Proclaiming His Coming

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.” 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 2:10}

The night that the angel appeared to the shepherds out in the field is an amazing visual of darkness and light colliding. The men were probably resting under the soft light of the stars with one ear and one eye open to anything that might harm their flock. Suddenly they were engulfed with the most incredible pure light and they were absolutely terrified, for you can’t fight light with a rod and a staff. A voice spoke, their eyes found the angel and fear changed to wonder.

Just when they thought it couldn’t get any more wondrous, a whole host of heaven’s angels appeared. What a phenomenal sight and sound that must have been! In that moment, time stood still and everything around them just fell away.

I wonder how long they stood there, with mouths open, after the angels had gone? How much time passed before they stopped gazing into the heavens and looked at one another and said, 

“Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

These lowly shepherds were handpicked by God to be among the first to know that the Saviour had arrived, and they were given the honour of bearing witness of his birth, an honour that we too now bear.

Just as the angels announced the gospel of great joy that the Saviour has come, we must continue to spread the good news throughout the world, until he comes again.