“At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 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.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 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.”
Luke 2:1-20 NLT
God asks us to accept the honor of being His witnesses. On the night of the birth of the Son of God, angels proclaimed the miraculous birth to shepherds. The shepherds were given the experience of seeing a host of angels, and they made a choice to go see the Son of God. They experienced seeing the Christ child and then told everyone they could meet about their joy. The shepherds didn’t see sharing as a burden; they were praising God for all they saw. They were honored to be witnesses to the wonders of the Lord, and they were filled with joy.
Sharing God’s hope is central to following Jesus, and it is meant to be a joy. It starts with personally experiencing Jesus—through our highs and lows. God is present in our lives and constantly revealing Himself to each of us. Evangelism begins with prayer and awareness. It can be helpful to keep a journal of the many ways the Lord has shown up in your life. When we share with others, we don’t have to be rude, just share God’s love and share what we have experienced. One of the easiest ways is to take time to really listen to people, hear their story, then share your story and pray with them.
How can you become more aware of experiencing God’s presence and love? Who are people you are praying will take next steps closer to Christ? How can you be more intentional about being a witness?
