I try and focus on a particular person or
group of the Christmas story each year. This year- the group that stands out to
me in the story is the Angels… specifically the Angels that appear to the
Shepherds. From the beginning God, Jesus
and the Holy Spirit have been. At some point the angels came to be (Genesis
2:1)- they have been directly in the presence of God and Jesus since their
existence (except those fallen angels who left with Satan).
Can you imagine the angels love for him? Their time in heaven was spent worshipping
and praising him- in his direct presence (Nehemiah 9:6, book of Revelation). They knew who Jesus was as God’s son, in all
his royalty and deity in heaven. They
knew the honor, praise, glory, and worship he deserved as the king of kings and
the lord of lords. Can you imagine how excited they were for humanity to meet
him? Luke 2:8-20 tells the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds in
the field. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+2:8-20)
Having seen humans and all the sin on the
earth since its creation and knowing who Jesus was and what he was capable of,
the angels must have been so excited and had great anticipation for him to come
to earth. When they appeared to the shepherds they were singing and praising
God. Yet what was happening on earth as
Jesus came was nothing like that. It was
a simple couple in a stable outside in the night.
The difference in the response of humanity
and the response of the angels as Christ came to earth is what stands out to
me. On earth nothing all that crazy happened- there weren’t fireworks, there
wasn’t a parade… very few people really even knew about this birth, and many
who did probably shunned Mary, not believing her tale. The angels on the other hand, had a
perspective from the “heaven-side”- an inside scoop of knowing Jesus firsthand
and knowing who He was. They were so excited for his coming to earth- they just
wanted to share it with the shepherds and rejoice.
What did the angels think? Were they confused by earth’s seeming lack of
excitement for what they knew was the arrival of the greatest gift of all time?
We received and met Jesus for the first time that night, they saw the son they already
worshipped and loved come into the earth the first time. Perspective J
