Message summary: Today we will consider this thing.

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"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger" (Luke 2:15,16).

Any gift we might possibly receive this Christmas or any previous Christmases, regardless of its beauty, size, extravagance or even the sacrifice one made to get you the best gift possible, does not compare with the greatest gift of God giving His Son, which our daily text describes as "this thing".

The reason we can't even make a comparison is because Jesus is a spiritual, Divine Being, the gift of salvation to mankind. No material treasure can fill the spiritual void within our hearts, though the majority of people spend their entire lives trying to satisfy their spiritual need with material stuff. Only heaven's treasure, Jesus Christ, sent down to dwell among us can meet the greatest need of every human.

"This thing" - these two bland, non-descriptive words in the daily text have long intrigued me. What a description of the first Christmas! It probably indicates the marvel of the shepherds in seeking to express what they were about to witness. Today when we don't know or can't mentally recall the name of something we might just say "thing" or blurt out "thingamajig" or "whatchamacallit" . (BTW, these words are in the dictionary!)

The dictionary defines "thing" as "an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to such as 'look at that metal rail thing over there '". The Greek word is rhēma which can also be translated "word". In fact the interlinear translation states "let us see the word that has come to pass" (see here). I don't know why but only two, both rather obscure, English translations, use "word" in this verse (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition and Wycliffe Bible). Most English versions use "this thing". *

"This thing" designated the first human title of the first Christmas and the very first Christmas gift. I suppose, after their encounter with the "great company of the heavenly host", the shepherds were at a loss for words and had trouble processing the magnitude of what they had just heard and were about to see. The shepherds, surely in a state of wonderment and perplexity, call the blessed event that would impact every generation afterwards for all eternity, "this thing". Thus the very first human designation for Christmas is "this thing"!

The shepherds were blessed to receive this unexpected announcement from the heavenly host, yet they could not fully picture in their minds just what to expect or the right words to describe this historic event. God did not require the shepherds to be statesmen and thus they could not eloquently describe this incredible moment in history. So they just said, "this thing".

"And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger". Today let us thank God for "this thing" which the shepherds went to see. The holy Son of God came as a baby, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

That's the redeeming message on which we must focus and it is the greatest thing! Some are hesitant to witness to others about Christ for fear that their message might not be delivered as eloquently as a studied preacher or gifted speaker. Yes, the words we speak are important but the lives we live may have more meaning and influence when we share of Christ's redeeming work in the hearts of His people, in our heart.

B e encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13