Odd but very good

 The first part of the public announcement on the hillside is odd ( you wouldn't expect a God-intervention to be straightforward) but so good.  The angel with God's glory (and glory is God's own word about his presence, power, and sheer splendour which did not accompany the earlier Christmas visitations) overwhelms these ordinary men with terror. Who wouldn't be when faced with God's messenger?  Something utterly beyond material experience. Such ordinary men in an ordinary place. They really need to hear DO NOT BE AFRAID swiftly followed by: I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY THAT WILL BE FOR ALL PEOPLE. TODAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOUR HAS BEEN BORN TO YOU. HE IS CHRIST THE LORD.  This is the birth announcement TODAY, and its personal.

I was in the gym recently (too rare I confess) and a young man was pumping iron effortlessly near me. An older man came up to him and spoke. With a loud excited voice the young man responded (that's how I came to hear the conversation you understand) ' Yes, two weeks to go now. We're so excited after all this time but really looking forward to it.' And the older man said how glad he was and how he hoped all would go well, 'You know this is going to change your lives forever!' I smiled. I thought of conversations like this all over the world - of expectation, excitement and maybe a little worry.  And of the utter joy in the safe birth. Some of us have been privileged to share first-hand in the TODAYNESS of such good news.  

These ordinary shepherds are suddenly plunged into living this possibility. The baby has arrived and they can be witnesses to the arrival of the long awaited Messiah. It's intensely personal. Good news of great joy.  I love to picture what happens next as the shepherds are given a sign and the senior among them says ' Let's go' having presumably organized someone to remain guarding the sheep!  Meanwhile the birth has happened with Mary going through a Call the Midwife experience, except there are no midwives though perhaps a kindly maternal woman helped. Notice that in the birth, with the pain, the cries, the ultimate joy there is no mention of an angel or glory. It's ordinary - the baby laid in a manger.  So ordinary. When suddenly there's a noise outside and a bunch of shepherds appear grinning from ear to ear. The senior one asks if they can come closer. They are so excited its almost as though this baby belongs to them! The extroverts are hugging others and jumping up and down with joy. Imagine Mary's face. Just who are these people?  Why are they so joyful - it's as though they share the moment? Crowding in from nowhere.

But when they explain they had witnessed an angel in glory who told them this is the birth to change the world and they were somehow chosen to see him for themselves, Mary realizes a deep confirmation is happening.  No wonder 'Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (verse 19). God works in ordinary places with ordinary people.  And she knows this is going to change her life and the world's destiny forever.

Let's not forget the shepherds as the first evangelists, unstoppably spreading the word to everyone's astonishment, and returning to the fields with good news of great joy for all people. They have seen! Do you think Luke later found one of them as eyewitness?