PJP2 PROLOG 151216 PROLOG Focus Luke 2:8-15, Matthew 2:1-2, Matthew 2:16-18....

Psalm 104:33 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)...."I Will Sing to The Lord as long as I live; I Will Sing Praise to my God while I have being."....

PJP2 PROLOG POST 151216 - Luke 2:8-15; Matthew 2:1-2 & 2:16-18.....Two Responses to our Lord Jesus' First Advent....

I sometimes ponder on IF I had been living during the time of our Lord Jesus' First Advent, how would I respond to the Good News of Great Joy?  (By the way, there may just be a book, or at least a short story coming out of that pondering....just saying.....jaj.)  Any way I offered up this pondering to The Holy Spirit, and here's some of the Thoughts He has Shared with me this morning.  Bottom-Line/Up-Front (BLUF) there's really only two recorded responses of folks being introduced to Baby Jesus (as well as the Adult Jesus) - (a) Acceptance and Worship; (b) Rejection!  When I asked for Examples....The Spirit's First Response was, "Jeff, read beginning at Genesis 1:1 and go through to Revelation 22:21."  :)  After a moment's pause, He came back to, "Ok, I know you don't have time to do that this morning, so, let's stick with the Response we find with The Shepherds, The Wise Men and Herod."  So, here we go, and yes Two Responses (even though there are three 'groups' identified)....

The Shepherds:  {Luke 2:8-15 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)})....{The Shepherds and the Angels}....
"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And An Angel of The Lord Appeared to them, And The Glory of The Lord Shone Around them, And they were filled with Great Fear.  And The Angel Said to them, 'Fear Not, For Behold, I Bring you Good News of Great Joy That Will Be For ALL the people.  For Unto you Is Born This Day in the city of David a Savior, Who Is Christ The Lord.  And This Will Be a Sign for you: you Will Find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a Manger.'  And Suddenly There Was With The angel a Multitude of The Heavenly Host Praising God and Saying, 'Glory to God in The Highest, And on earth Peace among those with whom He Is Pleased!'  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.'”

Ok, now I don't know about you, but I am fairly certain I'd be digging into the backpack for a fresh change of under-armor and outer clothing after having 'The Heavenly Host' suddenly appear telling this whopper of a Tale.  I mean Yikes!  Yet, Praise God, these sons of earth bucked up their courage and went to check it out.  (Note:  I always have wondered if they left a shepherd behind, or they took the flock with them.....Scripture doesn't say....but just a thought....../jaj).  I do Pray that The Lord Encourage and Inspire me to be like these shepherds - when I hear His Word May I too respond by Faith, Trust and Obedience to His Calling.....

The Wise Men:  {Matthew 2:1-2 (ESV)/(emphasis added/jaj)}....{The Visit of the Wise Men}....
"Now after Jesus was Born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, Behold, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He Who Has Been Born King of the Jews?  For we Saw His Star when It Rose and have Come to Worship Him.”

Ok, here's a Crew of very Learned men.  Note - The Scripture never really says just three Wise Guys, though that's the well known Legend, perhaps because of the three gifts.  There's some conjecture that there may have been a WHOLE Caravan of Wise Guys traveling together.....Anywho, the point is, the Wise Guys are the other end of the spectrum from the Shepherds.  The Shepherds were the lowest end of the social ladder, even below the bottom rung. The Wise Men were the total opposite, they were well off and well educated.  What I Hear The Spirit Saying to me is that here we see the whole wide range of folks Responding in a Positive Fashion to The Word of Jesus' First Advent.  Again I would Pray for us that we Respond both like the Shepherds and the Wise Guys, for in many aspects aren't we all just like them?  I know I am.....

Herod:  {Matthew 2:16-18 (ESV)}....{Herod Kills the Children}....
"Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the Wise Men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the Wise Men.  Then was fulfilled what was Spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.'”

Briefly we have Herod who clearly Rejects God's Message of Reconciliation, Redemption and Renewed Relationship with God The Father via His Only Son.  My Prayer for us would be that we who are of The Family of Faith, May we Continue to Reflect God The Father's Message of Grace through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Holy Spirit, Soften the Hearts of the Herods in the world, that they May Hear and Accept Your Word of Mercy.

In closing today, let me leave us with Psalm 121:5-8 as a Benediction....

Psalm 121:5-8English Standard Version (ESV)

5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

May His Mercy, Love, Light and Grace be with you and yours today and forever....Amen/Amen....jaj