And there were shepherds living out
in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the
Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good
news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
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.”
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.”
So they hurried off and found Mary
and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 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.
In this brief passage from Luke 2:8-18, the single most important
announcement in history is delivered—in the person of Jesus Christ, God has come into
the world! The shepherds receive the
good news and are told specifically what signs to look for as they search out God
among us.
Although we are not heavenly beings like the angels on high, in Christian
marriage, we are called by God to carry the same commission—to announce the
presence of God in the world. While we
do not announce the birth of a baby, we do announce the presence of a King. And just as the angels told the shepherds what to look for, there are definitive signs that will validate our announcement.
When you love your spouse, when you seek his/her well-being above your
own, when you forgive, when you speak words of blessing and encouragement into
your mate’s life, when you provide a place of safety and goodness, when grace and
mercy flow freely, when God reigns in your hearts and in your home, when you live
out your faith first-and-foremost with your spouse—in those moments, you loudly
and powerfully proclaim that Jesus Christ, the Lord and Messiah, has come into
this world and is living among us.
Please, let your marriage “shout it from the mountaintops” —the good news
that will cause great joy for all the people—Jesus is here.
_____________________
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individual couples, in small groups, or in a Bible class? Check out Marriage:
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