A Reason to Hurry

-a portion of this was used for our 2024 Christmas card-

If you’re anything like our family, there’s a lot of “hurrying” involved in daily life. “Hurry up and get your shoes on!” or “Hurry up, we’ve got to get out the door!” or “Hurry up! Dinner’s on the table!” “Hurry up, we need to get to bed!” So much go-go-go!

I was re-reading Luke’s account of the events surrounding Jesus’s birth, and the hurried response the shepherds had due to sudden announcements stood out to me.

In chapter 2, some unexpecting, lowly-in-society shepherds were just doing their ordinary job: watching sheep in the darkness of night. They were probably on guard for wild animals that were on the prowl for a midnight-sheep-snack, but they certainly weren’t on guard for the extra-ordinary plan God had for that night: a sudden, angelic birth announcement.

“And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.” (Luke 2:9)

I would have been, too! One of my boys takes great delight in finding a sneaky hiding spot only to jump out suddenly and surprise me! He is usually successful! In the dark the scare is even worse!

Plus, from the descriptions we read about of angels in Scripture, the shepherds may have been frightened by this angel’s appearance!

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

The identifying features of knowing which baby was the baby were given: He was in the city of David (Bethlehem) and the baby would be wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger… a feeding trough for animals.

Then, another “suddenly.”

“And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:13-14)

After all that waiting for the promised Messiah, the silence was suddenly broken. And in response to these sudden appearances and proclamations, now was the time to hurry!

“…The shepherds said, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem [No stopping for a drink from the well, guys! We’ve got to go straight there!] then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph and the baby as He lay in the manger.” (Luke 2:15-16)

Stop and ponder that for a moment. Lowly shepherds staring into the face of the Good Shepherd. The picture wasn’t complete for them, but is certainly more so for us.

What a night for the shepherds!

They “went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen…” (Luke 2:20)

Reading this familiar passage made me stop and think about all the things for which I hurry. They are insignificant in comparison! May we have a heart like the shepherds this Christmas season…to be willing to be suddenly stopped in our ordinary and hurry to marvel at the Messiah!