Responses to the Coming of Christ

Luke 2:20a, "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen....."

How did the people who first heard about the birth of Christ react to that amazing news?

Luke 2:15-20 tells us that the shepherds hurried off to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the Baby. When they had seen Jesus, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. Then they returned glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard.

A very devout man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was eagerly expecting God's promised Messiah, and the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Christ before he died. On the day that Jesus was presented at the temple for circumcision, Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple. When Simeon saw the Baby, he took Jesus in his arms and praised God, calling Jesus "the Savior You have given to all people" and "a light to reveal God to the nations."

A woman named Anna was also in the temple. She was a widow. Her husband had died after they had been married for only seven years, and Anna was now eighty four years old. She never left the temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She too praised God when she saw the Baby Jesus. She talked about Him to those who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel.

Jesus' mother, Mary "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19.

How do we react to the birth of Christ? Do we recognize Him as God's Son and the Savior of the world as Simeon did? Do we thank God for sending Jesus and praise and glorify God often for His most incredible Gift, as the shepherds and Anna did? Do we spread the word about His birth like those who first heard the wonderful news? Do we treasure Christ as our Savior and meditate on our salvation and our walk with Him, pondering all this in our hearts like Mary? Is the miracle of Jesus' birth new and thrilling and wonderful every time we contemplate what He has done for us?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the incredible Gift of Your precious Son, sent for our salvation. May we never consider this with a ho hum attitude but always see how awesome and magnificent His coming into the world is and how blessed we are with the greatest Gift ever given. Amen.