December 25
The Glory of the Lord Appeared to Shepherds
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:9-12
Christmas is history’s center. It’s not just our dating system that centers in Christ’s birth. All history after Adam’s fall prepared for this day “when the time had fully come” (Galatians 4:4).
It’s not surprising then that Christmas brings another glimpse of the heavenly glory that has filled these devotions as glorious angels terrify sleepy shepherds.
But after those angels announce the great joy of the Savior and Messiah’s birth, what is stunning is what the shepherds would find in Bethlehem. The sign they tell the shepherds to look for is not a shining figure filling Bethlehem with light and shaking the hills with his divine majesty.
The sign is amazing not for its majesty but its humility. What will they find? A baby. And not in shining heavenly attire but in the common diapers of the day. And not even in a house. His poor mother and stepfather couldn’t obtain normal shelter. The Messiah, the Lord, is resting in a feeding trough.
But don’t be fooled: there’s glory there in abundance. It’s the glory of the God who didn’t come to terrify and condemn us (though he had every right to do so), but to rescue us. It’s the glory of his divine majesty hidden to restore our created majesty lost.
The glory of Christmas doesn’t drive us to our knees in terror. It brings us to our knees in wonder and praise. Thank God that you have seen the glory of that swaddled baby in a feeding trough!
O Jesus Christ, your manger is
my paradise at which I am reclining.
For there, O Lord, we find the Word
made flesh for us—your grace is
brightly shining.
Amen. (CW 342:1)
Rev. Dr. Richard Gurgel serves Martin Luther College as president.
