The night was chilly and the wind whipped at their shepherds garb as they sat warming their hands at the fire while watching over their sheep under the starry skies. They daren’t leave their sheep sleeping alone on the fields in the dark for fear of wolves and bears that would attack their flock. Suddenly it was as if the sheep became more visible in the dark. The night sky lit up as an Angel – no, a host of angels – appeared bringing them “good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:9). The angel’s message was that they would find a child wrapped in cloths in a manger.

 

They couldn’t wait to see this wonder – so much so that they left their flocks in the fields and rushed off to where the star pointed them. And what do they find? Precisely what you and I do: God in the flesh. God as a person – a human being like us. God Immanuel. That was the night that God came close to us – so close that he became like one of us. So close, that we could embrace him. God became a child so that he could lead us back to the Father.

 

When you go through hard times, when your life has become meaningless and nothing excites you or inspires you to joy, and you feel you belong nowhere, remember the One crying in the night, the One who was wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger. Remember the One who had to flee for his life from his own people, the One who brought salvation to all of mankind including you!

 

One night, two thousand years ago, a couple of shepherds, found something that exceeded their wildest dream – something we can find too: the way to God through a manger. Perhaps it is time to surrender, open our hearts, and accept the wonder of Christmas. In the words of one theologian, "We have no choice. God is with us.”

 

Prayer: Dear God, we thank you that you have sent your Son as a bridge between God and man, giving mankind hope of salvation.  Amen

 

Die windjie was skraal en die koue het deur murg en been gesny daar waar die skaapwagters onder die sterrehemel by die vuurtjie gesit en na hulle skape omgesien het. Hulle kon nie waag om hulle skape op die oopveld te los as prooi vir bere en wolwe nie. Maar skielik was dit asof die skape sigbaarder in die donker geword het terwyl die nagtelike hemel helder verlig word en ʼn engel – nee, ʼn skare engele − verskyn met “… ʼn goeie tyding van groot blydskap, wat vir die hele volk bestem is." (Lukas 2:9)  Die engele se boodskap was dat hulle ʼn kind wat in doeke toegedraai is en in ʼn krip lȇ sou vind.

 

Hulle kon nie wag om die wonder te aanskou nie en vat die pad na waar die ster hulle gelei het. En wat vind hulle daar? God as mens – ʼn mens soos ons. God Immanuel. Dit was die nag toe God na ons toe gekom het en so na aan ons was dat hy een van ons geword het. Hy het mens soos ons geword om ons terug te lei na die Vader.

 

Wanneer jy deur moeilike tye gaan, wanneer die lewe sy sin vir jou verloor het en niks jou vreugde verskaf nie, en jy voel jy hoort nȇrens nie, onthou die Een wat in die nag gehuil het, die Een in doeke toegedraai in ʼn krip. Onthou die Een wat moes vlug van sy eie mense en die Een wat uitkoms vir die hele mensdom en dus ook vir jou gebring het.

 

Een nag, meer as tweeduisend jaar gelede, het ʼn groepie herders iets gevind wat hulle wildste drome oortref het – iets wat ons ook kan vind: die pad na God deur ʼn kind in ʼn stal. Miskien is dit tyd om jou hart oop te maak en die wonder van Kersfees te aanvaar. In die woorde van een teoloog: “Ons het nie ʼn keuse nie. God is met ons.”

Gebed: Hemelse Vader, ons dank U dat U u Seun as ʼn brug tussen mens en God gestuur het om die mensdom hoop op redding te gee. Amen