Luke 2:8-14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 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 of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Have you ever had someone promise to do something for you? I mean something really big? And then after what seemed like an eternity, they came through for you. The promise was fulfilled and a tremendous sense of relief swept over you. My most recent experience was the Grace Lutheran Christmas Food Basket deliveries. It was somewhat overwhelming. People stepped up to take care of a seemingly daunting task of organizing the food drive. From collecting the names, collecting the food, sorting the food, filling the baskets, all the way through delivering the boxes of food. Probably the most dramatic example of God’s promise of His grace being sufficient is the manner in which the boxes of food were picked up after our 11:00 service last year on the Sunday before Christmas. The boxes just disappeared. People lined up and pitched in. Some people even asked how many they could take, because just delivering one set of boxes was not enough. Talk about a promise being fulfilled. Praise God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for pouring his love into the hearts of the Grace Lutheran congregation until it overflowed in love! 33 deliveries had to be made to fulfill our commitment. And it just happened. People did what was the right thing. And this was accomplished not out of obligation. Our salvation does not rest on accomplishing a list of works. Ours has been bought and paid for. These boxes were delivered out of love. In most cases it was out of love for people that those who stepped up to make the deliveries did not even know where the part of our community where the boxes were to be delivered to. Let alone who they were to be delivered to. Thank God for turn-by-turn GPS systems! We had so much food that we had several boxes full left over that went to the Faith Lutheran Food Bank. Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Son, once more His love came down.
The love of the Father for us is such that over 2000 years ago, he sent his Son to earth. He fulfilled his promise to send us a savior. He sent us our deliverer. He told us we would be set free, and He fulfilled His promise. We were set free from death in sin. We were reconciled once more with the Father. We who had distanced ourselves in the Garden of Eden were fully restored to righteousness through that baby born in a manger. The same baby the Angels told the shepherds would be found “in cloths and lying in a manger.” And so peace, a spiritual peace, was given to the shepherds. His promise was fulfilled. A spiritual peace first lost in Eden by Adam and Eve was restored. It is a peace that has been restored to all who have faith in Jesus Christ. And when you stack up the promises fulfilled in our lives, including those made by us and those given to us by friends and family, they cannot even come close to what we have been given in Christ. There is a sense of relief for all believers that surpasses anything we can experience on earth when an earthly promise is fulfilled. Friends of the Savior, share the Good News this Christmas season. Let that same spiritual peace flow out from you to all who are in need. Share the peace given to the shepherds long ago.
PRAYER: Father, Abba, Your children have been truly blessed by You. Your love for us is such that Your Son came down to earth. Your Love came down to us. And that love saved us in a way , and at a time, when we needed it most. That love granted us the spiritual peace we so desperately need. You have restored us to You O God. And for that blessing we thank You in the name of one who delivered us. Christ Jesus. Amen
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