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." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." 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." --- Luke 2:8-15

God chose to reveal His son Jesus to a group of lowly shepherds. Some might wonder why Jesus would not be revealed first to the religious leaders of the day, since they were expecting a Messiah. What they were expecting in a Messiah was far different from what would have been found in the manger in Bethlehem that night. Just like the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, our expectations of Jesus can be misplaced. We either expect Jesus to solve all our problems and take away all our pain, or we expect that He might demand more of us than we're willing to give. Many Jews thought that their Messiah would come and rule over them and free them from the Roman government. In their eyes, this was a big problem that their Messiah would solve for them, making a more perfect Jewish kingdom. Others, such as a rich young ruler, found that Jesus asked them to give up more than they were willing to give, so they did not follow Jesus. Sometimes we look for Jesus to come into our lives, but we expect Him to appear in a particular way that is of benefit to us. This Christmas story is a reminder that we need to be looking for Jesus, but we should "expect the unexpected", because Jesus often shows up in people and places that might surprise us. Open your eyes and look for the "unexpected" this Christmas season.

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God's Radiance

It's dark ~ you're outside in the bitter cold of late December. You're a shepherd and it's your watch. There's a small crackling fire to keep you and other herdsmen warm. Because of the darkness visibility beyond the fire is poor; you depend on the dogs to let you know if something is amiss. You can hear bleats and clanks of bells from the sheep in the darkness. Everybody takes a turn and leaves the warmth to check on the flock. You're tired and sleepy; it's been a long watch. Today you had to climb down into a ravine to rescue one of the sheep in your care. Conversations around the fire help keep you awake.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, a radiant light envelops your group. A stranger has appeared out of nowhere. Your heart seems to stop; you don't realize that you're holding your breath and you dropped the bread you were eating. You're terrified because it doesn't make since. You're asking yourself, "How did he sneak up on us? Where is this bright light coming from?" The dogs are barking crazily as your group moves close together. You grab the shoulder of a friend next to you. You want to look at the others, but you can't take your eyes off this being.

Then he says, Don't be afraid, I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

Why sheepherders? These were people who lived in the fields caring for sheep day and night. They were the least reputable people of their society. They were outcasts, forgotten people and probably ignored. So, why did God pick these people? Could it be because God reached for the common, the poor, and the outcasts of earth to identify with his Son? Or because they were the example of how the Savior of the world would look after his people the way they looked after their sheep? Maybe it was because they lived a simple life that was more tuned to the view of God and not the busy way of township influence.

Jesus ~ considered the Good Shepherd ~

Why couldn't the shepherds witness and spread the news of his birth?

~ We too are common people ~

God can use us to spread his message if only we would let him.

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Look for the left-out

Luke 2:8-20 tells of the shepherds who were in their fields and were visited by an angel of the Lord. The angel tells them of the birth of the Messiah and where He is. It is interesting to note that the angels went to the shepherds and told them, rather then go to the Kings and well-to-do people. Why would the angel of the Lord appear to them? These are people who are considered to be lowly, and by some accounts that I have read, even despised by the culturally elite. By all accounts, it is apparent that God wants everyone to know of the birth of Jesus, not just the upper-class, but even the lowest of the low, as evidenced that He chose the shepherds to make this announcement and even invited them to go to Bethlehem. After they visit Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they go out and proclaim what they have seen.

This story reminds me that it's not just the well to do and upstanding citizens that Jesus came to save. God announced the birth of the savior to shepherds in the field, not the rich or well to do in Jerusalem. This is proof that Jesus is here for all of us, not just those of us who think that we are good enough for him. All people are deserving of God's love and grace, and all people should know this. How often do we, as Christians, show this? How do we demonstrate the love of Jesus? Not only throughout the year, but especially during this time of the year. We get so caught up in buying gifts decorating, and baking, that sometimes we forget the real reason for CHRISTmas. During the Christmas season, especially, I am reminded that the real meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of a savior for all people. Not just for a select few, but everyone. As the New Year approaches, and Christmas presents are memories, my hope is that we can remember the reason for the season all year long, and that we can share that reason with everyone we meet that needs to hear the message.

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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 of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ 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, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:8-14

Time and time again throughout the bible, God continues to baffle our minds by going against the grain of society. In this passage in Luke, the word proclaims that messengers from God Himself came to lowly shepherds to reveal the news of their Savior's birth. Now, for many Christians, this has become common knowledge and is, perhaps, overlooked. Try and think about this in the perspective of the people of this time: if God wanted to bring His son into the world under the human standards of what a God "should" do, wouldn't He have sent His angels to the kings and priests of that time and revealed the news? God did the exact opposite. I believe that by going to the shepherds, God was showing us that there is no one too small, too insignificant, or too unworthy of His love. He gave them front row seats to the greatest event in history, the son of God entering our world.

I'd like to end this devotional with a challenge. I challenge you to see others through the eyes of Christ, to see each person as a person who is not too small, too insignificant, or too unworthy of Gods unfailing grace and love. Remember that Jesus died for all of us. God bless all of you through this Christmas season.

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