“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11
It’s amazing how many doctors I suddenly know. I was remarking on this to my friend Fiona yesterday after we had been for coffee. Fiona, along with a mutual friend, is in her final year at medical school. Claire, my fiancee is also a doctor. Maybe I’ve just reached that age where all of my peers who have been training for the medical profession are being released into the outside world! One of the things about knowing a lot of doctors is that they often talk about medical stuff, most of which goes over my head. Very occasionally, though, they talk about something that I understand – perhaps because I covered it at school in GCSE Biology. The reality may be, of course, that whilst I think I understand what they’re talking about, I might not really grasp the full depth of what they’re saying, because they know much more about this things than I do!
Amongst the first people to visit the new born Jesus were shepherds. They were tending to their sheep in the fields, when they were visited by angels, who told them, “today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke makes it clear that they were afraid when they saw the angels – I think I would have been too if I was in their position! They also no doubt grasp the importance of the baby who had been born; if his birth was heralded by angels, he must be important! As a result, they packed up their things and headed off to see Jesus.
Whether or not they fully grasped the significance of what the angels said remains to be seen. It might have been like me and medical discussions; they thought they understood what the angels were saying, but may not have grasped the full ramifications of what they were told. This baby is not just any old baby, the angels tell us that he is a Saviour – a Saviour who would eventually die for their sins, as well as yours and mine. The baby is also the Christ, the messiah that had been promised through generations by God. Not only that, but he is in fact the Lord, God himself!
When you see pictures of the baby Jesus over the coming days, reflect on the full miracle that took place when Jesus was born. This was no ordinary baby, but a saviour, the messiah – and God himself.