When I consider that first Christmas, one of the things that stick out to me is the role of the shepherds. When I was in High School, I was in a Christmas production at our church, and I played a shepherd. There is really no skill needed to play a shepherd. I didn’t even have any lines. If all I had was my experience playing a shepherd, I would have thought they played a small part in the account of Christ’s birth, but I would be greatly mistaken. They played a significant role that first Christmas. They are common people doing an ordinary job, and God shows up in a way that can only be described as quite miraculous.
We read in Luke 2:8, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” The shepherds spoken of here had a very specific purpose. We know that they are in the field outside of Bethlehem. Due to the proximity to Jerusalem (I can remember standing and seeing the lights of Jerusalem from these actual fields), some scholars have suggested that the flocks here are temple flocks raised for sacrifice. What’s most interesting is that in Christ’s time, shepherds were kept from participating in the religious activities of their communities due to them being considered unclean. Nevertheless, the shepherds served as an important part of life in Israel as they provided sheep to be sacrificed in worship as well as to eat, wool for clothing, and all kinds of much-needed goods. Still, they were not considered respectable, especially by the religious elite.
Then, we read in the next verse, “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear” (Luke 2:9). We read account after account in the Bible of how the revelation of God’s glory, such as the appearance of angels, elicits fear among people. I mean, go figure. I would have also feared the appearance of an Angel in the night sky.
The account continues in Luke 2:10–12, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’” The angel says, “Fear not!” Ya…right! The angel continues, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news.” The one born in this stable would bring salvation as the one and only Savior and Lord of the world. God intends for us to receive this proclamation of the angel as “good news” because of God’s salvation, brought by the birth of our Lord and Savior.
What happens next is remarkable. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased’” (Luke 2:13-14)! The peace the world seeks is the absence of conflict, which will not happen for any length of time on this side of paradise. Even then, it can’t bring peace to a person’s heart. The angel told the shepherds that genuine peace was to come. The Bible teaches us that true peace can only be found in Jesus, who is Savior, the anointed One, and God Himself. Further, the peace Christ brings is blessed fullness. This peace is not the absence of conflict but a peace that exists even amidst conflict; it’s peace with God and within our very own hearts.
The angel states, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The Greek word used for “all the people” is where we get the word laity. The laity is not a mere Christian category but a term referencing all the people of God. Followers of Christ, His church, are those being spoken of when the angel says, “all the people.” Therefore, the peace God brings is available to all but is possessed by people who receive Christ as Lord and Savior, who bring glory to God. When we give glory to God in the highest, receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord, He fills us with His peace, a blessed fullness only He can provide and for which our hearts long.
The account concludes, “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:15-28). The shepherds probably checked stable after stable till they found the one with a baby. Those whose witness was not even acceptable in the courts of the day share the good news with others. How truly wonderful that the shepherds aren’t only spectators of Christ’s birth but evangelists telling others what they have heard and seen. In fact, those who receive God’s peace in Christ can’t help but share the good news with others.
I believe the shepherds were never the same after coming to Jesus. These events changed their lives. How does the good news change yours? If you believe the message the angels shared, you can never be the same. How are we to respond? We receive Christ, His peace, and then share the good news with others. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!