The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
The story of how Jesus entered our world is amazing, miraculous, simple and so profound. There is much for us to learn from each person involved in the circumstances surrounding His birth however, in all honesty, this is one of my most favorite parts of the story of the birth of Jesus.
The first people God chose to tell about the birth of His son, our Savior, were those that society didn't even give a second glance to, the shepherds. The angels came and made a HUGE scene in the skies above them and declared the greatest message to ever come to man! The first to spread the news of His birth and the experience of learning about it and seeing Him were simple people who normally were cast aside and forgotten.
We can not lose the significance of this special point in the birth story...Jesus came for ALL people. Although the Son of God, the King of Kings, He did not come in royal fashion or make His presence immediately known to those in high positions. No, it was to the outcasts and forgotten that His presence in our world was proclaimed to.
The first people God chose to tell about the birth of His son, our Savior, were those that society didn't even give a second glance to, the shepherds. The angels came and made a HUGE scene in the skies above them and declared the greatest message to ever come to man! The first to spread the news of His birth and the experience of learning about it and seeing Him were simple people who normally were cast aside and forgotten.
We can not lose the significance of this special point in the birth story...Jesus came for ALL people. Although the Son of God, the King of Kings, He did not come in royal fashion or make His presence immediately known to those in high positions. No, it was to the outcasts and forgotten that His presence in our world was proclaimed to.
Can you imagine the experience!?! Can you imagine sitting in a big open field surrounded by sleeping sheep, and probably other sleeping shepherds, on a VERY clear night...maybe even looking up at the stars when all of a sudden you hear a choir of voices and begin to see angels filling the sky? I would imagine that was quite a start! Breaking through the silence of the night comes the greatest news that ever was! And it begins with, "Do not be afraid..."
Do not be afraid by what you see...
Do not be afraid by what you see...
Do not be afraid by what you hear...
Do not be afraid of this world...
Do not be afraid...
Maybe today you are struggling with feeling like no one cares. Maybe you are lonely. Maybe you're discouraged by your current circumstances. Maybe you have been made to feel like you have nothing to offer and life will never be better than where you are right now. I have good news for you! Good news of great joy that is for ALL PEOPLE, and that includes YOU! While you will most likely not go on a journey to find a baby in a manger today, you will find a Savior who knows what it's like to be tempted, hurt, angry and disappointed, full of grief, scared, broken...but this isn't where His story ends. In fact it continues on today! He also knows VICTORY! He has overcome death and the grave and He welcomes you with open arms into His grace, mercy and forgiveness.
