Prayer:

“Let us pray the words the angels cried out: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ Amen.”

Take the following questions to think about:

• Do you want to meet Jesus?
• Sometimes it is difficult to put the right words to the greatness of Jesus. In Isaiah 9:6, we read some wonderful words. Can you think of more words that describe Jesus' greatness?
• Have you met the King of kings?
• Do you tell 'everyone' that Jesus was born? How do you do that?

Everyone needs to know!

How extraordinary that God chooses a bunch of shepherds to have an encounter with an angel who tells them that the Saviour has been born. He sends them a group of angels who praise and honor God before their eyes. That God chooses these shepherds to be among the first to honor His Son.

The shepherds meet the newborn Jesus. Just before that encounter, something special happens. It is a story, of course, but it shows something special.

The crippled shepherd does something he could not do at all: he runs and runs, almost faster than his legs can carry him. The expectation that he is going to encounter something special, someone special he has been waiting for so long, gives him 'wings'. Gives him the strength and courage to go with confidence. He receives healing even before he meets Jesus.

It was this limping shepherd who was excluded by all at first, and who was scolded by the Pharisee. He receives restoration and is allowed to hold baby Jesus. It is an extraordinary image: the joy that radiates from this scene at this moment of encounter.

After this encounter, we see the shepherds even more excited than they already were when they set out for Bethlehem. Jesus has been born. They have met the King of kings! Everyone needs to know!

Are you passing it on?