Nine Lessons #7: Luke 2:18-20

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.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to be one of those shepherds: minding their business, living their hard live out in the fields, when suddenly the sky is filled with angels.   We are often reminded of the humble status of the shepherds socially - they were near the 'bottom of the pile' so to speak, and yet were chosen as the first recorded visitors to the incarnate God - as if God is writing a great big sign saying 'Everyone Welcome' as he sent the angels to that field near Bethlehem and inspiring that story to be told for millennia.

As I look at this story today, I'm struck by the fact that it is really a very simple one, and one that resonates in every Christian's life.  We have, as it were, three parts, on which I will offer my brief reflection:

1) The revelation

The message of God may not come to us through angels filling the sky with song.  In fact, for most reading this, it probably didn't.  It may have been one powerful sermon or testimony in which the truth of God was made known to us.  More likely, it was probably a number of things that convinced us to go and run to Jesus.

The message to the shepherds does not actually cover how Jesus is going to save them, nor what they need saving from - although of course we have the full benefit of this being explained to us as the story unfolds.  I don't know enough about the lives of 1st Century Judean shepherds to know how much they would have known the scriptures and the foretelling of the coming Messiah.  The main point of the message is this: God is HERE, he's come to SAVE you.

2) Running to Jesus

The simple message is enough to make the shepherds leave their sheep and go to see the newborn King.   This part of the story only takes one sentence:  So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  However, we can tell from the impact this had in the next section (which we'll come to in a minute), that this was a life-changing experience.  Sure, the shepherds physically went to the place that was possibly a stable, but why?  Because they acknowledged the identity of Jesus Christ as Lord.  When it comes down to it, that is what being a Christian is.  Without it, there is nothing to our faith, but with it all else falls into place - our own helplessness, his redeeming grace, his sanctification in our lives and the expectation of his just rule when he comes in glory.

There is no other 'work' to be done - just the joyful acknowledgement of Christ as Lord. 

3) Go!

We don't know how long the shepherds stayed at the manger, but in the story it doesn't feel like long.  It feels like no sooner have they got there, are they off - telling everyone they meet about the fact that God had come to earth as our Saviour.   I'm not going to pretend that telling others about Jesus is always this simple - they shepherds had news, it was something people hadn't heard before.  Most of those in our mission field already know we believe that God became a human baby.  Nonetheless, we must still be inspired by the shepherd's story: they did not have any training or learning, but simply told others about what they had seen.  It was no obligation - it bubbled out of them with joy!  I am reminded of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin some 33 years later: "As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20).