He’s here!
A devotional by Carrie Del Pizzo
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying: “Give glory to God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.”
– Luke 2:9-14 (NCV)
It was a quiet night, just like any other. There were a lot of people in town for the census, but folks who already lived in Bethlehem were going about their usual business, while those just arriving were trying to hustle a place to stay. Joseph and Mary couldn’t even get a room.
Everyone had traveled a long way, and no one was going to give up their nice warm bed to a couple of late-arriving strangers. The fact that Mary was hugely pregnant was probably the only reason they even got the stable.
Biggest shock of all, when that brand-new baby started yowling, no one even noticed. Israel had plenty of Pharisees, Sadducees, temple leaders, rabbis and students poring over the prophesies who should have known the Messiah was due any day. Surely Mary had a light about her that was beyond the average bun-in-the-oven glow. But the arrival of the Son of God was missed by the entire world.
Well, the angels just couldn’t stand by and let that happen. The entrance of the King couldn’t be ignored. In fact, they couldn’t be quiet about it.
Have you ever seen a period movie where they have a big ball and there’s a servant standing at the door shouting everyone’s name as they walk in? A long time ago, important people wanted to be sure everyone knew when they made their grand entrance. Well, God and the angels felt the same way about the baby Jesus.
First God sent the herald angel (the shouter at the door) to give the good word to the shepherds. Then the band came in. Angels filled the sky, singing, dancing — it was quite a hootenanny.
When something really important happens, like the savior of the world arriving to save mankind, people need to know about it. Similarly, when something really important happens, like Jesus cleaning our hearts and giving us new life, people need to know about that too.
Now let's bring this back to the present day with some questions for you: Has Jesus cleaned your heart? Have you told anyone about it recently?
Ask Jesus for the courage to tell others about His birth, His death, His resurrection, and the new life you’ve found in Him.
If you haven’t found that new life yet, ask Him for it. After all, Jesus Christ came to Earth just to deliver a free gift to you: the free gift of salvation! What a reason to rejoice!
~*~
Author Bio:
In this world of texts, memes, and emojis, slowing down to truly communicate can feel like straining a muscle you haven’t exercised in far too long.
Seventeen years of business experience across a variety of industries has taught Carrie Del Pizzo the fine art of professional communications.
Partnering with corporate executives and entry-level employees alike, she has written and edited major project proposals, direct marketing pieces, sensitive client communications, employee handbooks, and user manuals.
Carrie’s love of literature and story has led her to develop and exercise her fiction writing skills as well. Aside from her personal creative efforts, she also edits for self- and traditionally-published authors and enjoys writing short dramas for church presentation.
Carrie is a wife, mom of three Americans and host-mom to numerous exchange students. Italian-by-marriage means she loves to cook and eat. She lives in Spokane, Wash., with her hilarious family who keep her in stitches and provides piles of material for great stories.
