The Bethlehem View
Thanksgiving at The Grand Canyon was quite the view for our oldest child and her family.
What is in your view right now?
Ask God what he wants you to see with your eyes and with your heart.
When writing this I found myself considering the view of Christ's birth from the perspective of those who had angel encounters.
Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds all were blessed, probably astounded, by visits from an angel telling them about this miraculous birth. That would help my disbelief.
Let's look at the view in Luke 2:8-20
That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, “Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.
You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:“Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.”
After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let's goto Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. Everyone listened and was surprised.
But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant. As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.
Now that was a night of celebration. Better than any wedding, any football victory in a stadium with 100,000 cheering fans. This was a true game changer and victory for us all.
Imagine all that Mary and Joseph viewed that day and night.
A long walk/donkey ride to Bethlehem.
Going into labor on a donkey and having no place to stay. The discouragement of no one taking them in. They hadn't been given the "born in a manger" clue.
Childbirth! Holding your infant for the first time and then WHOA shepherds show up with their own angel tale.
And of course there is God's view. I'm guessing this is the first time he has taken up residence in a baby on planet earth. Yet, this plan was no surprise to Him. Every detail had purpose.
Oh, what a story. Oh, what a God. Oh, what a Savior born in Bethlehem.
The Song
“A Baby Changes Everything” Faith Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y0_wNPSOaw
