Excited and Pondering

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

EXCITED AND PONDERING

Luke 2:15-20

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

NIV

It is one thing to simply ponder on the fact the angels came, gave these men a message then sang some glories about God and then returned to heaven. If this in itself doesn’t send chills down our spine, what will? They say the proof is in the pudding, but this shows us the proof heaven, God, and all that goes with it is real. We also have to consider the reality of heaven because these men hurried off to Bethlehem to see the thing that has happened which the Lord has told them about. They found Jesus just as they were told they would, and when they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about the child. Here is one of our life lessons. When we see Jesus, that is when we come to the awareness of our need for Jesus, and we become born again, accepting him as our Lord and Savior, repenting of our former life, turning from the ways of the world and turning to him, we should be like those shepherds and spread the word of what we have been told about Jesus. That is hard to do if we close ourselves off from the world. If we only associate with other believers how are we going to spread the word? If we expect our church to do that, we do not understand the truth. We should be spreading the word about what we have been told about Jesus to those who do not know. It would seem these shepherds were rather enthusiastic in their sharing their experience with the angels and with finding Jesus. It is unlikely they were sharing in some highly intellectual dissertation, quoting all the prophetic words about Jesus. It is more likely they were excited about what had happened and how they came to find Jesus. This is our story, excitement because we can celebrate we have found Jesus, and we have forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. It is even doubtful those shepherds knew that, but nevertheless, they were excited about finding Jesus. We see after they had found him, as they were told they would they returned to the fields praising and glorifying God. When people find Jesus they indeed will praise and glorify God, as we should be doing all the time, all our life.  People do not need to know all the theology about God and Jesus in order to be saved, they only need to find Jesus, then they too will praise and glorify God all the days of their life.  The other truth here is in the heart of Mary, as she treasured and pondered all this in her heart. Knowing Jesus, knowing God, have all the truth about God recorded for us to read, should we not also treasure and ponder all this in our heart? What a treasure it is to find Jesus. The greatest treasure anyone could ever find. We should ponder on that all the days of our life. So let us get excited and tell everyone about the treasure we have found, as well as pondering on that all the days of our life.