And there were shepherds ...
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” -Luke 2:8-12 NLT
I wonder what the glory of the Lord looked like as it encompassed the shepherds? I can understand why they would have been terrified. Yet the message that the angels spoke to them had to be even more amazing than that. How could it be possible that "the Messiah, the Lord" would come as a baby? And how strange it was to hear that such a birth would happen in a stable? I can almost hear the questions running through the minds of the shepherds.
It is interesting how angels first announced the birth of the Messiah to nameless people working the night shift on a hillside in Israel. The heavenly beings could have come to more prominent and more religious people but they chose keepers of sheep to visit. I think that it teaches us that, from the very beginning, God had chosen to reveal himself to humble men and women. It seems that people like these shepherds are often ones who respond best to the Lord.
Help us to hear that message again dear Lord. Help us to embrace the good news of the birth of the baby Jesus.
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Gotta love the shepherds. Don is teaching the adult Sunday School class for the month of December to give our regular teacher a break. Today he's sharing about the Shepherds.
ReplyDeleteWanda, I love the way that God brought such humble folks together as he revealed this divine story.
DeleteGod does things upside down from the way we look at things. I love it.
ReplyDeleteUpside down is a great way to describe it Scott!
DeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI am always filled with joy and hope at the telling of the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds because even as a newborn baby, He was ministering his great love and grace to the disenfranchised of ancient Israel! At that time, shepherds were reviled by the religious because shepherds broke the Sabbath, nevermind the necessity of doing so since animal predators and theives never take a day off. I it appears the religious had also forgotten their roots, that Moses and King David had been shepherds before being chosen for their great commissions, nevermind the Patriarchs! (I guess "cherry-picking" the scriptures has been going on for a very long time.) Jesus always identified himself as being a shepherd too, the Shepherd of humanity. God Almighty identified himself with and loved the humblest of people........and HE still does!
Peace................
"the disenfranchised of ancient Israel"
DeleteThat they were crownring! Thanks so much for sharing!