December 25 - Luke 2:15-20

Daily Reading & Meditation

Christmas Dawn (12/25): The shepherds praised and glorified God for all they had heard and seen

Scripture: Luke 2:15-20 (alternate readings from: Luke 2:1-14;
John 1:1-5,9-14)

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; 18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Meditation: Have you read the news today – the “good news” of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and son of Mary who was born for us and for our salvation. The word gospel literally means good news! The joy of Christmas is an eternal joy, a joy that no one can take from us because it is the joy of Jesus Christ himself made present in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (see Romans 5:2-5). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which no pain nor sorrow can diminish, and which neither life nor death can take away. Do you know the joy of your salvation in Jesus Christ?

What do we celebrate on this great feast? We give praise and thanks for the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. This day heaven joins with earth in a jubilant song of praise as the angels sing the Gospel proclamation: Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Why did the Word of God become flesh? With the Nicene Creed we confess: "He became man for our sake and for the sake of our salvation." The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God. And the Word became flesh to show us the infinite love and mercy of God for us sinners. In the feast of Christmas we celebrate present realities – Jesus Christ our redeemer who lives with us and fills us with his glory and peace – and we commemorate past events – Christ's birth and his manifestation to Israel and to the gentiles. We thank and bless God for the way in which he has saved us from the powers of sin and destruction. Today we celebrate the birthday of our King and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.