The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:15-21, “And it came about when the angels had gone away from them
into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go
straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the
Lord has made known to us.’

16 And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the
baby as He lay in the manger.

17 And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been
told them about this Child.

18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the
shepherds.

19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that
they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

21 And when eight days were completed before His circumcision, His name was
then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in
the womb.”

You will recall from a previous Grands Letter that shepherds were on the
bottom rung of the social scale in Biblical times. All of that reminded me
of an old man I knew as a kid. He lived in a shallow cave-like shelter,
where I often visited him. I’m quite sure my mother was “not in the picture”
of those visits, because she would have issued a strenuous “thou shalt not!”

It was quite different with the shepherds, however. They had reason to be
excited -and they were! We have no record anywhere of anyone seeking to
hinder them on their journey. They would not have stopped these shepherds,
anyway! No one was thinking of heritage or anything -just where is that
Baby?!!

How reasonable it would have been for those shepherds to think of finding
the One who would one day die to take away their sins! (I have to wonder if
anything like that entered their minds.) Had it not been for the Holy
Scriptures and/or those Magi from that foreign country, you and I would be
“in a pickle” today!

We need to be like the shepherds, who “went back, glorifying and praising
God for all that they had heard and seen.” We can be! We can share the Good
News of the Christ Child, who went to the Cross for our sins! That’s chapter
one of the true Christmas Story!

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