by  Mark Roberts
Senior Strategist
Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership

© Copyright 2021 De Pree Center. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Fear (Luke 2:8-10)
Part 2: Resolution (Luke 2:13-14)
Part 3: Action (Luke 2:16)
Part 4: Witness (Luke 2:17-18)
Part 5: Treasuring (Luke 2:19)
Part 6: Returning (Luke 2:20)
Part 7: Glorifying (Luke 2:20)

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Part 1: Fear

Scripture – Luke 2:8-10 (NRSV)

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”

Devotion

Merry Christmas!

Today is the fourth day of Christmas in the Christian calendar. Though Christmas Day has passed, many followers of Jesus around the world continue to celebrate his birth for twelve days.

During this season of Christmas, I’d like to continue to reflect with you on some implications of Jesus’s birth. I’m going to do this by paying close attention to various responses to God’s astounding activity associated with the birth of God’s own Son. We see at least seven responses in Luke’s account of what happened right after Jesus was born, events associated with the shepherds.

Immediately after reporting that Jesus was born and “laid in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn,” Luke shifts his focus to some nearby shepherds. He writes, “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8). While they were out somewhere doing their nightly duty, all of a sudden the shepherds were surprised by an “angel of the Lord” who stood before them, shining with “the glory of the Lord” (2:9).

The shepherds responded to the angel with fear, and just moderate alarm. Our translation reads, “and they were terrified” (Luke 2:9). The Greek reads more literally, “they were afraid with great fear” (2:9). People in the Bible often respond to the unexpected visit of an angel by being afraid. You’ll recall in Luke 1 that when an angel shocked Zechariah in the temple, “he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him” (1:12).

This response, and that of the shepherds, makes perfect sense to me. If you’ve ever been in a dark place in which you encountered someone unexpected, you’ve probably experienced fear. Year ago, I went into a large storeroom at the church where I worked. It was completely dark in that room, and the light switch was several feet away. As I walked toward the switch, I literally ran into one of my staff colleagues who was leaving the storeroom. Neither of us knew the other was there until we bumped shoulders. He and I were shocked and terrified. I could feel the hair on my neck and head standing up. Now, if John had also been glowing supernaturally, I expect my fear would have been even more extreme.

Sometimes we can feel fear when God “shows up” in unexpected ways. For the shepherds, this came in the form of an angelic visit. For us, it might be the quiet voice of God’s Spirit calling us to a new job or urging us to mend a broken relationship. If we love the comfort of our lives, we might rightly fear that following Jesus could be challenging and even uncomfortable in some ways. It’s not uncommon for people to feel fear when encountering the presence and call of God. I’ve felt it. I imagine you have too.

If you know this sort of fear, if you’re feeling it even now, you need to hear the first words of the angel to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10). Why shouldn’t you be afraid? Because God is merciful and kind. God is the author of all good things. God seeks to help you, not to hurt you. Moreover, the good news that the angel had for the shepherds is also good news for you. God has come in Jesus the Savior, not only to deliver the Jewish people, but to save all people, including you. Remember, the angel brought “good news of great joy for all the people” (2:10).

If God is doing something unexpected in your life, if you’re sensing the call of God to something that makes you afraid, don’t be ashamed of your fearful response to God. What you’re feeling is fairly common and understandable. But don’t remain in your fear. Hear for yourself the message of the angel, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”

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Part 2: Resolution

Scripture – Luke 2:13-14 (NRSV)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Devotion

In yesterday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I began a short series of reflections I’m calling: Responding to the Wonder of Christmas. In the last devotion, we focused on the response of fear that the shepherds felt when visited by an angel. Today we’ll examine another response of the shepherds: resolution.

After the angel announced to the shepherds the good news of the birth of the Savior, the heavens exploded with a giant angelic choir that proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14). Then the angels disappeared.

No longer afraid, the shepherds talked among themselves about how to respond to the angelic message. Luke reports that they said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us” (2:15). They didn’t just kick around a few ideas and leave it at that. Nor did they decide to wait until morning, when it was light, to act. Rather, they decided then and there to go and check out what the Lord had made known to them through the angel. They didn’t delay. They chose to act. They were resolute.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “resolute” as “marked by firm determination.” If we are resolute about something, then we have resolved strongly to do it (or not do it). We’re not waffling or hesitating.

And we’re not doing what we generally associate with this time of year: making New Year’s resolutions. You know what I’m talking about. As we come up on the change of year, many of us decide to live better in the new year: to eat more wisely, to exercise more faithfully, to be more regular in daily devotions, and so forth. The problem is, as I’m sure you know, that most of us don’t stick with our resolutions for more than a few days. The common activity associated with New Year’s resolutions – breaking them – is really not being resolute.

Proof of true resolution is action. It’s doing faithfully what we have resolved to do. In tomorrow’s Life for Leaders devotion, we’ll see that the shepherds did what they had decided to do. So their resolution was genuine.

Today, I want to underscore the importance of thoughtful resolution. Though action is important, before we act appropriately, we need to have thought carefully and chosen decisively. So, when it comes to our response to the birth of Jesus, we may not be ready to rush out and do something significant and wise. We may need, first of all, to consider carefully and resolve intentionally. Like the shepherds, we may want to do this with others. Spiritual discernment happens best in community. Engaging with others not only helps us to make the best choices, but also supplies accountability once we have resolved to act.

During the season of Christmastide, as you ponder the birth of Jesus and its meaning, ask the Lord if there is something you need to do. As you sense God’s leading, decide to act. Exercise resolution by making a firm choice that leads to tangible action. Think and live in the reality of Christmas today.

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Part 3: Action

Scripture – Luke 2:16 (NRSV)

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

Devotion

So far in this devotional series, Responding to the Wonder of Christmas, I’ve been examining the response of the shepherds to their angelic visitors. Fear was their first response. Then, after being reassured and hearing the good news of the Savior’s birth, the shepherds opted for resolution. They resolved to go to check out what the angels had told them.

And then they went. Just like that. They didn’t just mosey on over to Bethlehem, either. Rather, Luke says, “they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). The Greek phrase translated as “went with haste” literally reads “they went hurrying” or “they went exercising special effort.” Having resolved to find the newborn Savior, they went quickly, intentionally, and resolutely. After fear and resolution, there was action.

Sometimes, of course, it isn’t wise to act hurriedly. Too many times when I’m traveling, for example, I don’t leave enough time for a leisurely departure from my hotel room. I have to hurry to pack my bags so as to make my plane flight on time. In my haste, I forget valuable items in my room. Over the years, I’ve lost about five chargers, two shirts, two pairs of pants, and at least one pillow. I’m not generally a careless or forgetful person. But when I’m hurrying, I can overlook crucial details.

Though moving quickly isn’t always advisable, sometimes it is warranted. Appropriate haste can mean that you won’t miss your flight. Or that you’ll get to the store on time to buy the very last item that your child wants for Christmas. But what strikes me as most important about the action of the shepherds was not their haste but their determination and focus. Once they resolved to find the baby Jesus, they didn’t dawdle. They weren’t distracted. They acted on their resolution not just hastily, but wholeheartedly.

You may not have a clear sense of what God wants you to do in response to the reality of Christmas. That’s okay. One thing you really can’t hurry is God. So, if you’re unsure of what action you should take, don’t force the matter. Rather, continue to be open to whatever God might be showing you.

But if you feel confident about God’s leading, if you’ve come to a solid resolution about what’s needed, then perhaps you will be encouraged by the shepherds to take action. Maybe even action without delay. Maybe even action with haste. But remember, the speed of action isn’t the main point. Acting with confidence, focus, and wholeheartedness is the main point.

In this season of Christmas, as you reflect on the implications of the birth of Christ, be open to what God might lead you to do. As this becomes clear to you, like the shepherds in the biblical story, act with determination, perhaps even with haste. Do faithfully whatever God has placed upon your heart.

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Part 4: Witness

Scripture – Luke 2:17-18 (NRSV)

When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

Devotion

So far in this series, Responding to the Wonder of Christmas, we’ve seen three responses of the shepherd in Luke 2: fear, resolution, and action. Today we’ll examine the next response: witness.

As the shepherds hurried to find the Savior lying in a manger, they were successful. Luke doesn’t give us the details, telling us only that the shepherds “found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger” (2:17). We do learn a bit about what they did afterward, however. As Luke puts it, “When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them” (2:17-18). Now, given that Bethlehem had a small population and that the shepherds weren’t exactly socially well-connected, it’s likely that “all who heard it” were a relatively small number of people. Nevertheless, we get the sense that the shepherds were so excited about what they had seen and heard that they became enthusiastic, spontaneous witnesses. They couldn’t keep quiet about what God had done and was doing.

One of the ways we can respond to the reality of Christmas is by sharing it with others. This includes those who already know and believe the story. When we gather with believing family and friends, when we come together for Christmas worship, we talk about the wonder of Christmas. This is one of the great joys of our Christmas celebrations.

But we also have the opportunity to share the good news of Christmas with those who don’t know about Jesus and his birth. There was a time when you could assume that just about everybody in the United States and Europe knew the basics of the Christmas story. But with the explosion of globalization and secularization, a growing number of folks in our part of the world, not to mention throughout the globe, have little idea of what Christmas is really all about.

I know that for many of us, the idea of “evangelizing” makes us nervous. Our pastors might hammer away on the importance of our sharing our faith with others, but we hesitate. It’s not only that we don’t want to look foolish. We also don’t want to offend folks. We don’t want to erect barriers between them and God. So we choose to be Christ-like in our actions and hope that somehow the reality of Jesus is communicated to those who don’t know him.

Now, I want to commend strongly the importance of Christ-like action. If we want others to know about Jesus, we would do well to act in the self-giving, loving mode of our Lord. When Christians act selfishly, boorishly, or hypocritically, we turn people away from Christ, not toward him.

But I also want to commend bearing witness to Jesus. The shepherds serve as models worth emulating.

What did the shepherds do? We have no reason to believe they blustered about as if they had all the answers. We don’t get the picture of them preaching sermons to unwilling victims. What we observe is people talking openly about what they had seen and heard. They were sharing their experience, their story. They were simply telling the truth of their lives in an unrehearsed and unguarded way.

In response, those who heard were amazed (Luke 2:18). You get the feeling that these hearers didn’t know quite what to think. They weren’t converted or persuaded. Rather, they were filled with wonder, maybe with questions, maybe with awe.

You and I can be like the shepherds. We can talk honestly and openly about what we have seen and heard. We can share our experience, even with those who know little or nothing about Jesus. I’ve had the opportunity to do this a number of times in the last year, and what has amazed me is how open non-Christian folk are to hearing my story. I know this isn’t always the case. I once debated Christopher Hitchens, at the time one of the world’s most vehement atheists, for three hours on the radio. His openness score was rather low. But, for the most part, I find that if I talk honestly and humbly, if I share my experience and my beliefs, people are glad to listen.

I expect many Life for Leaders readers are going back to work today for the first time since Christmas. When you see your colleagues, no doubt you’ll ask each other, “So, how were your holidays?” If you’re passing in the hall or saying hi at the beginning of a Zoom meeting, chances are you’ll say, “Great” or “Fine” and that’s about it. But if you are in a place for a slightly longer conversation, you might have the opportunity to be like the shepherds, to bear witness to what mattered to you most this Christmas. You might even say something like this, “I had a good time with family and friends. But, for me, the most wonderful part of Christmas is the idea that God actually became human. This always blows me away.” You don’t have to elaborate. If the person with whom you’re talking wants more, they’ll say something. If that was more than enough, they’ll change the subject to the college football championship or something. No harm, no foul.

But sometimes, if you’re honest, humble, and brief, you’ll find that people are amazed. Perhaps they’re amazed to find an honest, humble, and brief Christian. But perhaps they’re amazed because they never before knew what Christmas is really all about.

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Part 5: Treasuring

Scripture – Luke 2:19 (NRSV)

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Devotion

So far in this series on Responding to the Wonder of Christmas we’ve focused on the varying responses of the shepherds: fear, resolution, action, and witness. Today we look closely at Mary’s response to all that had happened: treasuring.

Luke sets up a bit of a contrast between what the shepherds did after their visit to the holy family and what Mary did. Whereas they went out and told everything they knew about what had happened, Mary “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). The Greek word translated here as “words” also means “things,” and is probably better understood in this way (following the NIV, ESV, and CEB). Mary treasured all these things in her heart, including the words spoken by the angels and the shepherds.

The Greek verb translated as “treasured” means to “protect, defend, treasure.” It has the sense of “storing up information in one’s mind for careful consideration.” Mary quite intentionally sought to remember everything that happened during her momentous visit to Bethlehem.

But she didn’t just memorize things. She also “pondered them in her heart.” The Greek verb translated as “pondered” means “consider, ponder, or give careful thought to.” So Mary wasn’t just storing things away as in a mental photo album. Rather, she was also examining each photo, reflecting on both what happened and what it means.

The English verb “treasure” covers both the “memorizing” and the “pondering” senses. If you treasure events in your life, you don’t just store them away somewhere safe. You also think about them, pondering what happened and how you felt. The memories you treasure are ones you bring up from time to time, reliving past experiences and enjoying the bittersweet nostalgia they produce in you.

How can we treasure the reality of Christmas? Well, for one thing, we could always do some literal treasuring, that is, memorizing. I memorized the Christmas story in Luke 2 when I was ten years old and can still mostly recite Luke 2:1-16 from memory in the King James Version (yes, rather like Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas). This year, during Advent and Christmas, I have been memorizing a couple of wonderful Advent/Christmas passages: Isaiah 9:2-7 (“for a child has been born for us”) and Luke 1:46-44 (Mary’s Magnificat, “my soul magnifies the Lord”). I’ve been doing this, in part, as a way of treasuring the reality of Christmas. (Let me say, I’m doing this even though my 64-year-old brain doesn’t memorize as easily as did my ten-year-old brain.)

We can treasure Christmas by pondering the events and their meaning in our hearts, just like Mary did. This is mainly a matter of paying attention. We can listen well to the biblical story as it is read in church or sung in concerts (such as in Handel’s Messiah). We can be open to hearing God speak to us in a personal way through the Advent/Christmas story in Scripture. In this season of my life, I find that God’s truth put to music has a special way of getting into my heart. There are certain Christmas carols I cannot sing without getting completely choked up, even though I’ve sung them for six decades.

In addition to treasuring the biblical account of the birth of Jesus and its meaning, we can also treasure our current experiences of Christmas. You might reflect on how it felt to be together with beloved family and friends. Or you might remember some other way God’s grace touched you. I had the chance in the last couple of weeks to experience relational reconciliation with someone who means a great deal to me. We had been estranged for several years. It was a precious thing to celebrate Advent and Christmas by experiencing confession, forgiveness, and relational healing. I’ve been treasuring this experience often in the last few days, thanking God again and again for his mercy.

I know that for many people it feels like Christmas is over. We’re in the new year, after all. But in the last few days of official Christian Christmastide, may we take time to “treasure in our hearts” the reality of Christmas, much as Mary did two millennia ago. Though the celebration of Christmas may be over, the wonderful reality of God coming to dwell among us remains.

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Part 6: Returning

Scripture – Luke 2:20 (NRSV)

The shepherds returned . . . .

Devotion

Today is the second-to-last installment in this devotional series, Responding to the Wonder of Christmas. In previous devotions, we have reflected upon various responses to the birth of Christ: fear, resolution, action, witness, and treasuring. Today we’ll consider returning.

Ever since I was a young boy, I have loved Christmas. I loved the cultural traditions: Santa, decorations, presents, parties, family gatherings. I also loved the religious elements: sacred carols, Advent, Christmas worship, nativity pageants, and, most of all, the birth of Jesus, the Word Incarnate, the Savior of the world.

Moreover, ever since I was a young boy, I hated it when Christmas was over. I always felt sad on Christmas night, realizing that the next celebration was 365 days away. (This was before I discovered the 12 days of Christmas.) To this day, I dislike putting away our Christmas decorations. (One year I left some of our lights and garlands up for weeks. Finally, on the evening before Lent, my wife Linda insisted I take them down.)

Part of what I hated about Christmas being over was going back to school, and then going back to work. Not that I ever really hated work or school, but somehow it seemed like a double whammy to put away the decorations on Sunday and get back to work on Monday. Even now, going back to my job, which I love most of the time, feels rather depressing.

I wonder how shepherds felt when their experience of the first Christmas was over. After all, Luke reports that once they had told everyone about the birth of Jesus, “the shepherds returned” (2:20). Luke doesn’t say exactly to what or where they returned. Perhaps it was to their homes. But, given that they had started out in the fields watching their flocks by night, I assume that this is the destination of their returning. They went back to work. They went back to hanging out with a flock of sheep. I wonder if they felt as if they had awakened from a dream. For a brief moment, their lives had been overturned by glorious angels and the wonder of Jesus in the manger. But that time was gone, and they were back with the sheep once again. It could have felt anticlimactic, don’t you think?

I think we have reason to believe that the shepherds did not let their returning to work bum them out. I’ll talk more about this tomorrow. Today, let me suggest that we can choose to let the reality of work drag us down. Or we can choose to let the reality of Christmas lift us up. We can focus on ourselves and our predicament. Or we can focus on God and his provision.

Here’s something that leads me to wonder and joy even and especially when I’m unhappy to return to work. Are you ready for this? The reality of Christmas tells me that God understands how I feel, that God is present with me in the ups and downs of everyday life, including my work. You see, the core reality of Christmas is the Incarnation, God becoming human in Jesus. As a baby, Jesus didn’t do much work. Mainly he created a lot of work for others, mainly his mother. But, when he was about twelve years old, Jesus would have gone to work with his father. He would have been a hard-working apprentice. In time, especially after his father died, Jesus would have continued as a carpenter and small business owner. This means that Jesus understood the pressures of everyday work. He knew the boredom of repetitive work and the stress of tight deadlines. To put it differently, God in human flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, understands in a deep and personal way what you and I experience in our work.

So, if returning to work feels rather like a downer to you, remember this: Because of Christmas, God understands how you feel. God the Son worked in an ordinary job for the majority of his adult years. He gets how you feel, all because of Christmas. So, even if returning is not your favorite thing, you can carry with you the deep, wonderful truth of Christmas. The Word of God Incarnate understands what you’re going through. That is good news, indeed.

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Part 7: Glorifying

Scripture – Luke 2:20 (NRSV)

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Devotion

This is the final devotion in the series Responding to the Wonder of Christmas. As we have worked our way through the Christmas story in Luke, we’ve reflected on the following responses to the birth of Jesus: fear, resolution, action, witness, treasuring, and returning. Today we’ll consider glorifying.

Though Luke doesn’t narrate the inner feelings of the shepherds when they returned to work, he does tell us what they did, and this gives us a window into their souls. When they got back to work, they were “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (2:20). Now, you can certainly worship authentically when you’re feeling down. Worship is, after all, an expression of praise for and submission to God, not a feeling we experience. But if you’re “glorifying and praising God,” chances are you’re also feeling a good bit of joy. So, even though the shepherds were back at work, their souls were still elated.

What would it be like for you to praise and glorify God when you’re at work? I suppose you could be one of those Christians who’s always saying “Praise the Lord” when anything good happens. That would be one option, but it may not fit your personality or be appropriate in your workplace. Most of us may need to find other ways to praise God at work.

Another way would be to establish certain times of day to offer prayer and praise to God. I know Christians who, for example, get a few moments alone during their lunch break to pray. Some folks have written to tell me that they begin their day at work by opening up Life for Leaders, spending a few minutes in reflection and prayer before they get about the business of the day. They say this helps them see their whole day of work as an offering to God.

I have no doubt that intentionally offering praise to God as we work can be a good thing, as long as we’re respecting the ethos of our particular workplace. But I would suggest that we can glorify God in our work in other ways. In fact, I believe we can glorify God, not only by what we say to God at work, but also by doing our work as an act of worship. Whether you’re helping clients sell their house, washing windows, building cabinets, teaching students, managing a staff, inventing products, or you name it, you can do this work for God’s glory. You can remember that God created humankind to work in the world. And, importantly, you can keep in mind the fact that Jesus, God in human flesh, spent much of his adult life working as a craftsman and small business owner. Thus, when you seek to work with integrity and excellence, when you treat your colleagues and customers with fairness and love, when you manage your staff with justice and grace, when you make good products that serve people well, you are glorifying God through your work.

I don’t mean to diminish in any way the importance of verbal praise to God. The fact that the shepherds were able to praise God at work is wonderful. It may even have enriched the lives of the sheep for all I know. But, from a biblical perspective, the shepherds could glorify God also by being good shepherds. If they were working with the image of God as a shepherd in mind, caring for their sheep well, then God would be honored through their daily work.

So, as you get back into the routine of work, let your work be an act of worship to God. In your daily work, whether paid or unpaid, do as Paul exhorts in Romans 12:1, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” In your work today, and tomorrow, and the next day, seek to love and glorify the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.