Have you been shocked? Shocked to the point of being terrified? Have you had a chill run down your spine? Has the hair stood on your arms? Have you been scared speechless? How do you think you would feel if you were to be in the presence of an angel?
I’m sure we have all been frightened at some point in our lives. A few of those frights may have been minor, just a brief scare from someone hiding and jumping out at us. Other frights may have seemed to last a lifetime. They may have been far more serious.
Being frightened happens to all of us. One of my most alarming shocks came when I received a phone call in Okinawa, JA. My aunt called to tell me my dad was likely not going to make it more than a couple more days. I knew he had not been feeling well but had no idea it was that serious. A shock rolled through my body for what seemed like several minutes.
I can only guess how the shepherds felt when an angel suddenly appeared before them. Not only would they have been surprised to seem someone suddenly appear, but the power of the presence of a heavenly being would have been overwhelming. Then, just as they might have been recovering, an entire host from heaven appears and starts praising God! The word interpreted as host literally means army. Can you imagine?! An army of angels appears!
I wonder if the original angel who appeared did not grant the shepherds some heavenly peace to calm their souls. They certainly left their fields celebrating joyously and in anticipation of seeing the newborn King. Their joy was so overwhelming they told everyone they saw what had happened.
I pray we all are overjoyed at the birth of Jesus. I pray we celebrate His birth as something extremely special. I pray each of us tell everyone we see about the wondrous birth of our Savior. Be in awe of heavenly beings. Be overjoyed at Jesus’ birth. Tell everyone about Jesus’ wondrous birth. Tell everyone our Savior came for us.
Luke 2:8-9 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
Marty Pressey 