Here is the simple yet wondrous story, with the incidents attending one proclamation of it: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men." (Luke 2:8-14)
That is a story, not of a, day, but of eternity, and it is not for one day in the year, but for eternity. The effort, that is made to exalt these great events, by devoting a special day to the "celebration" of them, very naturally has resulted in causing people to think very little about them at other times, and so of course to lose the real spirit of them on the particular days when they are remembered.
But "the old, old story is ever new," as we shall see if we give constant heed to it. The message concerns us as much as it did the shepherds. The angel said to them: "I bring you good tidings of great joy." (Luke 2:10) but he immediately added the words, "Which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10)
Therefore what he said to the Bethlehem shepherds that night is addressed as directly and as personally to everybody who ever lives on the earth. What is this joyful message? Unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
Can it be said to each individual in the world, today, and every day while time lasts, "Unto you is born this day a Saviour"? Most certainly. "Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)
He was begotten of Mary by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon her, and the power of the Highest overshadowing her: "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)
Very well; the same Spirit of power is given to every soul for the same purpose; and the Apostle Paul, who was not only himself filled with the Spirit, but who was a minister of the Spirit to others, wrote to the backsliding Galatians, saying, "I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you." (Galatians 4:19)
To every true believer is Jesus Christ born as truly as of Mary, for He is "the Son of man."
It is not known when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. That is, the time of year is not known. The most certain thing about it is that His birth did not take place on the 25th of December, nor in the month of December, for at that time of year shepherds do not keep their flocks in the fields by night.
Another evidence, of which most people are unaware, is that nobody thought of the 25th of December as the date of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem until several centuries after the event. The adoption of that date is purely arbitrary, for there is nothing whatever in Scripture to indicate at what time of the year it was. The Lord left the date unrecorded so that no one should have any excuse for celebrating a certain day as the birthday of Christ, instead of letting it be a constantly-recurring event.
God inhabits eternity. Eternity is always present with Him. To Him there is no past nor future, as to us. Not only is He at all times and in all places, but everything is in Him. The things that newly occur to us, and which we connect with certain fixed dates, are the things which were in Him from the beginning. Read these words: "Now unto Him that is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept in silence through times eternal, But now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith." (Romans 16:25-26,RV)
That is, these things which are preached concerning Christ are the things which were from times eternal. The fact that at a certain time they were brought within the range of man's vision, does not, prove that they first then had an existence. This is what is said directly of the Christ of Bethlehem: "You, Bethlehem Ephratah, which are little among the thousands of Judah, out of you shall One come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting [or "from the days of eternity"]." (Micah 5:2)
So that even in Bethlehem in Judea nearly nineteen hundred years ago was not something which just then came into existence, but was simply the visible manifestation of what had been from eternity.
When then should we celebrate the birth of Christ the Lord? Now, now, eternally NOW, we celebrate it by allowing the reality of it to be visibly manifest in our own lives. That is the only way that it can be done. "And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12)
What! that the Saviour of the world? That little helpless babe the One whom God has sent into the world "that the world through Him might be saved?" (John 3:17)
Yes, so it is. "Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose you." (Isaiah 49:7)
For, "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things which are. ... Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:27-28,25)
Nothing on earth has less wisdom than a little babe; and a newborn baby presents the most perfect picture of helplessness that can be found. No other creature is so utterly helpless. Even so it was with the babe in the manger in Bethlehem. Yet it was: "Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:24)
That is a sign to us. Of what is it a sign? It is a sign that the strength of God is made perfect in weakness. It is for the purpose of cutting off all ground for the discouraged wail, "I am so weak and helpless."
Are you weak and helpless? Good; then you have the sign of God's salvation. Don't forget the sign.
Once more; let us compare two portions of Scripture, that we may see how the message comes to us exactly as it did to the shepherds. "The angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them." (Luke 2:9)
So to us comes the message, "Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1-2)
Christ is the Light of the world, and He is come into the world, even to us. Therefore our light is come. It is come that we may shine. And how may we shine? By showing forth in our lives the excellencies of Him who has called us "out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9)
Thus it is that men as humble as the unnamed shepherds of Bethlehem may flash back to heaven the light which the angels brought, and may reveal even to "the principalities and powers in heavenly places," (Ephesians 3:10) the hidden mysteries of the birth of Christ.--Present Truth, December 22, 1898--Timeline: I-2 (The Announcement to the Shepherds)--Luke 2:8-14.