The shepherds arrive to see the newborn king swaddled in a manger. The sight, as humble as it is, fills them with awe. They share what they’ve seen, and rumors of the Messiah’s arrival begin to spread throughout the land.
Today's Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 1:18, from the King James Version.
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<v Speaker 1>For the word of the Cross is foolishness to those
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<v Speaker 1>who are dying, but to us who are being saved,
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<v Speaker 1>it is God First Corinthians one eighteen. Dear Lord Jesus,
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<v Speaker 1>we stand in awe of your incarnation, humbled that you
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<v Speaker 1>would choose us to witness your love and grace. Fill
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<v Speaker 1>our hearts with reverence for your holiness. Give us the
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<v Speaker 1>boldness to share your good news without fear of rejection
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<v Speaker 1>or failure. We know that the message of your gospel
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<v Speaker 1>holds the power to change and transform lives. May we
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<v Speaker 1>press forward with boldness and joy, sharing with others the
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<v Speaker 1>same message that has changed our lives. May our lives
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<v Speaker 1>echo the Shepherd's song of hope and redemption. Empower us
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<v Speaker 1>with your spirit to be bold, brave, and humble in
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<v Speaker 1>the presence of others. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for praying with me today. Stay tuned now
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<v Speaker 1>for another episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.
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<v Speaker 2>Go therefore and see for yourselves. You will find the
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<v Speaker 2>baby wrapped in swaddling class lying in a manger. The
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<v Speaker 2>Angel continued his words, infused with an urgency that set
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<v Speaker 2>their hearts aflame. As he spoke, the choir of angels
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<v Speaker 2>slowly rose their voices. The light swirled to the rising
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<v Speaker 2>and falling of their harmony. Finally, the song crescendoed into
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<v Speaker 2>a resonating song of praise. Then, as suddenly as it
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<v Speaker 2>had come, the light dissipated, leaving the valley bathed in
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<v Speaker 2>the soft glow of the stars. Once more, The melodies
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<v Speaker 2>of heaven were replaced by the gentle whispers of the
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<v Speaker 2>evening wind and a few chirping crickets. The shepherds sat
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<v Speaker 2>stunned and silent, their minds reeling from the vision they
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<v Speaker 2>had just witnessed. The oldest shepherd turned to his companions,
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<v Speaker 2>Did we all just see that? Or is this old
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<v Speaker 2>man finally loose in his mind? The two others nodded
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<v Speaker 2>their heads in confirmation that they had all born witness.
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<v Speaker 2>Still stunned by what they had seen, slowly their eyes
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<v Speaker 2>turned towards Bethlehem, where a few torchlights still flickered in
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<v Speaker 2>the distance. Resting above the city was a new star,
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<v Speaker 2>radiant and singular, unlike any they had seen before. The
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<v Speaker 2>older shepherd turned to his young friend and laughed, you
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<v Speaker 2>may get to see royalty. After all, they all laughed
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<v Speaker 2>with unexplainable joy, with a shared understanding, they rose, leaving
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<v Speaker 2>their belongings behind, their steps quickening as they ran towards Bethhahem.
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<v Speaker 2>Their hearts were aflame with a joy they could not
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<v Speaker 2>contain and a purpose they could not deny.
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<v Speaker 3>Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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<v Speaker 3>Bible and a Year podcast. This episode explores the themes
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<v Speaker 3>of reverence, evangelism, and the humbling joy of being chosen
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<v Speaker 3>to witness God's goodness. In our last episode, a small
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<v Speaker 3>group of shepherds were visited by a choir of angels,
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<v Speaker 3>proclaiming the newborn King. With passion in their hearts, the
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<v Speaker 3>shepherds will embark on a search for a child lying
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<v Speaker 3>in a manger. Their search for Jesus mirrors our own.
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<v Speaker 3>We stumble in darkness, looking for hope around every corner,
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<v Speaker 3>and when we finally find Jesus, joy abounds in our hearts.
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<v Speaker 3>I pray that this story will be a beacon of
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<v Speaker 3>hope for anyone lost in darkness. The Gospel of John
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<v Speaker 3>describes Jesus as a light that darkness cannot overcome. The
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<v Speaker 3>closer you are to Christ, the further you are from darkness. Now,
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<v Speaker 3>let's place ourselves in the sandals of these shepherds. Let's
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<v Speaker 3>step into the presence of Christ and feel the gravity
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<v Speaker 3>of his goodness. This story will showcase the transformative power
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<v Speaker 3>of Jesus's presence and how it changes us from the
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<v Speaker 3>inside out. After this story, we'll unpack themes and lessons
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<v Speaker 3>to take into our daily walk with God.
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<v Speaker 2>The city of Bethlehem was still asleep. Silence covered the
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<v Speaker 2>night like a warm blanket. Dawn was approaching to welcome
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<v Speaker 2>the chirping of birds and the humming of vendors preparing
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<v Speaker 2>for the day. The tranquil silence of the morning was
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<v Speaker 2>interrupted by the ragged breaths of shepherds desperately searching for
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<v Speaker 2>a child swallowed in a manger. Are we sure we
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<v Speaker 2>heard the angel correctly, one of the mast Would the
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<v Speaker 2>child really be found in a feeding trough? It seemed absurd,
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<v Speaker 2>But then again, it was absurd for a quir of
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<v Speaker 2>angels to visit a few lowly shepherds. The wisdom of
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<v Speaker 2>God seemed like foolishness to the world. None of it
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<v Speaker 2>makes sense, the older shepherd said, with a chuckle. But
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<v Speaker 2>we know what we heard and saw. The companions paced
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<v Speaker 2>through town, looking behind fences and walls for any sign
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<v Speaker 2>of a baby in a manger. Their enthusiasm didn wane,
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<v Speaker 2>especially when they heard the faint cries of a new
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<v Speaker 2>born baby in the distance. The shepherds followed the sound
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<v Speaker 2>down a cobbled stairway of an inn carved into the
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<v Speaker 2>side of the hill. A flickering oil lamp revealed shadows
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<v Speaker 2>of two people leaning over a crying baby. The babies
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<v Speaker 2>crying turned to soft whimpers, eventually soothed by his mother's voice.
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<v Speaker 2>The shepherds inched closer, finally stopping at its entrance. When
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<v Speaker 2>they reached the stable, their bodies froze in reverence. Their
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<v Speaker 2>minds grappled with the enormity of what lay within. Like
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<v Speaker 2>Moses near the burning bush, they knew that they were
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<v Speaker 2>un wholly ground. The air was thick with expectancy. As
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<v Speaker 2>they peered into the shadows. Joseph met their eyes and
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<v Speaker 2>stood up. He stepped forward, blocking their view of his
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<v Speaker 2>wife and child. Who are you, he asked sternly. Mary
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<v Speaker 2>reached out and touched his arm, her eyes filled with understanding.
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<v Speaker 2>They came to see him. She whispered, her eyes soft
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<v Speaker 2>and tired. Joseph's eyes softened and he nodded, stepping aside
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<v Speaker 2>to allow the shepherds to approach. With hesitant steps, the
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<v Speaker 2>shepherds came closer, their hearts fluttering with awe and eyes
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<v Speaker 2>brimming with tears. The humble surroundings faded away as they
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<v Speaker 2>beheld him. The baby Jesus lay in a manger, his
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<v Speaker 2>tiny form wrapped in swaddling clothes, his face radiant with
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<v Speaker 2>innocence and promise. They were overwhelmed with joy and humility.
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<v Speaker 2>God chose these simple men to witness his new born son.
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<v Speaker 2>The knowledge was a weight and a black a secret
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<v Speaker 2>that filled them with the reverence they had never known.
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<v Speaker 2>The youngest shepherd of the three stepped forward with humility.
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<v Speaker 2>He pulled out a woolen blanket he had woven himself
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<v Speaker 2>from his lambs. He handed it to Mary, His voice,
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<v Speaker 2>choked with emotion, faltered as he spoke for the child,
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<v Speaker 2>a humble gift. Mary's eyes beamed with gratitude as she
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<v Speaker 2>accepted the offering, her lips curving into a gentle smile.
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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, she whispered. Her voice was warm and soothing.
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<v Speaker 2>The shepherds bowed to Jesus, their bodies trembling with the
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<v Speaker 2>enormity of the moment. A profound and unbreakable connection had
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<v Speaker 2>been forged, a moment in time that would resonate throughout
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<v Speaker 2>the ages. Mary didn't say anything. She pondered everything in
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<v Speaker 2>her heart, wondering what the future held for Jesus. The
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<v Speaker 2>shepherds stood and bowed their heads to Mary and Joseph.
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<v Speaker 2>They exited the stable, stealing one final glance at the
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<v Speaker 2>child before they left. The sun began to rise the hills,
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<v Speaker 2>painting the sky with hues of gold and pink. Their
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<v Speaker 2>hearts were filled with an overflowing well of joy. Their
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<v Speaker 2>contemplative walks slowly turned into a dance of praise and worship.
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<v Speaker 2>Soon enough, the shepherds were shouting through the streets, their
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<v Speaker 2>voices raised in worship and faces glowing with a light
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<v Speaker 2>that drew curious onlookers. Some shook their heads, thinking the
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<v Speaker 2>shepherds were crazy, drunk, or both. But the shepherds, undeterred
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<v Speaker 2>by scorn, proclaimed that the Messiah had been born and
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<v Speaker 2>they had been privileged to see him. Word began to
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<v Speaker 2>spread like ripples in a pond. The whispers growing in
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<v Speaker 2>strength and conviction. The shepherd's testimony, although unlikely, rekindled hope
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<v Speaker 2>and a few who heard it. If the Messiah had
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<v Speaker 2>truly been born, then hope for Israel was alive. The
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<v Speaker 2>testimony reached the ears of some of the servants of Herod,
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<v Speaker 2>the land's ruler. Their faces paled, their hearts pounding with
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<v Speaker 2>fear and hope. They did not tell Herod, choosing instead
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<v Speaker 2>to hold silent, their minds filled with dreams of redemption
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<v Speaker 2>from the oppression of Rome. Once weighed down by sorrow
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<v Speaker 2>and suffering, the land seemed to awaken to a new possibility.
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<v Speaker 2>The whispers grew into a chorus of voices, a community
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<v Speaker 2>united by faith and longing. In that humble stable, a
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<v Speaker 2>child had been born, a king who would change the world.
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<v Speaker 2>The shepherds, once forgotten guardians of their flock, had become
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<v Speaker 2>heralds of a new era, their voices resonating with the
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<v Speaker 2>truth that would transcend time and space. As the day unfolded,
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<v Speaker 2>the sun casting a golden glow on the land, the
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<v Speaker 2>shepherds returned to their fields. Their souls were forever changed.
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<v Speaker 2>They looked to the bright blue skies and basked in
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<v Speaker 2>the sun's warmth. Their eyes would permanently be filled with
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<v Speaker 2>wondering gratitude that God had chosen them to bear witness
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<v Speaker 2>to his greatest gift. It was a story they would
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<v Speaker 2>hill for the rest of their lives, a tale of
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<v Speaker 2>faith and providence, of humility and grace. They had stood
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<v Speaker 2>on holy ground, and they had writteness God Incarnate in
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<v Speaker 2>the silence of the fields. As the sheep grazed and
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<v Speaker 2>the world moved on, they would remember, and they would
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<v Speaker 2>give thanks, their voices raised in a song that would
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<v Speaker 2>echo through the ages, a melody of hope and redemption.
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<v Speaker 3>I want us all to pause for a moment and
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<v Speaker 3>consider how strange this scene would be to an ancient reader.
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<v Speaker 3>The God of all creation chose to dwell among us,
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<v Speaker 3>not in the form of a tyrant or warrior, but
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<v Speaker 3>as a child when he was born. He chose to
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<v Speaker 3>be born from a poor family in a stable set
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<v Speaker 3>in a feeding trough, And as he lay there in
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<v Speaker 3>a manger, his first worshipers were a few lowly shepherds.
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<v Speaker 3>God packaged a remarkable event in unremarkable circumstances. This is
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<v Speaker 3>proof to us that God uses the foolish things of
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<v Speaker 3>this world to confound the wisdom of the wise. We
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<v Speaker 3>often want to see God move in mighty and miraculous ways,
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<v Speaker 3>like Moses parting the seas or Elijah calling down fire
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<v Speaker 3>from heaven. Still, the Christmas story reminds us that God
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<v Speaker 3>is also at work in life's mundane and unremarkable margins.
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<v Speaker 3>God chose to move in a run down stable surrounded
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<v Speaker 3>by ordinary shepherds. Therefore He can work in your life
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<v Speaker 3>as well. The shepherd's reaction as they entered the stable
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<v Speaker 3>was pure awe. They felt the weight of the moment.
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<v Speaker 3>They were in the presence of something holy and divine.
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<v Speaker 3>In to day's fast paced, noisy world, the concept of
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<v Speaker 3>reverence can seem outdated, out of touch. Yet these simple
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<v Speaker 3>men teach us timeless lessons about reverence and worship and
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<v Speaker 3>what does it mean to have reference in awe for God? First,
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<v Speaker 3>it means to recognize God's holiness. Just as Moses stood
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<v Speaker 3>before the burning bush, the shepherds realized that they were
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<v Speaker 3>on holy ground and responded accordingly. This encounter invites us
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<v Speaker 3>to recognize God's sanctity in our lives. Do we approach
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<v Speaker 3>God with the recognition that He is holy and set
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<v Speaker 3>apart from us. Second, the shepherds allowed themselves to be
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<v Speaker 3>suspended in wonder. Their hearts were fluttering with awe in
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<v Speaker 3>the presence of Christ. This awe and wonder at God's
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<v Speaker 3>nature is something we can cultivate by reflecting on God's greatness,
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<v Speaker 3>his love, and his works in our lives. It requires
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<v Speaker 3>us to pause and ponder and press into the glory
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<v Speaker 3>of God. When was the last time you step back
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<v Speaker 3>and allowed yourself to be in awe of God?
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