December 15, 2013 "Look at Me"

His Hands on You

Advent Day 15

Luke 2:8-9 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

SOMETIMES when I’m playing with or conversing with one of my granddaughters, my attention may drift from what she’s telling me. When that happens, she’ll put her hands on my face, turn me face-to-face with her and say, “Look at me, Grandpa. I’m talking to you.” She gets my attention, and I’m back on track.

     Through the Christmas story, we see God coming to Zechariah, Mary and now the shepherds. Very powerfully, in the form of an angel and a multitude of angels, God came to put his hands on the faces of those shepherds that night for a special task: “Look at me. I’ve come. Go see. Go tell.”

     The glory of the Lord that night over the dark sheep pastures stopped the shepherds in their tracks, woke them up, and turned their eyes upward. Face-to-face, they saw and heard the wonders of God come down to earth. They were forever changed.

     When Jesus grew and ministered to the world, he continued to say, “Look at me, my children.” Through his love, his forgiveness, his healing, his sacrificial death and his resurrection he called the world to see and to respond to his message of life as he proclaimed, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) And countless heard his words, and they were forever changed.

     Today, the Holy Spirit says, “Look at Jesus. Look at his cross.” God’s message is loud and clear. Do your eyes see? Do your ears hear?

Pause and Consider: Look and see Jesus’ nail-pierced hands for you.