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Luke 2:16–17 — “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

The shepherds wasted no time in responding to the angels’ message. With haste they went to Bethlehem and found the child just as they had been told. Their response was both wonder and witness—they marveled at what they saw and spread the news abroad. Gratitude always overflows into proclamation.

Their wonder was simple yet profound. They saw a baby lying in a manger, yet they knew He was the Savior, Christ the Lord. Gratitude grows when we recognize God’s greatness in the midst of humility.

Their witness was immediate. They told everyone what had been revealed to them. Gratitude is never content to be silent. It longs to share the good news with others.

For pastors, the shepherds are an encouragement. They remind us that effective witnesses are not the most learned but the most grateful. For the flock, they are a model of eagerness and joy in sharing Christ.

The shepherds’ story shows that gratitude for Christ compels mission. When we truly grasp the wonder of His birth, we cannot keep it to ourselves. Gratitude becomes testimony.

Christmas calls us to the same response: to come with haste, to marvel with wonder, and to go with witness. Gratitude makes us heralds of the good news.