“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” ~Luke 2:17-18
The third Advent candle is the “Shepherd Candle” or the“Candle of Joy.” The pink color represents joy or rejoicing and reveals a shift from repentance toward celebration.
This candle reminds us that God sent the angels to announce the birth of Jesus first to the lowly shepherds. Just as God chose to spread the Good News about Jesus through these ordinary men, He still spreads the Good News through ordinary people today.
I once saw two men standing by a tall wooden cross on a beach. One of the men was a retired Marine. The other was retired from the Army. They were asking people to pray for our country and our troops and also handing out papers declaring that Jesus is America’s only hope.
The men were striking up conversations with passersby and asking if they were Christians. If the answer was, “yes,” the gentlemen asked a second question. “What would your answer be if you were to stand before God today, and He asked why He should let you into heaven?” they inquired.
One of the men told me that they were saddened by the number of people who called themselves Christians but thought they would get to heaven just because they go to church or because they are good people. They wanted to make sure people know that our hope of eternal life comes only through our faith in Jesus. The men explained that they believe the end times are near and that we need to share the Gospel with as many people as we can.
God wants all of us to share the Good News about Jesus with others. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar, the pastor of a church or a Sunday school teacher. You just have to find your way of sharing God’s message of love, salvation and hope with those who need to hear.
The Advent and Christmas season is an easy time to share this message as we talk about the reason we celebrate. How will you spread the word this week?
Pray that you recognize the opportunities that God gives you, an ordinary person, to spread the word. I pray that you experience the joy that comes from sharing this message that is able to impact lives for eternity.
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” ~Isaiah 52:7