The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Luke:2:8-20

kjv@Luke:2:8 @ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

kjv@Luke:2:9 @ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

kjv@Luke:2:10 @ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

kjv@Luke:2:11 @ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

kjv@Luke:2:12 @ And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

kjv@Luke:2:13 @ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

kjv@Luke:2:14 @ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

kjv@Luke:2:15 @ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

kjv@Luke:2:16 @ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

kjv@Luke:2:17 @ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

kjv@Luke:2:18 @ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

kjv@Luke:2:19 @ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

kjv@Luke:2:20 @ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - Luke:2:1-7 The Birth of Jesus
After - Luke:2:21-40 Jesus Presented in the Temple

Study Recourses:

dict:torrey shepherds

kjv@STRING:glory+of+the+Lord

dict:torrey Christ, the King

dict:easton Heaven

kjv@STRING:made+known

G2296

Notes:

The Spirit is declaring the certainty to men/women with a gathering of angels seen by a few and those men/women are declaring the certainty to many others. Wonder is being used as a agent of broadcast; this long before the majority can confirm the certainty. The echoed certainty in fact has to be sought out by the individual in order to be confirmed. It is as a test of their wonderment.

The types of people being used as these agents are not your typical leaders or priests curiously, they are people in the field daily tending that have a level of trust and similarity to the common folk who would be listening. The Spirit is drawing on a similarity between what the first witnesses do and what the Messiah will do: Shepherd flocks; connections that the priests of that era don't have. If to reveal this first to the religious establishment of that day who else would believe it at the heart felt transformative level needed to be? Who else would be told?

A case is being made that it is not just all about what the evangelists and gospel writers are saying later about the event, it is also about what the common folk have been testifying of and echoing among themselves for sometime now. Because the writer includes it in his collection does not mean that the event went undisputed, it means that it's discussion (even debate/wonder) was commonly known. At the time of this gospel's disbursement the debate could not have been whether these public testimonies/rumors had been known of, the debate would be as to their meaning to the bigger picture. This along with the other commonly known event's (disturbances) the writers collected presents a sizable case for those of that time to consider. We in our time need at the very least to be mindful of that wonder even though we cannot go back ask a shepherd there to prove to us what he/she saw; they couldn't even prove it in their day just as God somehow in HIS wisdom had planned it to be.

Key Messages:

kjv@Psalms:24:9 @ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

kjv@Psalms:24:10 @ Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

kjv@Hebrews:1:8 @ But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

kjv@Psalms:80:1 @ Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Luke:2:8-20
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Luke:2:8-20 rwp@Luke:2:8-20 mhcc@Luke:2:8-20
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index