The Christmas Season

Christmas can be such a wonderful time of the year. So many homes are filled with lights and decorations, and houses are adorned with color and beauty. It is a time of carols and giving and traditions waiting to be fulfilled. Each of us during this time of year, look forward to our yearly events that are part of each year’s Christmas. It may be placing the star on the top of a beautifully decorated tree. Perhaps, it may be the decorations themselves that brighten our homes. Maybe, it is that special dinner or the gatherings that fill us with eager anticipation. Yes, traditions are part of what makes this season so special.

Yet, regardless of whatever our festivities and traditions are, regardless of how many presents are given and received, as Christians, our grounding for this season is always to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. 

When we think of the events that surround the birth of Jesus, it is hard not to think about the shepherds in the field when that first angle came. It must have been a beautiful night with a sky that was absolutely filled with stars. Then suddenly, an angel appeared to announce the birth of God incarnate, Emanual, the Prince of Peace, and the Savior of all mankind. 

We read in Luke 2:8-14, ^“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so, the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”

This is a passage that so many of us hear and read each Christmas season. It brings our minds to a moment in the past when every star that filled that night sky seemed to burst into the image of an angel, all singing praise and glorifying God. It must have been an experience that the shepherds would remember and talk about for the rest of their lives.

As we celebrate our traditions and enjoy all of the good that the holiday brings, let our thoughts and our prayer reflect back on the message that was brought to those shepherds on that quiet hillside so many years ago.

Let us remember to give thanks to our God all throughout this Christmas season. Give our Heavenly Father our heartfelt thanks for sending Jesus to live among us. Let the joy that filled the hearts of those shepherds fill our hearts today as we remember who it is we are celebrating.