And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!" (Luke 2:13-14)

I love the joy that the angels show, praising God and celebrating, a multitude of them at once! They can hardly wait to join the celebration. Jesus is born! The Savior is come! God is bringing the human race back to Himself in peace.

I consider that very brotherly of them, if I can use the word, because surely we human beings are the main beneficiaries of Jesus' birth that night! And yet the angels cannot contain their joy. They show the hallmarks of God's kingdom, a love for God and for all His creatures, even those different from them—even those who have fallen into sin and need forgiving. And now that they see Jesus, the Son of God, starting His work as Savior, they are overjoyed for us.

We, too, have a share in that love, whenever we tell people about Jesus who have not heard the good news before: How God came into our world to rescue us from the power of sin, death, and the devil. How He grew up to serve as a teacher and healer, and to let Himself be betrayed, arrested, and crucified for our sake. How His death broke the power of evil over the whole human race, and how He rose from the dead, and shares that victory over death with all of us—everyone who will believe in Him. When we tell our brothers and sisters that story, we have the same privilege as the angels—we serve as God's messengers.

WE PRAY: Lord, make me a messenger of Your Good News to those who need to hear it! Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* Who told you about Jesus?

* Have you ever told anyone about Jesus?

* How did you feel about that occasion, if so?

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Today's Bible Readings: Nehemiah 4-6    Revelation 17

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