Gospel Bookends

<p>Bookends are those supports that keep books from falling over on a shelf or desk. By way of analogy, there are two events that “bookend” the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel accounts of Luke and Matthew: two angelic appearances, two unlikely recipients of the angel’s message, and two responses that teach us how to live in this Advent season.</p><p>.</p><p>Angels appeared to two unlikely sectors of society: shepherds at Jesus’s birth (Luke 2:8-20) and women at Jesus’s resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10). In Jesus’s time, shepherds were looked down upon in society. Similarly, women were not regarded as reliable witnesses in those days. However, God saw fit to announce both the birth and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, to these marginalized people. Note the angel’s words to the shepherds: “don’t be afraid,” “look,” “good news,” “great joy,” and “glory to God.” And to the women: “don’t be afraid,” “come and see,” “go... and tell.”</p><p>.</p><p>When the shepherds obeyed the directive to go and see the baby in the manger, they found it to be exactly as the angel had said. They left worshiping God and telling others what they had seen and heard. And when the women left the tomb with “great joy” (Matthew 28:8) they met the risen Lord Jesus and worshiped Him. Their testimony was followed by the eleven disciples receiving the great commission for every Christian to go and make disciples of all nations (verses 16-20). These bookends give us some clear examples to follow when it comes to our relationship to the Lord this Christmas season.</p><p>.</p><p>Don’t be afraid. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Believe in Him, praise Him, and go with great joy to tell all that the Lord has made known to you. • Cameron DeCou</p><p>.</p><p>• Why do you think God chose unlikely messengers for these two essential moments in Jesus’s life? </p><p>.</p><p>• What are some things God has done for you? How could you share these things with others? </p><p>.</p><p>“Go, therefore,