Gospel Bookends

Bookends are those supports that keep books from falling over on a shelf or
desk. By way of analogy, there are two events that “bookend” the life of
Jesus as recorded in the Gospel accounts of Luke and Matthew: two angelic
appearances, two unlikely recipients of the angel’s message, and two
responses that teach us how to live in this Advent season.

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Angels appeared to two unlikely sectors of society: shepherds at Jesus’s
birth (Luke 2:8-20) and women at Jesus’s resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10). In
Jesus’s time, shepherds were looked down upon in society. Similarly, women
were not regarded as reliable witnesses in those days. However, God saw fit
to announce both the birth and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah
of Israel, to these marginalized people. Note the angel’s words to the
shepherds: “don’t be afraid,” “look,” “good news,” “great joy,” and “glory
to God.” And to the women: “don’t be afraid,” “come and see,” “go… and
tell.”

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When the shepherds obeyed the directive to go and see the baby in the
manger, they found it to be exactly as the angel had said. They left
worshiping God and telling others what they had seen and heard. And when
the women left the tomb with “great joy” (Matthew 28:8) they met the risen
Lord Jesus and worshiped Him. Their testimony was followed by the eleven
disciples receiving the great commission for every Christian to go and make
disciples of all nations (verses 16-20). These bookends give us some clear
examples to follow when it comes to our relationship to the Lord this
Christmas season.

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Don’t be afraid. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior
of the world. Believe in Him, praise Him, and go with great joy to tell all
that the Lord has made known to you. • Cameron DeCou

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• Why do you think God chose unlikely messengers for these two essential
moments in Jesus’s life?

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• What are some things God has done for you? How could you share these
things with others?

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“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe everything I [Jesus] have commanded you. And remember, I am with
you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Matt.28.1-Matt.28.10|Matt.28.16-Matt.28.20