Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 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, goodwill toward men!”
— Luke 2:10-14 (NKJ)
So many moving pieces set in place from the beginning, before time, were coming together. The clock was ticking and the parts began shifting into place, piece by piece, moment by moment. The stage was now set, from the placement of the stars in the sky to the lineage of Abraham. It was timed, purposed and made ready for the great reveal of God’s love for mankind.
God foretold this moment and everything was now ready. How exciting to see the final pieces come together. Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem. Jesus was born. The magi were en route and the shepherds in the fields were soon to receive the greatest news of all time. The Deliverer had come and man would be reunited with God.
One sign to the shepherds was that the babe would be found wrapped in swaddling cloth and lying in a manger. Why was this a sign to them? We think of it as an indicator that they found the right baby because he is in a manger. And yes, I’m sure that was part of it but there was more to it.
The passover lambs in the OT had to be perfect, without any blemish. They were selected at birth and guess what? They were wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a manger. This was to keep them from bruising, breaking bones, or getting any blemish.
Knowing this, the shepherds were very familiar with what the manger meant. It was the cradle for the passover lamb. So when they were told this is where you will find the babe, they knew it was a sign that this was the Messiah, the Promised Redeemer. The long awaited One had now come. This was the Passover Lamb for all humanity.
This was the long awaited moment. (Galatians 4:4) I can only imagine Abba Father’s great joy. All of heaven could sense the anticipation of the moment. What rejoicing! God had prepared, planned and orchestrated His gift of love, now to be revealed. (1 Peter 1:20)
The angels could feel the eagerness, joy and exuberance. They were waiting for the cue to celebrate, rejoice and declare the good news of God to men with singing, proclaiming God’s love. This had been decided upon before the dawn of time. The moment of the ages had come. Stop . . . inhale . . . SING!
Why was God so excited? Because of you! He LOVES you. He wanted you to have everything He intended for you to have from the beginning of creation. He was restoring and setting right the wrongs at the appointed time. The time had come for the Deliverer to rescue humanity!!
This was reason to sing; this was reason to rejoice. Mankind, His beloved, would be reunited to Abba! You are His beloved. This is the greatest love story ever told and you are at the center!
Dim the lights; cue the music; feel the excitement . . .draw the curtain! Let the show begin . . .NOW!
“LOVE has come”
December 2023 Wallpaper