Luke 2:8-20 "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOR, which is CHRIST the LORD. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the BABE wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising GOD, and saying, Glory to GOD in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, 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 hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this CHILD. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising GOD for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."
"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (v.19). Much took place in Mary's life before, during, and after the birth of her divine SON. Not only did she preserve all of those events in her memory, but she "pondered" on them as well. The Greek verb translated "pondered" literally means "to throw together." When pondering, the individual brings two or more things together; for example, the Scriptures also used this term to describe a king's decision regarding the coming together of two armies (Luke 14:31). So, what, exactly, did Mary "bring together" regarding the birth and early life of the SAVIOR ? From the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke, we read of the messages from the angel Gabriel, the joyful reaction of the unborn John the Baptist and his mother Elizabeth upon Mary's arrival (Luke 1:41-47 pictured above), the change of heart in Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, the testimonies of the shepherds on the night of CHRIST's birth, the prophecy of Simeon and thanksgiving of Anna, the visit of the Magi, the escape from Bethlehem, the return to Nazareth, and the explanation from a twelve year old JESUS when HE was found in the temple (Luke 2:49 pictured below). Mary brought all of these events, and more, together for her examination and understanding of the LORD's ways.
She pondered all of these events for the same purpose that we should do so today. We need to contemplate the LORD's actions in order to learn of HIS grace. Also, we should consider HIS working in our life and understand HIS purpose for us. Most importantly, like Mary, we need to preserve these observations in our affections as well as in our heart -- not just in our mind -- and this ought to impact how we live. KGL
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
Used with permission. www.featoday.org
https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation
No comments:
Post a Comment