8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:8-14
Angels hold a special place, both on the Christmas tree and in the Bible. This passage in the Bible, above, tells us of the beautiful moment an angel came down to foretell of Jesus’ birth. I imagine that after the initial shock, this great news gave the people such hope.
Below, the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her that she would give birth to Jesus, the son of God. I can’t imagine the fear she must have had. She was so young. She had to trust in God and put all of her fears aside. As part of our nightly Bible study, this Advent season, my sons and I discuss how Mary might have felt that night when Gabriel came down. As fearful as she might have been, she knew she needed to put all of her trust in God. She knew she did not have an easy road ahead of her, literally, physically, and emotionally. But, she did it. It’s quite a lesson for us.
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:26-38
In both of these special times, God sent an angel to tell of His great news. I love the sweet image we associate with angels, here on Earth, too. For today’s lunch, I went with an angel theme. I made peanut butter and jelly angels. That silly image is not lost on me. I added some details with my food safe markers. I also packed Wheat Thins, some oatmeal raisin balls, red grapes, mandarin orange (Biggie), and some Trader Joe’s marshmallows for dessert.
May you feel the warmth of God’s truth this Season,
Kristin
