A Thrill of HopeSample

The first people to hear the news of Jesus’ birth were not priests, princes, or the powerful, but shepherds; ordinary, unseen men keeping watch through the night in dark fields outside Bethlehem. The very ones who could never draw near to the temple were the first invited to draw near to the Saviour.

This is the gospel’s pattern that we often see in the Bible: grace always begins in low places. When heaven came to earth, it didn’t visit the palace but the pasture. God’s story of redemption unfolds not through status or strength, but through humility and divine interruption. The message is clear: His favour rests not on the impressive but on the needy.

And so the angel’s words echo through to us, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10 - 11, ESV). Into the dark fields of our fear, failure, and fatigue, the light of Jesus still breaks through. He meets us where we are, not where we wish we were.

How did the shepherds respond? They ran. They left their flocks to find the Lamb. And after seeing Him, they returned to their ordinary lives filled with extraordinary joy, hearts alive with worship.

The lead up to Christmas can be busy and distracting, and it’s easy to miss the very reason for the season. But the gospel still finds us right where we are. It turns fear into worship, insignificance into belonging, and despair into joy - not because we’ve climbed our way up but because heaven has come down to us in Jesus.

Today, ponder this: In the midst of your Christmas busyness, where do you need to pause and let the light of Jesus break in? Will you, like the shepherds, run toward Him in humble joy and rediscover the wonder of grace come near?