Which way to Bethlehem?

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

Luke 2:12

Occasionally, I catch some grief over my inability to find things. Whether I am driving or just searching for something at home, the struggle is the same. I have heard the words, “it’s right in front of you” more than once in my life. So, I have to ask myself. If I was a shepherd outside of Bethlehem, would I have found Jesus? Have you ever tried to fill in the blanks between Luke 2:15 and Luke 2:16. I am referring to the journey of the shepherds. Somewhere between their departure from the fields and their arrival at the manger, there was a journey. Ultimately, we are told that they found the Savior.

Without a smart phone, Garmin or any other satellite assisted device, the shepherds listened to the description given them by the angel of the Lord and made their way to the city of David. God understood that they would need help to find and recognize the Savior. So, He gave them a sign. The angel was both a herald and a guide. As I have studied a few “Christmas” messages in Galatians the past week, I thought about the familiar description of the “fruit of the Spirit” in a different light. Earlier in Galatians, Paul reminded the church of the gift of the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 4:6). Then, in Galatians 5:22-23, Paul describes the “fruit” that the Spirit produces. Just as the description of a baby lying in a manger aided the shepherds in recognizing the arrival and presence of the Savior in Bethlehem, the fruit of the Spirit helps others recognize the presence of Jesus in my life. How will someone recognize Jesus in me? The sign of His arrival and presence in my life is the evidence of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. Ultimately, I believe God cares just as much today about helping people recognize the Savior as He did the night Jesus was born. The Holy Spirit enables us to be heralds and guides. When you sing “Joy to the world” this season, think about how the Spirit of Christ produces “joy” in you as an announcement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.