The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:8-14, “And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping

watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them;

and they were terribly frightened.

10 And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which

shall be for all the people;

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 “’And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.’

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and

saying,

14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’”

Were you ever really afraid? I’ve spent some time thinking about that. There were numerous times when I was tasked with doing something I was unsure of doing well; but, really afraid? scared out of my mind? I can’t recall anything quite like that. Hopefully, you can’t either. Fear is a terrible thing! It beclouds our faith and trust and everything in life. Shepherds often encountered dangerous situations. David recounted such situations in his life when he told Saul that he had killed both a lion and a bear (1 Sam. 17:36). Being a shepherd and protecting a herd of sheep truly had its dangers.

The shepherds in our verses were no ordinary shepherds. The sheep they were guarding were sheep intended for sacrifice in the Temple. Thus, the connection between “the shepherds” and “The Shepherd” was as appropriate as the fear they encountered from the angel. Good news should always dispel fear. And this was an historic moment –a moment for which all Israel had for centuries looked! Perhaps, this angelic pronouncement has come just now to you to dispel some fear you are encountering. “…there has been born for you…a Savior…Christ the LORD!”

Without specific directions, locating a small baby in such a large population would not be easy. So, the angel gave the shepherds a distinguishing mark as to where the Baby was to be found. The Baby was “wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.” While the shepherds were considering what the angel had said, a multitude of angels suddenly appeared, saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

What an appropriate angelic declaration for the times in which we live! If my understanding of this note of praise is correct, we are simply to put our full faith and trust in the LORD Jesus Christ, who alone can dispel the terrors of our time and give us peace. Do you wonder if that is truly possible? There is but one way to find out: trust Him and see! It certainly is less difficult than following the angel’s directive to the shepherds.

“If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching,

whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (Jn. 7:17).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom