“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”
One evening, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds tending their sheep in a field near Bethlehem. Scripture doesn’t say how many shepherds there were or if they were male or female (in biblical times, women shepherded flocks too). Additionally, scripture doesn’t tell us what time of year this visitation occurred, but many biblical scholars suggest it likely took place in the spring during lambing season; otherwise, it would have been an older child or teen watching the sheep at night. What is clear, however, is that this unexpected heavenly encounter terrified the shepherds, and rightly so! The angel told them to not be afraid (umm…ok…), as the visit was for one purpose and one purpose only: to share with them the Good News that was guaranteed to cause great joy to all people. What could such incredible news be? It was this – the long-awaited Messiah had arrived earlier that day…as a baby boy. The angel did not provide the shepherds with a name; only that the Savior of the World was nearby. The announcement of his name would occur 8 days later when he was circumcised under Jewish law. Psst…because we have access to the Bible on this side of the nativity, we know that the angel Gabriel previously revealed to Joseph in a dream that his fiancé, Mary, would give birth to a son from the Holy Spirit, and he was to be named Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) which meant “the Lord is SALVATION”. The angel did provide the shepherds with some helpful information: the name of the town where the Lord could be found (Bethlehem, Joseph’s ancestral town as he was a descendent of King David), a description of what the infant would be wearing (swaddling clothes – a customary practice at that time and interestingly, they were also used for a person’s death), and an unusual feature (the baby would be found lying in a manger – a food trough filled with hay for animals to eat). The lone angel’s message was immediately “reinforced” by the sudden appearance of a heavenly host of angels praising God.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace goodwill to men.”
Then, as quickly as the angels arrived, they returned into heaven, leaving the shepherds alone once more. The shepherds did not question what just happened, the source of the message, or the message itself. In fact, scripture reports that the shepherds could not get on their way quickly enough to see the promised infant Messiah. We do not know if the shepherds abandoned their flock, made provisions for the sheep before they left, or if, perhaps, one or more of the shepherds stayed behind to tend to the flocks, but we do know they were “in a hurry”. Scripture does not reveal whether the shepherds had any trouble locating the holy family (as there was no guiding star or GPS) or how long it took them to arrive, but we are assured they finally made it there and found the baby wrapped in bands of cloth, lying in a manger just as the angel said. To put it mildly, the shepherds were in total awe of the “manger scene” as it was exactly as the angel told them! Immediately, the shepherds began sharing all they had heard and seen with everyone in their path, and we are told that those who heard the Good News were equally amazed. Scripture states the shepherds returned (assumingly to resume tending their flocks) glorifying and praising God for all they had experienced. Their faith increased exponentially that day – how could it be otherwise! These humble, lowly shepherds, at the bottom rung of the social ladder, were the very ones God chose to receive and spread the Good News. God knew the shepherds, even in their fear, would not only believe the heavenly proclamation and whole-heartedly accept the message as truth, but exhibit great faith in earnestly seeking out the Savior of the World, and without concern for what others thought, zealously spread the Good News.
“All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace; to those on whom his favor rests, goodwill shall never cease.”