A Message of Hope

After the angel delivered the good news to the shepherds, they had a choice as to what to do. They could have said, “Let’s just hang out here and soak it in.” Or they might have said, “We can’t go there. We’re not dressed appropriately. Besides, no one wants shepherds around.”

Instead, they essentially said, “Let’s go quickly and see this thing for ourselves.”

A lot of times we miss out on what God wants to do in our lives because we don’t respond appropriately. Luke’s gospel tells us, “They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished” (2:16–18 NLT).

In first-century Israel, the people were hoping that someone would overthrow Rome. They were hoping for a militant Messiah to free them from their captivity. But Jesus wasn’t coming to overthrow Rome; He was coming to die for the sins of the world.

We have the same message as the shepherds did. And we, too, need to share this message, especially during this Christmas season. We all know people are hurting this Christmas. Some have lost their jobs, some are sick, some have a loved one who is sick, and some are very depressed.

We need to tell people there is hope. We need to tell people that a Savior has been born. And we need to tell them they don’t have to be afraid. The reason is that Christ has come. Christ has been born. He walked this earth, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. And now He offers the ultimate gift of eternal life. We have a Savior.