For You

This is one of the most wonderous verses in the Bible. Let’s take it slow and soak in it. Fix your eyes for a few moments on each word in this brief announcement above. Every word is the Word of God and every word is important. 

Recall, the angel is speaking to a small band of lowly shepherds watching over their flocks. 

For today…born for you 

There’s a timeless truth of this announcement that took place in time and space; on a particular day, at a particular time, to a group of actual people upon this earth. It happened on the actual day that the shepherds heard the announcement. Today! For you! The ESV version says, for unto you is born…. 

I did it all for you! 

Let me get this straight; God humbled Himself by being born in a human body, living in the confines of a fleshly shell, suffered and died an unspeakable and horrific death — for a few unbathed, unshaven, calloused hand, bad-breathed, crusty shepherds living in the fields? 

For you means Jesus was born for their purpose, for their benefit, to transform their lives? To give them peace, joy, mercy and grace? To live and abide within their hearts?  

Do you mean to tell me that today, God came to earth in absolute humility after being silent for over 400 years to become intimate friends (John 15:15) with these shepherds; simple men of simple mean? God sent His angel from heaven to make this announcement to them? Really? Really? Really? 

Does He realize? 

• Do you think the angel making the announcement to these shepherds realizes that one of the shepherds spent his full paycheck on cheap wine and goat meat last Friday night, got drunk, got in a fight, and his wife kicked him out of the bed? Jesus came for him???? 
• Does the angel realize that the other shepherd cursed at God last night? He has a new-born baby who is sick to the point of near-death, but he had to go back to the fields so he could make the money to pay for the doctor?  
• Does the angel realize that the other shepherd has stooped to stealing because he has a son who is being bullied and beat up at the synagogue by the older boys because he’s poor and has ragged clothes? 
• Does the angel realize they have issues! Does the angel realize they don’t have anything of any means to give back to their Savior? Does the angel realize they don’t have any influence to spread the word about the birth of the Messiah? Jesus was born for these guys? 

Okay, Okay, so I’m speculating some. I’m adding color way beyond the text. Forgive me. But the point remains the same. The angel spoke to the shepherds and he said, JESUS WAS BORN FOR YOU! I may be speculating, but I guarantee that since the shepherds are real people, they were dealing with stuff. They had issues; they had troubles; they struggled with sin!  

Jesus came in spite of…no… Jesus came because of their issues; their issues caused by their sin and caused by the sin in the world that surrounds them. 

That was then; this is now! 

Now that we have some context and color around the text, what does the text mean to you? What does the announcement of the angel mean to you? I believe it’s timeless and actually, pretty simple. But let me put it in bold print to make sure there’s no ambiguity.  

But first, consider the announcement as directed toward you? You can’t say it isn’t directed toward you because you have issues? You can’t say it doesn’t apply to you because you feel deserted? Because you feel undeserved? Because you have totally blown it? Because you are stuck in sin? You can’t say — ‘this doesn’t apply to me, I have too many issues. 

No, you can’t claim this message is not for you because you don’t deserve it. But that’s the whole point. YOU DON’T DESERVE IT! Just like the shepherds didn’t deserve it. Jesus came because you don’t deserve it. Let go and accept it. Here it is: 

TODAY, BORN FOR YOU IS THE SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD! 

Father, today you have given us a gift of eternal value that we don’t deserve. You have given us Your Son to be our Savior, our Messiah and our Lord. We once were lost and now, today, You found us and called us and we receive Your Son as our Savior! With unending gratitude, we embrace by faith the Friend of sinners, the Keeper of our souls, the Savior of our lives! Amen!