ADVENT WEEK 3 (The Shepherd Candle)
Scripture Luke 2:8-20
I performed a first-person drama (with Isaish the shepherd/angel added) of Samuel the shepherd who injured his ankle and can't run. I tell of the life of a Bethlehem shepherd and the tools they use, then my personal story of my wife Rachel, 1 1/2-year-old son Jacob and 6-week old son, Joshua (the Hebrew version of Jesus - who he was named after that was born two weeks before my son. Then told of the birth of Christ interrupted by Isaiah saying Herod was having all baby boys killed 2 years and under. (Best to find the drama on YouTube to get the full effect.)
Luke
2:8-20
And there were shepherds living out in the fields
nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared
to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in
the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This
will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger."
Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on
whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone
into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's
go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told
us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Isaiah 53:1-12
Who
believes what we've heard and seen?
Who
would have thought God's saving power would look like this?
The
servant grew up before God — a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched
field.
There
was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He
was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain
firsthand.
One
look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But
the fact is, it was our pains he carried —
our
disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We
thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own
failures.
But
it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him —
our sins!
He
took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.
We're
all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've
all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And
God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him.
He
was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word.
Like
a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all
in silence.
Justice
miscarried, and he was led off — and did anyone really know what was happening?
He
died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my
people.
They
buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even
though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
Still,
it's what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain.
The
plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so
that he'd see life come from it — life, life, and more life.
And
God's plan will deeply prosper through him.
Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll
see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through
what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will
make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their
sins.
Therefore
I'll reward him extravagantly — the best of everything, the highest honors —
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because
he embraced the company of the lowest.
He
took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the
black sheep.
THE WORLD STILL KNOWS
The night is still dark
and
a procession of Herods still terrorize the earth,
killing the children to stay in power.
The world still knows its'
Herods,
but it also still knows men and women
who pack their dreams safely in their hearts
and set off toward Bethlehem,
faithful against all odds,
undeterred by fatigue or rejection,
to
kneel to a child.
And the world still knows those people
wise enough
to follow a star,
those who do not consider themselves too intelligent
too powerful
too wealthy
to kneel to a child.
And the world still knows those
hearts so humble
that they’re ready
to hear the word of a song
and to leave what they have, to go
to kneel to a child.
The night is still dark,
but by the light of the star,
even today
we can still see
to
kneel to a child.
INTRO TO YOU SAY:
We stink with sin, and
You say I am loved when I
can't feel a thing
We stink with sin, and
You say I am strong when I
think I am weak
We stink with sin, and
And you say I am held when I
am falling short
We stink with sin, and
when I don't belong, You say
I am Yours
The only thing that matters
now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity
Taking all I have, and now I'm laying it at Your feet
You have every failure, God, You have every victory
Through Jesus, we are made
clean
Guilt and sin washed away,
And I believe Oh, I believe
What You say of me
I believe
SONG: "You Say"
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