stephen R Harrison

Do you know your mailman’s name? What about your trash collector, gas station attendant, or server at your favorite restaurant? We often overlook and underappreciate these and others who perform necessary services in society, that is until something goes wrong. In biblical times, another job in middle eastern society taken for granted was shepherding. It was a smelly and dirty task. Sheep served a major role for livelihood and religious practices, but shepherds were considered unclean and lower class by the religious and ruling elites of society. They even had a reputation of being thieves, allowing their sheep to graze in other’s fields. To most, they were the lowliest and often forgotten. To God, they would receive the highest announcement and invitation.

In Luke’s Gospel, we are given great detail about the birth of Jesus. As Jesus was miraculously born in a manger (Luke 2:1-7), an angelic visitation to the most unsuspecting of characters took place in a field just outside of Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-20). Imagine, it was an ordinary and uneventful night just like the hundreds before it. Shepherds were doing shepherding things, settling down for the night, counting their sheep, perhaps even dozing off, when suddenly an angel appeared, and the glory of the Lord shone around them! Can you imagine their surprise, amazement, and fear? These unlikely witnesses were selected by God to be the first witnesses to the “Good news and great joy for all people” (2:10). Shepherds couldn’t give testimony in court as they were viewed as unreliable witnesses. As He did with the women who were the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection at the end of Luke ‘s Gospel (24:1-12), God chose ordinary people to be eyewitness of His extraordinary plan of salvation through Jesus His Son! He still does this!

A single angel announced to them the birth of Jesus, then something remarkable happened. A “great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel” (2:13) and they proclaimed God’s glory, peace, and favor that only comes through Jesus (2:14). He was the Savior, Messiah, and Lord (2:11). Revelation 5:11 tells us many angels numbered “thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand”! It seems well over 100,000,000 angels were celebrating the birth of the long-awaited Savior of the World! Talk about the best birth announcement ever! The angels evangelized (brought Good News) to the shepherds! As amazing and miraculous as the angelic visitation and pronouncement was, there was something greater to witness. The shepherds wanted to personally experience Jesus for themselves. This wasn’t just any baby – it was THE Baby! He was the baby everyone was waiting for!

Something incredible happened after they saw Jesus. Before, no one would have taken anything they said seriously. Now, “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” (2:17-18). This gives us great hope that when we share Jesus with others today, even if we feel others won’t take our words seriously, people will respond to the Word made flesh (Jesus – John 1:14). After they saw Jesus, “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20). When you’ve seen Jesus, you can’t unsee Him! When He changes you, He changes everything about you. You go back to work different. You go home with a new purpose. You’ll never be the same when you encounter the Savior. Has Jesus changed your life? Do you have peace with God and eternal joy that only comes through Jesus? I pray you do.