by Dan Nichols
The Restoration Herald - Jul 2026
Luke 2:15-19 — The angels had withdrawn from the night sky after proclaiming and praising the good news of great joy to the shepherds. They had received heaven’s invitation to celebrate the birth of the one who “has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Without hesitation, they left the sheep lying in the fields to find the one lying in a manger. They accepted the message and acted by confirming the good news.
Upon finding the baby, the shepherds revealed the reason for their visit. Returning to the fields, they shared the event with all they met, who were bewildered at such a report, not with excitement, but questionable doubt. Would such a grand announcement be given to such lowly men? This lack of respect given to shepherds would later be expressed in the Talmud: “Shepherds were not allowed to be a witness in court.” The people would also not expect the Messiah to be born in their humble town. Hearing the report of the shepherds would have the hearers scratching their heads.
But Mary treasured it in her mind and pondered it in her heart. Adding the events of the evening with her own angelic encounter nine months earlier caused her to reflect upon the significance of it all. This surprise baby celebration by the shepherds and the news they brought greatly impressed her.
When we learn more about Jesus, are we like the people the shepherds told, who just continue their daily routine, or do our hearts still beat with excitement and our minds become more determined to see and follow Him?
John 2:1-5 — It is in Cana of Galilee, not far from Jesus’ boyhood home of Nazareth, where this wedding celebration took place. Mary, Jesus, and his early disciples were invited to enjoy this special occasion. She learned that the festive wine was running out, which would not just end the party, but would be viewed as poor hospitality of the wedding couple. Mary shared the predicament with Jesus. She did not ask Him to do anything, but by informing Him of the situation, she sought His help in some fashion.
From what Jesus said in response, there seems to be a desire of Mary for Jesus to reveal who He was. He told her, “My time has not yet come.” With her sharing the situation, she may have wanted Jesus to reveal Himself for whom she understood Him to be. He arrived at the wedding with some disciples. This could have been a grand unveiling of His mission, but Jesus gently rebuked her that His time was not then.
After he replied, Mary went to the servants and informed them to follow whatever her son told them to do. She did not take His remark as a dismissal of the situation, but it was to be accomplished at His discretion. Whatever action the Lord would take would be in accordance with God’s will, not by Mary’s desires, yet she did what she could to be part of the solution.
Mary brought the need to the Lord, and then she helped prepare others to be involved in the solution. How often do we take our burdens to the Lord and just leave them there? Following Mary’s example, we need to look for ways in which we can be used by God to resolve or relieve the situation.
John 19:25-27 — There she was, witnessing her son dying the humiliating death like a terrible criminal. She would have read the notice above His head, defining His crime as a renegade rival to Roman authority. Perhaps she recalled the words of Gabriel, how the One to whom she gave birth would be placed by God on the throne of His father David, as she now witnessed Him positioned upon the cross. With tears in her eyes, she heard Him speak to her. “Woman,” He began, employing the same gentle term used at the joyous celebration of a wedding. She lifted her eyes to meet His. A voice which carried the depth of pain only He could bear, had a note of tenderness as He placed her care in the only disciple mentioned as standing with her and the other women, as well as the one whom He loved, John, the brother of James. The apostle was commissioned to care for Mary, which he did at that very hour.
Such devotion of love depicts perfectly what the Lord is doing for all people by His death, creating a way for individuals who draw near to Him to find protection, provision, and encouragement within the family of God.
Churches associated with the 19th-century Restoration Movement[1] are once again on the precipice of a doctrinal split. In some ways, the split is practically an accomplished fact. No one has intended to cause or participate in such a split, but it is happening nonetheless.
[1]This article addresses an issue primarily affecting what J. D. Murch (Christians Only) described as the center of the Restoration Movement, i.e., those congregations referring to themselves in general as Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
Jesus gave us the beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-10). The keyword here is “attitudes.” What attitudes in this teaching from Christ can we employ in our marriages?
In our Sunday School class, we have recently been studying the book of Hebrews. The traditional view is that the recipients were Jewish Christians who lived somewhere in Palestine. No book of the New Testament would be more missed if it were absent from the canon than this epistle to the Hebrews. Every Bible student needs such a guide as this to help with their understanding of the Old and New Covenants.
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