A Promise Made and a Promise Kept

Article for December 21, 2025, fourth Sunday in Advent

Luke 2:4–7 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

It was a journey of seventy miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  Today that would take us about an hour and ten minutes traveling in a car going sixty miles an hour.  Because of the terrain and probably going around Samaria, Joeseph and Mary with donkey, breaks and sleep it would take them four to six days.  Not to mention that there were no rest stops with McDonalds to grab a McLambburger on the way.

This is a hard journey they must have taken while Mary was still fit to make such a journey while being pregnant.  I’m sure our women today at least in the United States would not favor such a trek through a very challenging terrain.  We don’t know how long Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to our Savior.

This journey Joeseph and Mary took served two purposes.  One was that Ceaser decreed that a census be taken of all people under his rule be taken and that everyone must register in their family’s town.   Two, was that of God’s decree that His Son would be born in the city of David which was once the home place for the Arc of the covenant.

Luke 2:8–11 8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

On a clear night shepherds watched their sheep not suspecting that their lives would be changed at a moment’s notice.  This night could have been like many nights before except, this night was interrupted by news delivered from God’s own angels.  Is this a proud Father or a peoples God who announces His Son’s humbled birth?  A promise made and a promise kept.

It would be very alarming to anyone to see an Angel of the Lord standing in front of you.  Fear would overtake you and your body would freeze in its tracks. But the calming voice that comes from this Angel of the Lord calms the shepherds and gives for the first time the “good news.” 

A savior is born, and this savior is the good news; this will be the gospel in the flesh.  And though He is a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes this baby will grow to be a God/man humble and bringing the good news of the Gospel which is salvation to all believers.

Luke 2:15–16 15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

A promise made a promise delivered wrapped in humble rags yet gleaming with the glory of God.  This child they saw was the present to all mankind and especially to those who will believe.  What a sight to have seen in the flesh was a king in the form of a baby.

Do you wonder what happened to those shepherds, how their life may have changed?  Did they tell others and did the others believe them.  If it were today or even yesterday mankind would brush them off as Jesus freaks.  But in their hearts, they knew and in their souls, they came alive with the good news.

Titus 3:4–7 4When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.