“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:14
The word “ordinary” has developed a bad reputation. In fact, most people view “ordinary” in a negative light. We do not expect anything special out of "ordinary." For most, ordinary means common, not special, and unexciting. "Ordinary" things do not have the potential to surprise us or "wow" us. We don't expect much out of "ordinary" circumstances. When it came to the circumstances surrounding Christ's birth, they were most certainly ordinary. Christ was born in a place where animals lived, and his bed was a feeding trough. Although these circumstances were ordinary, the birth of Jesus was anything but ordinary. You see, God the Father was working in the midst of circumstances that seemed ordinary and doing something extraordinary: Sending His Son, Jesus, to Earth to rescue humanity from sin and death.
The first people to understand that God had taken an ordinary night and done something extraordinary were a group of shepherds. These shepherds were doing their ordinary jobs: taking care of their sheep in the evening while the rest of the world was sleeping. Suddenly, God broke through their ordinary evening by sending angels to make the greatest birth announcement of all time. Luke 2 tells us that the shepherds were "guarding their flocks of sheep" when "suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them” (verses 8-9). The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid!... 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!” (verses 10-11). Then, a whole “host” of angels appeared and praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (verse 14). Suddenly, an ordinary night for these shepherds became anything but ordinary. They saw firsthand that God can work through the mundane and ordinary to do something extraordinary. After the visit of the angels, the shepherds went to see Jesus, and everything was just how the angels told them (verses 15-17). As a result, the shepherds were “astonished.” Indeed, God’s extraordinary work through the ordinary leaves us astonished.
Still today, God works through the ordinary and mundane. He performs miracles when things seem hopeless or unable to change. Even when you cannot see it, He is working. If you need a reminder, look to the birth of Jesus in a humble stable, sleeping in a feeding trough, every bit the Savior of the world, while the world was sleeping. Merry Christmas, friends!
Amidst the chaos or the quiet of your day, get alone with God. Sing your favorite Christmas carol to Him. Praise Him that He works in the mundane, even when we cannot see it. He is a Savior. He is your Savior!
Luke 2:8-20
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 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.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 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.
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