Shepherds Find Mary, Joseph and the Babe - Luke 2:16

Luke the physician wrote how an angel and heavenly host appeared to shepherds who were abiding in their field, and they told the shepherds about the Messiah's birth, and “as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us”, and in chapter two and verse sixteen of his book Luke shares how the shepherds, “came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe” where we read:

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

The verse reads, “And they came with haste, ...” Luke began with the words, “And they came” or “and the shepherds arose, appeared and entered” “with haste” which means “having great urging, earnestness and eagerness”. Luke shared how the shepherds went to Bethlehem with great “earnestness and eagerness” to see the “Savior”.

The verse continues, “... and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” Luke added the words, “and found Mary” which means “and searched out to discover Mary whose name means their rebellion and was the mother of Jesus”, “and Joseph” or “whose name means let him add and was perceived to be the earthly father of Jesus”, “and the babe” which means “and the new-born or infant child” “lying in a manger” or “laid back and reclining within a crib used for fodder”. Luke shared how the shepherds discovered the “baby” reclining in a “crib which was used for feeding animals” along with His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, just as the “angel” declared to them.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we discover the shepherds passionate desire to find the baby of which they were told. With “eagerness and earnestness” they searched the town of “Bethlehem” until they found the “Savior” of the world. Joseph and Mary were with the baby as He was “lying in a manger” just the way the shepherds were told, and we can only imagine the wonder in the shepherd's minds as they looked upon this “Savior” born unto them. Gods' desire is for people to “seek” Him today, and Jesus later declared, those who “seek Him” shall “find Him”. Living with passion of these shepherds is not only wise but also eternally beneficial to every person who yields their life to “Jesus” as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Luke shares when the shepherds, “made know abroad the saying which was told them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".