“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.”
Luke 2:9
So what terrified the shepherds that night? What were they afraid of? Maybe it was the suddenness of the angel’s appearance? The words indicate that one second no one was there but then – BOOM! – there he was! Not at a comfortable distance slowly drawing toward them, but suddenly right beside them! That’ll get your attention! And yet it doesn’t just say they were startled. It says they were “terrified!” Literally “afraid with great fear!” Why? Because the glory of the Lord was shining all around them!
What does that mean? And why does it terrify them? When we think of the glory of God, we tend to think of his reputation or honor! “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” By that we mean praise him or live our lives in a way that honors him. That is one meaning of glory. But there is another meaning we tend to overlook, and that’s the one they saw that night. I say “saw” because this kind of glory is visible. It’s not just a concept or attitude we have toward someone. It’s an actual thing! The glory of the Lord is something that was shining around them, shimmering like lightening, permeating the very air they breathed. The words describe a situation where light is emerging from everywhere at once, enveloping them. It wasn’t like a spotlight, where a single source of light was shining down on them. It was as if every molecule of creation was an LED that had suddenly been switched on! They were swimming in light! The air itself was alive with the energy of God’s unmasked presence. Because that’s what this was! God’s very presence in unapproachable light had suddenly invaded the darkness of this earth! And hope was born!
This morning we continue looking at this “glory” passage we began last night at the Christmas Eve service, as we consider the “joy” of His coming.
Behold, I bring you good news of great joy for all people!
Pastor Scott