Luke 2:15,16

Luke 2:15,16 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. When Baby Jesus was born the shepherds were there just after it happened. They had received a special invitation from the angels. How honored they must have felt to have been the first to hear the news. It would be several weeks before the kings from the East would arrive. But there the baby was. And He was so sweet. Later that morning the shepherds told everyone who would listen about that special baby. And what about us? Shouldn't we tell everyone about Jesus too?

Luke 2:7

 

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. There are many interesting pictures about the birth of Jesus. But all of those artists were not there. Many people have written about the birth of Jesus, including me, but none of us were there. But Mary was there. And I am sure she was excited about the birth of her first baby boy. Mary was excited because her baby boy was a special child. He was the very Son of God who would save His people from their sins. The angel had told her so. But Mary had to travel with Joseph so very far from their home, just to register for their taxes. The Romans were not very understanding, even about a new baby on the way. And Mary had to deliver her new baby in a stable of all places! But Bethlehem was so crowded that Mary and Joseph were glad just to get a roof over their heads! But when Jesus was born, all of Mary's discomfort and inconvenience were forgotten. He was so sweet! And He was such a good baby. But of course He was! But Mary and Joseph had an important job to do. They had to raise Jesus and teach Him so much. Isn't that interesting? They had to teach Jesus so much, and we need to learn about Jesus so much! After all, He is the Son of God.

Matthew 5:10-12

 

 Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

How do you feel when you do something to get into trouble? Kind of bad. But what about getting into trouble for something that you didn’t do? We usually complain loudly about how we are innocent. But our verse says that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we shouldn’t feel bad if we are mistreated for the sake of Jesus. Actually, we are in good company. Most of the Old Testament prophets were persecuted for doing good too. And after all, there was only one perfect man, and He was persecuted too. Our verses say that we should actually be glad when we are persecuted. Because when we are persecuted for the name of Jesus, we will receive reward in heaven for it. Those who persecute us are doing us a favor: they are helping us to gain a greater reward in heaven. Now that’s turning things around, isn’t it?!

Matthew 5:9

 

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. We talked a couple of days ago about meek people who were not weak people. So today we are going to talk, not about peaceable people, but peacemakers. A peacemaker is someone who makes peace happen. It takes work and force of character to be a peacemaker. Years ago the Colt firearms company made a pistol that the lawmen out west used. Guess what it was called? You got it, a peacemaker. When a sheriff or a U.S. marshal carried his peacemaker, rowdy men thought twice before stirring up trouble. They were rather careful when the lawman had a peacemaker strapped on. And sometimes we have to stand up and be a peacemaker. Remember, always stand up for what is right. Stand up for peace!

Matthew 5:8

 

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. It is hard to always do the right thing. But it is much harder to always think the right thing. It is easier to guard what we do and say than to guard what we think. That is why the Lord Jesus talks about being pure in heart. The inside is the hardest to guard. But have you ever noticed that you never do something that you don’t think about first? Even when you lose your temper, there is that moment when you realize that you are slipping out of control. That is the moment when you need to say a quick prayer and ask the Lord to help you guard what you do. Then step back in your mind and let the Lord have control of your thoughts. Remember, you do what you think. So think Godly thoughts.

Matthew 5:7

 

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Our verse for today reminds me of a phrase in the Lord’s Prayer. It says, “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” We want to be forgiven by God, so we must be willing to forgive others just as we have been by God. And like it is with forgiveness, so it is with mercy. Our verse assures us that if we are merciful, God will extend His mercy to us. We need God’s mercy because we are sinful people. So we should be merciful to others too.

Matthew 5:6

 

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. What does the Bible mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? Well, when you are hungry or thirsty, that is all that you can think about. You may be playing baseball or over playing at a friend’s house. But when you get really thirsty, that is all that you can think about. You just have to do something about it. And then isn’t it satisfying to get a long drink of some cool water? Or take that first bite of a sandwich? It just hits the spot, doesn’t it? And that is the way we should be with righteousness. We should long after righteousness just like a thirsty boy longs for a tall glass of iced tea. We should long after righteousness just like a hungry girl can’t stop thinking about supper. If we really want righteousness, we will just want to go after it! And if we do, God calls us blessed.