When Hope First Spoke

I have thought for many years

Every Christmas season for the past few years, my thoughts have gone back to the shepherds to whom Christ's birth was announced. Everything we know about those shepherds is recorded in just thirteen verses in Luke 2. We all know that story: from the angel’s first, “Fear not!;” to seeing the heavenly hosts, to visiting the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They never dreamed they would experience anything like this night—ever! And then verse 20 says, “And the shepherds returned...” Did you ever stop to think about what they returned to? It was the same world they had left only a few hours before. Herod still ruled over the Jews. Roman soldiers had free reign to do pretty much as they pleased. Loved ones still got terminal diseases. Spouses and parents still died way too soon. Hucksters still cheated people out of their life’s savings, even in the temple. Children still went prodigal. And possibly, one of their young sons was killed in Herod’s vendetta to do away with the Baby King. Maybe that father wondered why the Infant Savior was hiding in Egypt and his son was killed. Shouldn’t the Savior save; instead of letting innocent babies die in His place? They had to wonder when they would experience this great joy and peace and goodwill that was to be to all people. We can understand their questions. We can understand why the luster of that night with the angels and Baby Jesus would wear off for the shepherds who returned to the same problems they thought had been put behind them. But we know that the shepherds did not see the whole story. We know “the rest of the story,” that the Baby came back from Egypt, we know that He healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed thousands of people with a young lad’s lunch. We know that He confronted the religious leaders who were perverting His Father’s message. And we know that He went to the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. But just like the shepherds, we live in a world that has not yet been redeemed, we know what it is like to have a dear friend stab us in the back, to have a child go prodigal, to suffer financial ruin, to hear the doctor say, “you have cancer,” or to drive home from a cemetery, leaving behind the dearest person on earth to us. Like the shepherds, we live life on this side of our Lord’s return. Many of us have faced great loss in the past year. Some of us carry a new grief into this Christmas season that we have not known before. But we do not grieve like those who have no hope. We reluctantly yet confidently face the days ahead with a tear in one eye and a ray of hope in the other. We look up for the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are to live life looking forward, knowing that someday death will be defeated, disease will be eliminated, sin will be judged, and evil will be banished to hell, never to be heard from again. The angel’s promise of good tidings of great joy will be fully realized when we see Jesus face to face and we are reunited with loved ones who have gone on before. The angel said that night long ago, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Just as prophecy was fulfilled in that little Baby in a manger, so will the promise of the Baby’s return be fulfilled. But this time, that little Baby will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. And the song will be sung, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” And that is the promise He made, and this is our hope today and every day, no matter what grief our hearts may carry.

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