The Reaction

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Luke 2:15 CSB

This sure is a great verse. I know, you are wondering how I came to that conclusion. Well, let me tell you. This verse is found in the middle of the explanation of how Jesus came to earth as a baby born to Mary and Joseph. The shepherds were just being shepherds, looking after their sheep when angels showed up in the sky and told them about the coming of the messiah. They explained what he would be wearing and what his crib would look like. The shepherds took that information and went and found Jesus so they could worship him. Did you notice their reaction to the news? The verse says, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem.” They didn’t sit around the fire and try to figure out if it was a hoax, they didn’t try to explain what just happened, they went to see.
You and I have far more information about who Jesus is and what he came to do and the fact that he has accomplished all he came to do. We have the very words of God to man in the form of the Bible, and yet so often our reaction is not nearly so straight forward. A great deal of the time we want to take a “let’s wait and see” approach. Let’s see what our friends do, or let’s see if the church or someone plans something for us. Our reaction to Jesus should be, “Let me do what the Lord has made known to me.” May I ask you a question? How quickly are you following through on what God is asking you to do? Are you listening to him through his word and other believers? Or have you been taking the let’s wait and see approach?
May I encourage you to reacted the same as the shepherds did? Go straight to Jesus and be allow him to change you.

-Pastor Tim