Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:11
Today I am returning to Luke's birth narrative. There is no question of who Jesus is; from the beginning God's angels announce who Jesus is and His purpose. An angel is a messenger of God so it should be no surprise that God uses an angel to announce Jesus' birth. The surprise is that the angel doesn't go to kings or priests but to shepherds in a field. Again God is coming to the poor, everyday person not the privileged, educated or rich. And to be clear the angel announces that the baby born in Bethlehem, lying in a manger is the Messiah. Messiah means "anointed one". Being anointed by God means being chosen for a special purpose. Jesus' purpose is crystal clear, He is to bring the Kingdom of God to people on earth. His purpose, His mission has never changed in over two thousand years. During His time on earth, Jesus invited many poor, uneducated and insignificant people to walk with Him and to partner with Him in His mission. They received on-the-job training from Jesus to help spread the Good News, bring healing, forgiveness and grace to the lives of all who would accept it. He is still inviting us to be partners in His mission. The apostles are examples that Jesus can and will use anyone, regardless of station in life or education. I believe that He still provides on-the-job training as well. When I look back on my life, so many past experiences help me in my ministry today. My call to partner with Jesus is to bring the Kingdom of God to children and teens. My hope is that I am a good partner for Jesus and that the children and teens I work with encounter His healing, forgiveness and grace. How do you partner with Jesus to bring the Kingdom of God to others?
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