January 1, 2023
The Name of Jesus
Read
Luke 2:15-21
They left?
Where the angels had left them and gone into heaven… (verse 15)
Have you ever attended a sporting event in a large stadium? It can be lots of fun cheering your team onto victory and less fun when your team is losing. Sometimes, when the home team is losing, you will see people leave the game early. True sports fans don’t understand leaving early; how will you know how the sports story ends? What if your team makes a comeback? Staying until the final buzzer is for the faithful people.
An angel of the Lord came to the shepherds, bringing good news of great joy for all the people; their Messiah is born! A great crowd, a multitude of the heavenly host, was there, suddenly praising God for this saving birth. And they left early! They didn’t journey with the shepherds to see the babe in bands of cloth. I don’t think they were trying to beat traffic home; rather, as God’s messengers, they already knew what would happen. Jesus wasn’t born for the angels; Jesus is born for all the people, so it is for the people to see.
Thank you for the birth of Immanuel, God with us. Keep us faithful until the end. May we join the shepherds in seeking you and praise you for all you have done. Amen.