"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them." They returned.That's how the story ends. The shepherds went back. Back to the fields. Back to the sheep. Back to the night watch. Back to the same work. The same obscurity. The same social exclusion.Nothing about their external circumstances had changed. They weren't promoted. They ...  Read More

 "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.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger." Let us go.That's what the shepherds said to one another. They had heard the announcement. They had received the good news of...  Read More

...  Read More

 "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." A Savior. That was the first title the angel gave. And it matters more than you might think.You cannot save yourself. I don't care how hard you've tried. I don't care how many self-help books you've read. I don't care how many times you've promised yourself you'll do better. You cannot save yourself. Scriptur...  Read More

 "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'" Fear not.Those were the first words the angel spoke. And for good reason. When the glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds, they were filled with great fear. Something was happening that ...  Read More

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Keeping watch over their flock by night.That's what the shepherds were doing when joy arrived. Ordinary work. Unglamorous duty. They weren't seeking a spiritual experience. They weren't at the temple praying. They were doing what they always did.Watching sheep in the dark.Can I just say this? T...  Read More

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" We are looking for joy in all the wrong places.So many of us think joy comes after we get it right. After the kids behave. After the marriage improves. After we finally become the people we think we should be. We treat joy like a paycheck. Something we earn at the end of hard w...  Read More

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate." In Matthew chapter 23, we see that Israel was given the same chance Joseph had. They were offered the same choice. True peace arrived. It ...  Read More

"When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus." Now listen, this is the key to the whole passage. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He did not argue. He did not negotiate. He did not try to figure out how to make God's plan fit into hi...  Read More

"But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'" I want you to see three statements in the angel's words to Joseph. Three t...  Read More

"And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly." Now I want you to understand something about Joseph. This man was righteous. Scripture calls him a just man. That is not a throwaway phrase. That is a description of his character, his reputation, his track record of faithfulness. Joseph had built a righteous life. He knew how to please G...  Read More

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way." Rome had a phrase for it. Pax Romana. The Roman Peace. And here's what I need you to know about that so called peace. It was not peace at all. It was survival. It meant if you submitted, if you obeyed, if you paid your taxes and kept your head down, Rome would let you live. They would allow you to go about your business as long as you remembe...  Read More