Acts 5:31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
For God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die for us. He did not send Jesus to condemn the world but that through him the world could be saved. Glory to our risen King! Carla
Luke 2:7-14 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 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. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke probably notes this detail “her firstborn son “ here because Yahweh had consecrated Israel’s firstborn children (Numbers 3:13). Wrapping or swaddling provides warmth, comfort, and security to newborn infants (and is still practiced today).
A manger was a trough out of which animals were fed. This may imply that they were in a barn of some sort, but a house is a stronger possibility; animals were often kept indoors at night in the house’s lower level.
The inn the Greek text here (at the end of this verse) uses the term katalyma in reference to a guest room (compare Luke 22:11). In this context, a katalyma is best understood as a caravansary—a roadside lodging in which several groups of travelers could spend the night.
By noting that the announcement comes to lowly shepherds rather than to the religious elite, Luke continues the theme developed in 1:48–52.
The Greek word used here, euangelion, commonly refers in Luke’s Gospel to the saving message that the savior of humanity has come into the world. Which will be for all the people hints that the good news is not just for Jewish people, but also for non-Jewish people.
Christ the Lord the angels employ two titles: “Christ” or “Messiah” emphasizes Jesus’ anointing as God’s promised Servant; “Lord” emphasizes His sovereign authority.
Lying in a manger Mangers—though quite familiar to the shepherds—were unusual beds for babies. This oddity would serve as a sign to the shepherds that they had found the Messiah.
A multitude of the heavenly army refers to a massive group of angels. Glory to God this third hymn in Luke’s birth narratives echoes the angelic song in Isaiah 6:3).
The angels’ reference to glory in the highest heaven is complemented by their message of peace of earth. The Greek word used here, eirēnē, for peace is similar in meaning to the Hebrew word shalom (which means “peace,” “wholeness,” or “completeness”); it carries connotations of well-being, harmony, and security. Peace is a major theme of Luke’s Gospel. Faithlife Study Bible
The inn was most likely a reception room in a private home or a space at a public shelter, not a large building with several individual rooms.
Glory refers to evidence of God’s majestic presence, later associated with Jesus (Acts 7:55). In this scene, the glory is the appearance of light in the midst of darkness.
Savior … Christ … Lord: These three titles together summarize the saving work of Jesus and His sovereign position. What God was called in 1:47, Savior, Jesus is called here. The word Christ means “Anointed,” referring to Jesus’ royal, messianic position. The word Lord was the title of a ruler. The meaning of the word is defined by Peter in Acts 2:30–36. Jesus is destined to sit and distribute salvation’s benefits from God’s side, ruling with the Father.
Glory here refers to praise given to God. Goodwill toward men this phrase means that people are the objects of God’s goodwill. In ancient Judaism, this phrase described a limited group of people who were the objects of God’s special grace. The promise of peace (1:79) and goodwill would come to those who welcome God’s only Son. The NKJV Study Bible
Matthew 1:20–21
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:16–17
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Matthew 16:16
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Acts 2:36
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
From the cross, Jesus quoted David's cry in Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), further connecting this psalm to His crucifixion and confirming that Jesus was fulfilling Old Testament scriptures. In this moment, Jesus lamented feeling abandoned by God the Father, but like David penned in Psalm 22:24, the Father would not hide His face forever. Jesus' cries of deepest despair were heard by our loving God.
And just as He "died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures," Jesus was also "raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He came to ransom us and secure our place with Him for eternity. Jesus chose to be forsaken on the cross, bearing God's wrath for our sin, but ultimately He conquered the grave. Because Jesus chose to be forsaken on our behalf, we can trust that God will never forsake us. First5
“Christmas is the story of God breaking into the world with a new kind of power; love power, peace power.” And a reminder about Jesus’ words, “But I say, love all people, be gentle with each other, care for the ‘other’ and also, you can’t get to the kingdom of God unless you come as a child.” Rev. Jacqui Lewis
I was raised in a church tradition that asked, very often, “What do you believe? “And I learned early, how to give the “right” answers. And I remember being “corrected” if I was “wrong”.
I know now that this paradigm focuses on the wrong question. I no longer ask, “What do you believe?”
Now I ask, “Please tell me what (or how) you choose?”
In other words, your beliefs can say one thing, but tell me where your feet hit the ground. Tell me where your heart reaches out. Tell me where your faith has hands, and feet. Tell me where your light spills.
Speaking of paradigm changes, Jesus’ message transformed our world. “The heart of Jesus’ message is that loving ‘others’ means caring not only for family and friends but even for strangers—whoever is in need, whether we know them or whether they are like us.” Bart Ehrman said in an interview this week.
And no, this is not easy in a world where it is so tempting to pull a thick stocking cap over our eyes and ears.
I can hear Bob Dylan singing, “Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see?”
I do pay attention, and I do see how my friends in minority communities are treated and affected. And then just recently, I read this statement, made by a pastor, “Empathy is dangerous. Empathy is toxic.”
“So many people who claim to follow Jesus appear to have no idea what he actually taught,” Bart Ehrman observes.
Yes. And we are back to the paradigm shift. “Please tell me what (or how) you choose?”
Today, in a world that can feel upside down, can I choose to be merciful, kindhearted, inclusive and empathetic?
Can I choose to stand up for justice and to create sanctuaries for healing and forgiveness?
And here's the deal: the affirmation, “you are the light of the world”, can make all the difference.
If we let this affirmation take root, our capacity to make a difference, one gift at a time, tells us that despair doesn't win.
We can choose
We can act
We can risk
We can fail
We can forgive
We can offer hope
We can bear witness
We can affirm human dignity
We can stand up to hatred and despair
We can be the light of the world
In this dance we call life
On this planet we call home
Sabbath Moments
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