THE DIFFERENT REACTIONS OF MARY AND THE SHEPHERDS TOWARDS THE BIRTH OF JESUS

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE For FRIDAY, 30TH  DECEMBER, 2022.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l

Topic: THE DIFFERENT REACTIONS OF MARY AND THE SHEPHERDS TOWARDS THE BIRTH OF JESUS

MEMORIZE: “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:16

SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 2:16-20.

"16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them."

EXPOSITION:

The use which those made of these things, who did believe them, and received the impression of them. 

1. The virgin Mary made them the matter of her private meditation. She said little, but kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart, Luke 2:19. She laid the evidences together, and kept them in reserve, to be compared with the discoveries that should afterwards be made her. As she had silently left it to God to clear up her virtue, when that was suspected, so she silently leaves it to him to publish her honour, now when it was veiled; and it is satisfaction enough to find that, if no one else takes notice of the birth of her child, angels do. Note, The truths of Christ are worth keeping; and the way to keep them safe is to ponder them.  Meditation is the best help to memory. 

2. The shepherds made them the matter of their more public praises. If others were not affected with those things, yet they themselves were (Lu 2:20): They returned, glorifying and praising God, in concurrence with the holy angels. If others would not regard the report they made to them, God would accept the thanksgivings they offered to him. They praised God for what they had heard from the angel, and for what they had seen, the babe in the manger, and just then in the swaddling, when they came in, as it had been spoken to them. They thanked God that they had seen Christ, though in the depth of his humiliation. As afterwards the cross of Christ, so now his manger, was to some foolishness and a stumbling-block, but others saw in it, and admired, and praised, the wisdom of God and the power of God.

PRAYER POINTS:

Lord, help me to preserve the testimony of my salvation in this perverse world in Jesus name.

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DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Revelation 17-18