Glory In The Highest!

GLORY IN THE HIGHEST!

a prayer to open

Open my eyes and help me to see you.

Open my heart and help me to know you.

Jesus, my Lord and my God.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. . . . All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea. . . . He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened. . . . All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

In this passage, we see the wonder and awe of those on earth and those in heaven. No one could experience the birth of Jesus and remain unmoved. Even the heavens erupted in praise! No other moment in history has held such glory, love, and goodness. Jesus had arrived, and so too had the Kingdom of God. Sin and death were in their final hours, and the old order of things would begin to bend to God’s will. An eternal revolution had begun in a small body in a small town.

• What do you think Mary and Joseph thought about as they walked the eighty miles to Bethlehem, knowing that the coming child was the Messiah? What fears, doubts, or joys would have come to mind?
• When and how did you first come to realize your need for a Savior? How did you feel, and what did you do?
• What does today’s passage reveal to you about Jesus?

Father, thank you that this story is not a fairy tale but that it happened in a real place, during a real time. Help me remember that Jesus was born into the very world I live in, with the same sun and moon and stars. Help me keep in mind that Jesus is not a concept, a set of rules, a made-up character but rather the one who came to save sinners like me. When your glory is revealed, let me be the first to sing, “Glory to God in the highest!” and stand in awe. Let this not just be a refrain I sing but a life I live. Amen.