Luke 2:1-14
After the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have a child, Mary visited Elizabeth. Elizabeth completed her pregnancy and gave birth to John the forerunner of Jesus. Mary returned to Nazareth to prepare for the arrival of her baby, but political events happening in the region of Israel would shape the next chapter of her life. She and her husband would have to make a journey to Joseph's ancestral home–Bethlehem.
Jesus was born according to God's intent while Caesar Augustus ruled Rome (31BC to AD14). Luke emphasized this took place when Quirinius was governing Syria. It is possible that he served two terms, initiating the census in his first term from 6 to 4 BC and completing the registration during his second term AD 6-9. As a descendant of David, Bethlehem would have been that place for Joseph and his family.
Somewhere in the fields near Bethlehem, a small group of shepherds were doing their duty guarding their sheep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord interrupted the shepherds. They noticed that the glory of the Lord shone around them. The shepherds were terrified. The angels announced the good news. The angel announced not a program, but a person. The gospel is not religion but a relationship.
The angel army joined together in two related actions: they praised God and they spoke the gospel–the good news. Proclaiming the gospel is not frequently thought of as an act of worship, but it should be!
Jesus brought glory to God, and God brought peace on earth. God offered wholeness for those who received the gospel – a peace that affected the entire person. The angel's announcement is for all who choose to receive it. A relationship with God is just a choice away!
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