Sheep or Shepherds?

Shepherds are appealing as we anticipate Christmas—because God chose to announce Jesus’ birth to a group of lowly shepherds.

Shepherds are also a familiar Biblical metaphor. Shepherds are used to portray God Himself in the Old Testament. Ezekiel said, As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I [God] look after my sheep. . . . (Ez. 34:12a NIV)

In the new Testament, Jesus identified with shepherds when he said, I am good shepherd. (Jn. 10:11a) So it is fitting that shepherds were among the first to receive news of Christ’s arrival.

And yet, when An angel of the Lord appeared to them [the shepherds] . . . and they were terrified. (Lk. 2:9) Their response was understandable, but their reaction did not demonstrate an ability to care for others—or present a picture of God looking after His people.

So perhaps God had dual vision when He selected these particular shepherds. Perhaps He wanted to emphasize the shepherd image—and perhaps He selected specific shepherds who also represented sheep in need of salvation. When we look at the shepherds as sheep, we can identify with them—and identify with their quest for Jesus.

Originally published December 2, 1983.

The Advent of God's Son

God’s glory is an expression of God’s goodness. Some define His glory as a revelation of His total goodness.

Because Jesus’ life was an expression of God’s nature, He revealed—and continues to reveal—God’s goodness. He revealed His father’s total goodness every moment of every day during His earthly life—when He entered the world as a baby, when He met the needs of individuals and multitudes, when He died on the cross, when He rose from the grave, and when He ascended into heaven.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of Jesus’ when he said, Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. (Is. 60:1,2 NIV)

Today, Jesus continues to embody everything we need to know about the nature of God. The season of Advent is a time for setting our hearts to receive glimpses of God’s glory. It’s time to celebrate the advent of God’s Son.

Originally published November 29, 1991.
Picture: Karen's garden, Winona, MN, 2009. Photo by Solveig.

God Is Good

Paul made a surprising statement: the goodness of God leads you to repentance. (Rom. 2:4b NKJV)

Sometimes we don’t think God is truly good. We don’t like to hear about people who suffer. When we hear stories about people who turn to God in the middle of a crisis, we might even think God arranged the problem in the first place. We blame Him for it—think He should have prevented it. We can even decide He doesn’t want people to be happy or to walk in blessing.

I don’t know what God does or does not arrange. Sin and Satan contribute greatly to the overall fabric of life. But one thing is certain. We cannot sincerely call upon God—whether in the middle of a crisis or whether enjoying pleasant circumstances—unless we believe He is good. If we cannot believe He is good, we will only go through the motions of asking Him to help. Our hearts will be hard and proud. We will not expect Him to answer.

If we believe God is good, however, we will be drawn to Him. We will dare confess our sins to Him. We will trust that He can strengthen us. Or even intervene in our behalf!

Originally published November 1, 1991.
Picture: Flowers in Thailand, 2007. Photo by Patty.