Shepherds | Salvation
We wrap up our three-part Advent series this week with the arrival of Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem. In chapter 1 of Luke, we saw God come near to Elizabeth & Zechariah with generosity. In their barrenness, God came to the unable. Last week, we looked at Mary’s story and saw that God came to the unexpectant and invited partnership. This week, in Luke 2, we’ll see how God came to the undeserving. A group of lowly shepherds gets in on the marvelous news of Jesus’ birth. These unseen vagabonds, these outcasts of society, are seen by God and experience undeserved equality! These rejects are the ones who get to experience previously unseen wonders as the heavens are opened up and a choir of heavenly hosts proclaims God’s glory. The people that were always on the outside are some of the first to meet Jesus, as he lay in a manger. The community of the manger is the fellowship of rejects, and it is not just his birth that is set in the margins. Jesus spends his life among the least of all people, among the sinners, the sick, and the disgraced. Jesus’ entire mission is wrapped up in seeking and saving the lost and having compassion for the poor. Jesus embodies God’s heart for the poor. It is clear, throughout all of scripture, that God cares deeply for the poor and the marginalized. God has always been, and continues to be, a rescuer of the needy. Jesus’ birth was a beautiful act of justice and equality, not just for the shepherds but for the entire world. Even in his death, Jesus was serving those who had no means. Through his death and resurrection, he provides a way for the rejects and outcasts to be seen and welcomed into previously unavailable glory.
This is the story of Advent.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
In your everyday world, who are the rejects? Who are not being treated as image-bearers of God? Who sees themselves as unwelcome, unwanted, and less-than?
Where will the rejects gather? Where are the desolate places of our society? Where would Jesus be found as he seeks and saves the lost?
What wonders would the world be amazed to experience? What piece of the gospel would be good news to the rejects you listed above? How could we invite those around us to lift up and see God’s glory?
December 18, 2022 - Gabe Shippam