Because of Christmas we need to hurry up and wait …

Have you ever wondered what the town of Bethlehem was like the day after Jesus was born?

I have wondered about that several times!

Unlike what the Christmas song suggests, the birth of Jesus was not a “silent night.” Not with “the armies of heaven” making a dazzling appearance and loudly praising God (Luke 2:8-14).

Not with a group of shepherds likely pounding on doors looking for the announced Savior. And, “… after seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child …” (Luke2:17).

The day after Jesus was born, there certainly had to be an excited buzz around town. After the shepherds told them about the announcement, we see that “… all who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished …” (Luke 2:18).

Well I would think so!

But that’s all that we’re told about what things were like around Bethlehem after the announcement from the angels.

Why weren’t people more impacted at such wildly profound news?

I think it’s because, even though the Savior had arrived, the news was that a baby had been born.

What didn’t happen was Jesus didn’t arrive as a grown man who immediately saved us from sin and beat death and then made a fast retreat back to the Father.

Instead, a baby was born.

And before that baby could become our Savior, He had to live and experience every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year for 33 years before He finally accomplished God’s plan to redeem us from sin, leave an empty tomb after defeating death and, finally ascending back to the Father.

The arrival was spectacular news! But the mission would take a while.

Very similar for us.

The Gospel message is spectacular news for us because that baby did grow up and accomplish God’s purpose of sending Him. We need to urgently respond to that message because Jesus is coming back for those who accept Him as Savior and Lord. While we wait for His return, we need to hurry up and, like those first Christmas shepherds, we need to tell everyone the Good News about Jesus!

So because of Christmas, we need to both hurry up — tell everyone because the clock is ticking on Christ’s return — and wait for His reappearing.

May our Lord find us to be excited heralds like those Christmas shepherds while we wait for Him.

Scotty