The King arrives with royalty in His veins like liquid gold, redemptive blood, thirst-quenching rain, heart-saving grace. His identity is holy, worthy, loving, kind. The earth spins around His existence for His essence makes the universe operate with perfect pleasance. Jesus’ presence invigorates human life to rise to Heaven’s sentiments.
Trust Jesus to show up for you.
Jesus’ presence surrounds His angels when they touch down on earth, sparking illustrious light and nobility.
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.” Luke 2:8-9
The word “fear” in the original Greek language is “phobon,” which means “dread or terror.” Yet, the angel responds to the shepherds immediately saying, “Do not fear!”
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10
Good news incites satisfaction and delectation.
God’s arrival is not to be feared, it is to be reveled in. Enjoyed. Welcomed. Received with awe and excitement.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12
God sends signs to speak to you.
The angel tells the shepherds what to look for when Jesus is born because this sign of a baby being in a manger that was only meant for unblemished lambs was a familiar practice for them. They were used to putting the spotless lambs in mangers to protect them for the sacrifice they used them for in Jewish law to cover sins. Jesus was the the spotless lamb who would be sacrificed for all of mankind’s sins.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:13-14
All the sudden angels from Heaven appear all over the shepherd’s fields singing to God a beautiful symphony of blessing because this message was a monumental event.
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” Luke 2:15-16
The shepherd’s are so excited they leave immediately to go see what the angels announced. When angels show up to you, move speedily.
angel wings
angels sing
from Heaven’s holy
majesty
the symphony
His royalty
is dawning
now miraculously
“And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” Luke 2:17-18
Mary and Joseph heard the shepherd’s explaining how they knew Jesus was born. They would have known that God was sending this message to those whom He wanted to send the message to. God knows how to send messages. God knows how to get His people involved with his own story and orchestrations.
God uses angels to connect His story together.
God makes marvelous, awe-inspiring events.
Wonder flows from Heaven’s vision of redemption playing out from beginning to end. Infant cries and animal coos sound the orchestra of His royal soundtrack. Angelic voices harken the chorus of the Messiah’s supernatural birth.
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Luke 2:19-20
Return with joy in your heart about what God enacts.
The shepherds returned with a song on their lips and a pep in their step. Their job would never be the same because in that place of daily faithfulness, God showed up in a supernatural way that changed the way they viewed the sheep fields. The memory of angelic hosts appearing, singing and announcing the arrival of the Messiah would stay with them forever. Hold on to the moments God has made and let it fuel your passion for life every second.
God uses angels to kindle His spectacular miracles.
In Luke 1, an angel appears to Joseph because of God’s lovingkindness to lead him in the truth regarding Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus during a time of Joseph’s great fear over her being pregnant. He did not believe her, and thus, he feared. And yet, God wants Joseph to be a part of this miraculous story, and He is patient to explain the situation to him. So he sends the angel Gabriel to talk to him.
“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called His name Jesus.” Matthew 1:24-25
Believe God. Refusing to believe God only allows fear into your life because there is no spiritual power to inspire His works. Trust God and allow for God to move in your life however He wants to.
God speaks to you through dreams.
Peace sets in when you wake up to an epiphany of the Messiah’s arrival.
Jesus shows up just like the prophecies foretold!
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:22-23
God fulfills every word He speaks! Nothing is impossible with God.
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7
Jesus shows up where there is room, and there was room in the manger, where He could be born in peace.
Jesus will show up if you make space for Him.
Mary wraps Jesus in “swaddling cloths,” verse 27 indicates, to protect Him from the outside world. Jesus was sacred from birth, separate from all others. Thus, Mary does what is necessary to keep Him sacred.
The inn did not provide a clean space for Jesus to be born in. The manger was likely even cleaner than the inn because God chose for the manger to be His first crib. Inns had a lot of guests going in and out, and there was no guarantee that the rooms would have been cleaned and sanitized to the standard that would permit a newborn to be inside. People’s germs and contagions would have infested the place. But the manger had pure straw inside it that had not been contaminated by people’s diseases. Jesus was safe.
Jesus would grow up to immerse Himself in a people-infested world, and die for the contagions of man. Jesus never shied away from sin and messiness. He came to remove it and replace it with purity.
“He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their face
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:3-6
Heaven will be pure and spotless, a perfect habitat for all humans to live forever without disease, contagions, infestations and sins. All because of Jesus Christ.
Jesus shows up for you.
Jesus is The Saving King.
Life and God 