12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Luke 2:12-20).
There is nothing quite like fireworks at Disney. It is the perfect ending to a long day. The long monorail ride, the even longer lines to ride the favorites, and the overpriced food make the fireworks the best way to say goodbye to the Magic Kingdom. At nearly $30,000 for a 20 minute show, Disney just does it perfectly. How do they gauge a perfect show? The oooohs and ahhhhs that you hear from the crowds gathered along the sides of each street. There is just something about fireworks in the sky! Maybe it is the black backdrop with thousands and thousands of twinkling stars. The largest response in any fireworks show is the first firework and the last. Both have a startling impact on the crowd. I imagine that is exactly what it was like when the shepherds saw the multitude of angels. It was an amazing display of the glory of God against the black backdrop of a dark night with thousands and thousands of twinkling stars. God’s majestic glory is on display.
Yesterday, we saw the angel gave the shepherds about the Savior. Today, we see the angel gave them a sign. The angel told the shepherds they would find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. The shepherds were given a sign. This was not some ambiguous conversation about some mythical figure that would someday do something amazing for mankind. This was a very clear conversation about a baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem. Then, the sky lit up with the amazing glory of God!
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased (Luke 2:14)!”
What did the angels do? They brought the greatest glory to God that they could bring. It was better than any light show or fireworks show ever recorded in the history of man. When the angels did it, they did it right. How do we bring glory to God? Wow. That is a revealing question and potentially leads to an even more revealing answer. Just something to ponder.
The shepherds didn’t have to go from room to room looking for a newborn baby. The shepherds didn’t have to check each of the campgrounds around Bethlehem. The shepherds only had to check out all of the mangers. What did they do? They darted quickly to Bethlehem. I’m telling you, if angels appeared to me like they did to the shepherds I’d be on my way to Bethlehem. No questions asked!
They found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus exactly like the angels said they would. This was the sign the shepherds were looking for and found. Look at what they did next. When they saw it, they told it. They told Mary and Joseph. They told everyone they met. They told them all about what the angels told them in the fields. This was not only confirmation to the shepherds, but also for Mary and Joseph. What did Mary do? She pondered all the things she heard in her heart. What an amazing night for the shepherds. What an amazing night for Mary. What an amazing night for Joseph. What an amazing night for mankind.