Sunday Drive - Unspeakable Joy!

Unspeakable joy, is a joy that is so deep and so secure that words can't describe it. It fills you up with so much peace that your heart may sometimes feel it could explode. It can be such a mix of emotions... awe, wonder, love, excitement, and maybe even uncertainty.

This reminds me of the indescribable scene that took place in a field on the outskirts of a little town named Bethlehem.

There were some shepherds, just going about their own business, keeping watch over their flock of sheep. Making sure they are safe, listening to the sounds of the night, for anything that might attack them. 

Then suddenly you are face to face with an angelic being!

Luke 2:8-9(NLT)
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.

That would be kind of terrifying and wonderful all at the same time!

Luke 2:9-10(NLT)
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.”

This was great news! This is what the Jews have been waiting hundreds of years for!

Luke 2:13-14(NLT)
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.”

I would have been just as terrified meeting an Angel of The Lord, but this might have made me passed out! I can't even imagine... the armies of heaven, praising God! Was it a song? Was it loud? Was it a bright and shining scene? Were they in the field with them or in the sky? What about the sheep, were they afraid? So many questions!

Luke 2:15(NLT)
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.”

This is the only record of what the shepherds said, that's it. I imagine there was a lot more said than just that. Can you hear their chatter on the way to Bethlehem? Describing what they just saw? I bet it was pretty lively and full of unspeakable joy! 

By the way, I didn't read anywhere that the angels commanded them to go to Bethlehem. They were so excited they decided to leave their sheep in the field and go to Bethlehem and search out the baby, the Messiah. Now, it doesn't say if one of them stayed behind to watch the sheep, but who would want to be left out of meeting the king of the Jews?

Their only clue was the baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger....

Luke 2:16-20(NLT)
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.

Of course, they found them! I wish I could have overheard their conversation. What was it like knowing you were meeting the Savior of the world. That His birth was the fulfillment of the long awaited prophesy.

It says that the shepherds were so full of joy, they were telling everyone they saw what happened! I wonder what people thought? Did they go and see Jesus too? I would have!

The shepherds finally went back to their sheep, but they were changed forever! That unspeakable joy would live in their hearts, forever! 

I pray you find that unspeakable joy this Christmas. Let Christ fill you to overflowing with His peace and love. Share that joy with those that cross your path. I pray you are changed forever!

Merry Christmas!
Blessings,
Lori