... and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Luke 2:18
Have you ever been amazed by anything? I remember when our daughter was born. Seeing her beautiful face and 10 perfect fingers and 10 perfect toes seemed amazing to me. I didn’t question it, for babies have been born for centuries. Yet it was still amazing that from my own body could come another completely intact and wonderful little human being who was completely her own person.
Sadly, today’s world culture often doesn’t stand in amazement for very long, if at all. We resort to our knowledge of the world to explain away every day miracles. We prefer to not linger with incongruencies and that which defies explanation. We miss the wonder of life itself often because of our need to know.I didn’t question it, for babies have been born for centuries. Yet it was still amazing that from my own body could come another completely intact and wonderful little human being who was completely her own person.
Today I’d like to take a look at the word thaumazō or “amazed,” as is found in our text today. I like how the New King James Version interprets Luke 2:18 - And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” Let’s place ourselves in the story, explore the wonder of it all and marvel as the shepherds and the people to whom they shared their amazement had. Let’s learn to wonder and be amazed all over again.
It was certainly an ordinary night. The sheep were grazing comfortably and the weather was agreeable for the season. Just another night… Wait! What’s this? An angel? Whoa!! Suddenly the ragtag band of lowlife shepherds sprang to action. Anything out of the ordinary was always cause for alarm because the sheep were so vulnerable. Just one misstep… But the sheep were fine. And the angel was speaking, “Don’t be alarmed! I have great news to bring you tonight. It will bring you immense joy. It’s for all people everywhere but you must hear it first!”
It seemed so unlikely. Nobody gave shepherds the time of day. More often than not people would walk away to avoid them. Nobody trusted shepherds with anything. But good news? For all people?
The angel continued. “Today a Savior has been born in David’s city! You will know you have found the right baby because it will be wrapped with strips of cloth and will be laid in a manger.” Before the shepherds could even respond there were suddenly hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of angels who appeared with the original angel. They all started speaking together. “Praise be to God who is above all! And may peace be with men of goodwill.”
Just as suddenly as thee angels had come, they were gone. The shepherds continued to stare in astonishment until one of them suggested, “We should go to Bethlehem to find this baby just as Yahweh has told us.” And they all knew where they were going. The angel had told them. Strips of cloth. Manger. Migdal Eder, the tower of the sheep. Another chimed in as they gathered the sheep, “What a strange place for a baby to be born! The sacrificial lambs lambs are the ones born there and wrapped with strips of cloth to keep them from being damaged so they can be used in temple worship. But a baby? I’ve never heard of that before.”
The shepherds hurried as quickly as their sheep would allow. Before long they reached Migdal Eder. And just as the angel had told them, they found a young couple inside, stretched out on the hay next to the manger where the holiest of lambs were born and laid. In the manger was a beautiful, perfect child. The angel had told them the truth! The mother was so small, so young. She looked at the shepherds inquisitively. So they told of their experience. “There was this angel. See? And he told us that we would find you here. And not only that but he told us your baby is the Savior! And then there were all these angels praising God because of your son. Could He be the Messiah we have waited for so long!”
Sadly, today’s world culture often doesn’t stand in amazement for very long, if at all. We resort to our knowledge of the world to explain away every day miracles. We prefer to not linger with incongruencies and that which defies explanation. We miss the wonder of life itself often because of our need to know.I didn’t question it, for babies have been born for centuries. Yet it was still amazing that from my own body could come another completely intact and wonderful little human being who was completely her own person.
Today I’d like to take a look at the word thaumazō or “amazed,” as is found in our text today. I like how the New King James Version interprets Luke 2:18 - And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” Let’s place ourselves in the story, explore the wonder of it all and marvel as the shepherds and the people to whom they shared their amazement had. Let’s learn to wonder and be amazed all over again.
It was certainly an ordinary night. The sheep were grazing comfortably and the weather was agreeable for the season. Just another night… Wait! What’s this? An angel? Whoa!! Suddenly the ragtag band of lowlife shepherds sprang to action. Anything out of the ordinary was always cause for alarm because the sheep were so vulnerable. Just one misstep… But the sheep were fine. And the angel was speaking, “Don’t be alarmed! I have great news to bring you tonight. It will bring you immense joy. It’s for all people everywhere but you must hear it first!”
It seemed so unlikely. Nobody gave shepherds the time of day. More often than not people would walk away to avoid them. Nobody trusted shepherds with anything. But good news? For all people?
The angel continued. “Today a Savior has been born in David’s city! You will know you have found the right baby because it will be wrapped with strips of cloth and will be laid in a manger.” Before the shepherds could even respond there were suddenly hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of angels who appeared with the original angel. They all started speaking together. “Praise be to God who is above all! And may peace be with men of goodwill.”
Just as suddenly as thee angels had come, they were gone. The shepherds continued to stare in astonishment until one of them suggested, “We should go to Bethlehem to find this baby just as Yahweh has told us.” And they all knew where they were going. The angel had told them. Strips of cloth. Manger. Migdal Eder, the tower of the sheep. Another chimed in as they gathered the sheep, “What a strange place for a baby to be born! The sacrificial lambs lambs are the ones born there and wrapped with strips of cloth to keep them from being damaged so they can be used in temple worship. But a baby? I’ve never heard of that before.”
The shepherds hurried as quickly as their sheep would allow. Before long they reached Migdal Eder. And just as the angel had told them, they found a young couple inside, stretched out on the hay next to the manger where the holiest of lambs were born and laid. In the manger was a beautiful, perfect child. The angel had told them the truth! The mother was so small, so young. She looked at the shepherds inquisitively. So they told of their experience. “There was this angel. See? And he told us that we would find you here. And not only that but he told us your baby is the Savior! And then there were all these angels praising God because of your son. Could He be the Messiah we have waited for so long!”
The shepherds lingered for awhile. When they finally departed back to their sheep they started talking wildly, “What does this mean? A Savior?!”
“And born in the place of the sacrificial lambs!”
“It doesn’t make sense. But we were told by the angel and everything else he told us was true.”
“Have we seen Messiah?”
“Wow! This is amazing! Normally we aren’t told anything. This is the best news ever!”
“Look! Here’s comes the potter. Let’s tell him about everything!”
The scenario played out again and again and again. Everywhere the shepherds went they chattered about their amazing adventure. And to a person, everyone marveled. There were so many incongruencies. But sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And so they entered in and wondered at everything the shepherds related to them, caught fully in astonishment.
Does the Christmas story still astonish you? Or has it become too familiar? Allow yourself to enter into the shepherds story. Be amazed! And find More of God in Christmas this year!
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