Finding Purpose, Hope and Joy Through Jesus’ BirthSample

## Day 19 – Shepherds’ Joy When angels appear to people in the Bible, they always leave. Why is that significant? When the angels leave, the person or people they appear to have a decision to make. The person must respond. What are they going to do with the information they were given? In this instance, the shepherds high-tail it to Bethlehem to see “this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They wanted to be a part of God’s work. When they arrived, they found Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus. We wonder what Mary and Joseph thought when shepherds showed up as the congratulation committee! Viewing the newborn baby wasn’t enough. They had a mission to accomplish—they spread the word about what they had experienced. Anyone within hearing distance got an earful. They had met the choir of angels and the Lord all in one night. The shepherds became God’s first missionaries. They told everyone around them about what God had done and the things they experienced. As far as we know, they returned to their sheep on the hillside outside of Bethlehem. We never hear what happens to them, but even today, we share their story and the joy they experienced. Do you find great joy in sharing the good news about Jesus? Do you smile when you think of how God saved you? Consider how you might share the gospel with someone new today.