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Friday (Day 20)

VERSES: Luke 2:6-14

Have you ever rewatched a movie with a surprise ending? The first time you saw it, your jaw dropped with the plot twist, but by the tenth time seeing the movie, you come to expect the previously unexpected turn.

In today’s verses we see the birth of Jesus followed by a number of surprising twists and turns.

First of all, Jesus is laid in a manger. A MANGER! An animal’s feeding trough. This was the humble abode where Jesus, the King of Kings, would spend His first night on the earth. How rare was this? Well, the angels tell the shepherds that they will be able to identify which baby was Jesus because Jesus was the only baby in Bethlehem lying in a manger! We are so familiar with this story, that we are no longer shocked by this reality. Even more shocking, though, is WHY Jesus was laid in a manger … because there was no room for Him indoors. No one else was willing to be inconvenienced so that Jesus could be born in a more accommodating setting.

The next big surprise came with angels filling the sky outside Bethlehem. Again, we are so familiar with this story that we just think that angels ALWAYS fill the night sky around Bethlehem, but remember, those who first saw them were terrified. Why? Because it was not normal for angels to be in Bethlehem’s sky. And, who did the angels first inform of the birth of Jesus? The shepherds of course! Again, we have lived an entire lifetime seeing shepherds in our nativity scenes, so their angelic visit makes sense to us, but it was a shock to the first century. Shepherds were not people invited to formal events, and due to their proximity to the elements they interacted with in their vocation, they were deemed ritually unclean, making them religious outsiders.

May you read these very familiar verses today with fresh eyes. As you “rewatch” this familiar piece of history, don’t be desensitized to its amazing message. Unto the religious outsiders and those stained by sin, a Savior is born! “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” May your heart do what the residents of Bethlehem did not - make room for Jesus to be honored and worshiped with our obedience, affection, and faith.