Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Throughout Scripture, everyone who has come into the presence of the Lord has been in awe of Him and has adored Him.
Think of the Wise Men and their gifts. The Wise Men came in search of the newborn King, bringing their gifts and bowing before Him in adoration. Matthew 2:11 records, “And going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him.” And they offered to the Christ Child the gifts they had brought for Him, “gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
Think of the shepherds and their angelic revelation. The shepherds adored Him, too. They heard about Jesus from the angels as they sat outdoors watching their sheep and ran to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child. They didn’t have gifts to bring as the Magi did, but they, too, responded in adoration. Luke writes, “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning the Child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2: 17-18).
So think of our response.
Sometimes, like the Wise Men, we give monetary gifts to support mission and ministry.
Other times, like the shepherds, we “make known… [what has] been told [us] concerning the Child.”
And all the time, by God’s grace, all of us can respond in faithful obedience to God’s Word.
In these ways, we adore our Savior.
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Hartwig