Destination: Bethlehem, Days 19 & 20

Christmas Eve:

It is Christmas Eve, Day 19 of my series of Advent devotionals, contained in The Front Room of The Meeting House.  In fact, you can read the blog on www.meetinghouseonline.info and see the devotionals, or for a summary, you can check out the most recent edition of River Region's Journey magazine - I have posted the summary on the blog and provided a link on the Meeting House Facebook page.

This Christmas Advent-ure is entitled, "Destination: Bethlehem," and on this day we look into the
shepherd's response to the announcement in their fields. We read in Luke 2:
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

We learn several things through this Christmas Advent-ure:
God had a plan - to redeem fallen humanity
He performed that plan - to perfection
There were steps along the way that have lessons to teach us
He used people to carry out His plan
The plan, in one sense, culminated with the birth of Christ, but that began a whole new story - Jesus lived as a man, died as a substitute for our sin, and is raised from the dead so that we might be made alive with Him

In light of that plan, we can respond, as the shepherds did, and recognize that we have been called to communicate God's message.  He has a plan for each of us, and as we are willing to be used by Him, we can experience what He wants to do in our lives.

Christmas Day:

Day 20, the final day of our Christmas Advent-ure this year, with the theme, "Destination: Bethlehem," is here - it's Christmas Day.  And, for our final reading, we fast forward probably around 2 years and see the visitation of the Magi from what is called, "the East."

These Wise Men came to King Herod, and in Matthew 2, we can read:
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

Herod's associates identified that the Scriptures said that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, so the king sent them there and asked them to bring word back to him - he said he wanted to worship, but his desire was far more nefarious...he wanted to take the life of the young King.

We pick up the story in verse 9:
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

The Wise Men followed the direction of the star and came to see the Christ Child.   The plan of God continued to unfold following that visitation - they went home by another route and avoided the treachery of Herod.  An angel directed Joseph to take his family, including Jesus, to Egypt for protection.

I think one of the central messages of our Christmas Advent-ure is the concept of God directing our paths.  We each have a spiritual journey on which we have embarked, and God desires to direct our lives, to orchestrate circumstances, to mold our hearts, in order for His glory to be shown.  And, when we see God move, let's be intentional to acknowledge that and give God the praise.

His orchestration of events leading up to the birth of Jesus has personal meaning for you and for me. Give Him the glory that Christ has come, Jesus was born, salvation is here!