Why The Shepherds?

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.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
Luke 2:15-16 

Just a few observations as we approach the day we celebrate the entry of God the Son into this world.

God sent the Heavenly Host to sing the proclamation "Glory to God in the Highest" after the angel told the shepherds where to find the Messiah.  Most depictions of the Shepherds meeting at the manger show only three Shepherds. And later the THREE Wise Men came. I have some difficulty with the Heavenly Host coming to sing God's Glory for only 3 Shepherds.  However, this is why God is God and I am not.

Now, Joseph was a carpenter.  While a respectable occupation is was pretty much on the same prestige level as a Shepherd, and given the fact that Jesus was born in a barn and His first bed was a feed trough....  Consider this: Jesus' lowly birth was so WE would know that HE could identify with us and our struggles.  Had Jesus been born with a silver spoon and lots of servants, we would not be so sure He could (or would bother to) understand our struggles. And remember, Jesus was of the lineage of David.  If you remember, David was a shepherd boy well before he was anointed king of Israel.

After the Shepherds has seen Jesus, they ran through the town telling everyone.  However, Scripture doesn't say anyone else came to see Jesus because of the Shepherds.  And if the townsfolk were anything like some of the "churchfolk" I have encountered over the years, their response would most likely be something like:

 

The greatest moment in history since God spoke creation into being and God chose the Shepherds to receive the message first and to share the message first.  God often uses unusual methods to get His message across.

As we celebrate God's most incredible gift of love found in Christ Jesus our Savior, let us take a moment to thank God for using creative ways to remind us just how much He loves us! 

From my family to yours...God Bless You This Christmas!!!

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 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.

Luke 2:16-20 

 

Remember the stunned shepherds?  They made their way into Jerusalem and found the child that the angel told them would be there.  In case you were wondering, "Manger" is another word for "feed trough."  It's where the hay was put so the animals could eat.  This is the lowly start of our Messiah.  Think about this, had Jesus been born in a palace with a silver spoon and all the trappings of immense wealth, people would have followed Him hoping for a hand out.  But because Jesus was born in such low circumstances, people followed His message instead of His money.

 

When the Shepherds had seen the promised Messiah child, they went back to the fields to their flocks and they told whoever would listen about what they had seen.  They shared the Good News AS THEY WERE GOING!  Reminiscent of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19: "Therefore, as you are going, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

 

And guess what?  The shepherds returned to their flocks.  Apparently, their flocks had not moved and no predators came to steal any of the sheep! 

Don't Be Afraid!

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

~Luke 2:8-12 

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, I thought I would be "Orthodox" and use this week to discuss the Christmas story, but be Unorthodox in looking at it from outside the box, so to speak, and in no particular order.  So grab some coffee and let's begin.

Imagine you are a shepherd.  Your job is to care for the sheep.  The owner of the flock has charged you with their care.  This means you will live with the sheep, take them to food and water, you will protect them, because if you lose even one, YOU will have to pay and pay dearly.  So you live with the sheep.  You bathe with the sheep.  You eat when they eat.  When they sleep, you must be alert (because the predators become brave in the dark).  Being a shepherd is not exactly what one would call a "glamorous" profession.  After all, shepherds would not be the ones you would invite to dinner or to a company party because, let's face it, they smell like sheep.

Now remember you are a shepherd and the sheep have bedded down for the night.  It's your team's turn to keep watch.  About midway through your watch, when the night is at its most quiet and you feel yourself fading into that twilight phase between awake and asleep.  Then suddenly there's a bright light right in front of you.  Then you realize that there's a human looking shape that's glowing so brightly.  Having never seen anything like this before, you aren't sure how to react.  This is when Freeze, Fight or Flight kicks in, except you realize that you are SO terrified that you cannot move.

In the middle of your mind reaching explosion phase and your heart is just about to stop, you hear a soothing voice tell you: "Don't be afraid.  I have come to give you some GOOD news."

Now.....fast forward a couple of thousand years.....I am in Basic Training in a foxhole keeping watch by night.  Our Drill Sergeants have already taken the opportunity to sneak in and take the weapons from several of the sleeping sentries.  I am determined I'm not going to be among them, so I do everything I can to stay away while my buddy gets a few hours sleep.  Then I hear it!  The distinctive silence of the absence of the crickets' chirping, this was followed a few seconds later by the clear crack of a twig being stepped on.  I can almost hear my heart pounding in my ears as I call out the challenge.  Then I see a bright light coming at me.....   One of the Drill Sergeants, realizing he'd been heard, came charging with his massive flashlight shining in my face.  I had just enough time to yell to my buddy and get three shots off (blank rounds) before I heard the Drill Sergeant laughing and telling me "It's okay Private, you did good."  He told me that the terrified look on my face was far too funny.  I looked to my buddy, but only saw an empty space where he had been.  My buddy had run off into the woods!    

Can you even imagine how mortified the shepherds were when this radiant being just appears and tells them "Don't be afraid"?  When you are upset, how do you feel when someone (well meaning though they may be) says "Just calm down"?  Is it going to calm you down?  

Then the angel tells the shepherds that he has some GOOD news for them.  Okay.....fear is calming....something good is coming.  THEN the angel tells them that the prophecy of the Savior has been fulfilled and gives them directions on where to find Him.  

So let me ask you...when God tells you, "Don't worry. Don't be afraid. I've got you."  What is the reaction we have?  Freeze, Flight, Fright.......or Faith?