Heaven Come to Earth

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
 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."
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.
It is a curious fact of Biblical history that there is very little told about the birth of Jesus. Only two of the four Gospels mention his birth at all. Matthew does not really talk about his birth, but only Joseph’s dilemma at his conception. Then he skips the birth narrative and goes straight to the visit of the Magi, an event that happened some time after his birth.
Most of what we know about the Nativity comes from Luke, But if we examine the story carefully, we discover that Luke does not have much to say about it, either. The entire journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the manger, the inn, and all the rest is covered in just four verses, verses 4 through 8.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
But then Luke quickly moves to the shepherds. Once the shepherds are introduced in verse 9, they become the protagonists. The story is told from their point of view. Why?
One possible explanation is that Luke may have known them. Luke got his material from various sources, so it was possible that some of those shepherds were still around.
But that can’t be the only reason. Tradition suggests that Luke knew Mary, the mother of Jesus, in her later days. We know from John’s gospel that John became Mary’s protector. John moved to Ephesus, near where Luke was born. So it is more likely that Luke interviewed Mary, and got his information from her.
If that is so, then why does Luke not tell us about Jesus’ birth from the viewpoint of Mary? I think I know why.
When you are writing a story, you want the reader to put themselves into the story. The way was do this is by telling it from the perspective of someone we may identify with. Great events are better understood from the perspective of ordinary people. When Margaret Mitchell wanted to write about the Civil War in Gone With the Wind, she invented the character of Scarlett O’Hara. When Boris Pasternak wanted to write about the Russian revolution, he ivented Dr. Zhivago. Reporters tell the great events of our time by interviewing ordinary people who participated. That way, we feel as well as learn the story.
Luke. focuses in on these ordinary guys so we can feel the impact of Jesus’ birth.
What crosses to your mind when you hear the word “shepherd?” Cute little lambs, green fields, and guy laying around on rocks playing flutes? The I this image is wrong. If a shepherd’s life was so peaceful, then why did they go into the field armed? Wolves, lions, sheep rustlers, and angry rams had to be kept in line. There were long rainy, cold nights away from home. Sheep are some of the dumbest animals on earth. They will walk off a cliff while you are not looking.
Who would be our equivalent of shepherds today? Cops on the night beat. Long-haul truckers who stay out on the highway all night. Crab fishermen who spend months on boats in the arctic. Day-care workers and preschool teachers who have to herd children from one place to another. Homeless people, who lay out at night in public parks, sleeping under newspaper. In one way or another, these lonely occupations resemble the shepherds of long ago.
In these shepherds, the ordinary meets the extraordinary. In the middle of the night these average Josephs and Simons were visited by a host of angels.
In the Bible, there are many appearances of angels. There are a few instances when people see two angels. But there is only one instance where anyone sees a multitude of angels. It is these shepherds. Only these ordinary men in this ordinary place were given this honor. Their appearance symbolizes the meeting of the gap between earth and heaven in Christmas.
What does the word “miracle” mean to you? A miracle is the moment when the natural and the supernatural meet. Suddenly, we are thrust into believing in something we cannot explain, something which proves that there is a bigger world around us than we know.
The world around us is really a pretty drab place. If all that exists is what we see around us, then there is no point in anything. Why should we be good or bad, if this world is all there is? Why give our lives for others? It would be better for us if the rest of the world die and we live.
But let us suppose that the supernatural exists. Then we are not alone in the universe. Whatever we endure is not our only hope.
The supernatural is frightening, of course, because it means that we are not in control. That is why the shepherds were terrified, the same way we would be if we saw a ghost or unicorn. But once we know that the supernatural is on our side, then nothing is impossible. Hope exists.
That’s why Luke tells this story. He wants us to know that miracles happen. God is real, angels are real. We really do endure after death. God really answers prayers. It is all true; God can reveal himself to ordinary guys like ourselves.
What a magnificent vision! Heaven itself is rolled up and the choirs of angels are revealed. There is music like no human music could possibly be, unearthly and exquisitely beautiful. It was a light show in the night sky greater than fireworks or the northern lights.
I enjoy science fiction (some of it, anyway.) The thing I like about it is the sense of onder it produces. I was thrilled when I saw the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz, the space ships in Star Wars, and the dragons in Lord of the Rings. I know they are not real. Nevertheless, l like o think that in this great universe, there is something that will provoke in me that same sense of wonder. Then I read the Bible, and I learn that wonderful miracles do exist. Angels can visit shepherds. Heaven can come to earth.
And the angels are just the beginning!
The angels are not just putting on a show. They have a jaw-dropping announcement to make.
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Christ is born. God has come to earth. This is bigger than a host of angels. All the fictional magical beings we can ever imagine pale in comparison to the true magic of Christmas.
Did the angels say this miracle occurred? In a barn. A child, so small you can nestle him in the crook of your arm, is living in a cattle stall. He is an ordinary child in an ordinary place, and yet he is the king of the entire universe.
Children, do you see what that means? You read about superheroes, spaceships, and alien visitors. Yet there is one more fantastic than that. You go to Sunday School and read Bible stories and you can’t wait to get out so you can go home and watch your cartoon heroes. Yet a real hero is right before you, in the carols you sing and the stain glass windows in the churches. This miracle is real, not imaginary.
There is real supernatural power. God became a man. The gates of heaven swung open, and we got a glimpse of the real world behind it.
And you can see Him. Look, there is the manger, go look in it. Look, there is the mother, go talk to her. Look, kneel by your own bed. Pray to Him, and he will answer. You can all see him, If you will open our eyes and look.
I feel sorry for children today. They have been fed so many fantasies that when they have a genuine opportunity to experience the fantastic, they cannot recognize it.
But miracles are real. Angels are real. Anyone can come and see.