:13-15 NIV)

A great company of the heavenly host.

Yahweh is characterized in scripture as the Lord of Hosts. He is the Commander in Chief of heaven's armies. One angel had first appeared to sleepy shepherds on the Judean hillside outside Bethlehem, announcing the birth of a Savior. Then, a great company of angels appeared with the first one to proclaim, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

The big deal of an angel appearing becomes a really big deal with their appearance. It's a small detail, but the Scripture says they were "...praising God and saying...". This was not so much an anthem by a choir of angels as it was an announcement of great importance, sort of like Paul Revere's ride: The Savior is coming! The Savior is coming!

This raises the question in my mind: Is faith in Jesus a really big deal in my life? Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He will not be relegated to some spot on the edges of our lives, sitting on the throne on Sundays and sitting quietly in the corner the rest of the week. One way to show that Jesus is my really big deal is to make a witness of His Lordship in the way I live, like providing an angel tree gift for a rehab facility or serving meals at the local Salvation Army shelter.

The angels call for glory to God. The birth of Jesus, the Son of God, into our world to redeem us is God's glorious action of deep love to win back to Himself His beloved sons and daughters who are lost in the rebellion of sin. The manger is for God's glory. The cross is for God's glory. The empty tomb is for God's glory. Am I living for God's glory? Does it show in my priorities and desires?

I believe one indicator of living for God's glory and not my own is how I react when I am called to sacrifice. Does sacrifice spark greater love for the One who loved me first? Or frustration and upset because it's all about me?

The angels also proclaimed peace on earth. Jesus came to defeat the evil one. Satan. When he is fully defeated, there will be a Kingdom of Shalom (peace) that will last for eternity. Jesus came to make peace for us. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." When my life is fully committed to Jesus, I can have peace in every storm, thanks be to God.

The shepherds' response to this angel proclamation is simple and profound. “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They acted on the revelation to confirm it in experience. It's not enough to believe in our heads that Jesus was the Son of God, that He lived and died on the cross and was raised from the dead. What we believe in our minds does not save us. Meeting Jesus and throwing our lives on His mercy saves us! We need an encounter with Christ. The glory of Christmas is to know Him for ourselves. We all need a Bethlehem where Jesus is born into our hearts to become a living reality in our lives.

Everything changes when we encounter Jesus for ourselves. Faith changed from "heard about Him in Sunday School" to "now I know Him for myself" one night when I was fifteen years old and gave my life to Jesus. He has walked with me through all the joys and storms of life all these years. His living reality makes all the difference. Do you know Him? Let your heart be Bethlehem, where the Son of God is born into your world for redemption and peace. You'll never regret it.

Have a blessed Christmas!