Tuesday 01 January 2013

Background

Today's passage relates the story of what the shepherds in theregion of Bethlehem did on Christmas night. They had justexperienced a heavenly visitation of angels, who had told them thata Saviour had been born in Bethlehem who was the long-promisedMessiah (the anointed one) who would establish God's kingdom onearth (Luke 2:10-14).

You can imagine their excitement. Such experiences were no morecommon then than they are today. They immediately rushed to theplace where the baby was lying, making that a priority overguarding the sheep against wild animals or thieves. They found Maryand Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger (a feeding trough foranimals, which was being used because there was no otheraccommodation available for the family than the place where theanimals were kept). They amazed those who heard their story, andthen returned to their sheep full of gratitude for what they hadheard and seen.

The last verse tells us what happened eight days later.Circumcision, the surgical removal of the foreskin, was a riteperformed on all male Jewish babies at that time. It was a sign ofmembership of the covenant God had made with Abraham, theforefather of the Jewish race, that God would be the God of Abrahamand his descendants, and that they would be God's own people.

At the same time Jesus was named (as happens at an infantBaptism, or christening, today). The name "Jesus" means 'the Lordsaves'. It marked Jesus out as one who would save his people, notin the sense of giving them political independence, as theshepherds probably thought, but rather in the sense of giving themfreedom from the guilt and power of their sins, and freedom toenjoy a new life in a new relationship with God.  

To Ponder

• How eager are you to find Jesus today? To tell others what youknow about him? To praise God for all that you have experienced ofhim?

• In what ways do you still need to experience the freedoms Jesusbrought?