Advent defined by any dictionary is the arrival of a notable person. For us Christians, Advent is the arrival of the most notable Person in all human history, Our Lord Christ Jesus. No other arrival is more important and necessary than the arrival of The One who accomplished what none of us were able to do, namely salvation from sin, from its power and its condemnation that was hanging over our heads.
For the last few weeks, we’ve been considering the coming of the Messiah, the Promised One, and the Deliverer who would “save His people from their sins” and if we paid attention, we remember that as well as Old Testament prophecies that spoke about His coming, we now have angels coming onto the scene bringing all kinds of news to different people.
From Zachariah and Elizabeth to Joseph and Mary, the angels played a significant role in the Advent story.
Luke also tells us, that the night Jesus was born, angels paid a visit to some shepherds who were watching over their flocks on the plains of Bethlehem. While the encounter with the angel paralyzed the shepherds with fear at first, we see that the “good news” that angels brought to them completely changed them. By the end of that night they “…returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…” (v.20).
So, what exactly did they hear? They heard the Gospel,
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (v.11) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (v.14)
They heard the Gospel, and they believed it! Immediately the shepherds went to see and worship the newborn King … their own Savior and Lord.
But they did more than that…Luke tells us that “When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (v.17-18). From shepherds to evangelists…What a night!