Text: Luke 2:8-20
“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.’” —Luke 2:10
It was at nighttime, when things were darkest, that the shepherds had their typically mundane routine hijacked by the angelic host from heaven, heralding the glorious news about the birth of a Savior. Have you ever wondered why lowly shepherds were chosen as the first on earth to hear the glad tidings, or “good news,” of Jesus’ arrival?
Shepherding is one of the world’s oldest occupations. By trade, their lifestyle would’ve been one of humble and meager means. In some regards, they were marginalized people held in low estimation by others in society. For example, in the Talmud, we read that shepherds were not allowed to be considered witnesses in the legal system of that time. If you were brought before the courts on a criminal charge and your only alibi happened to be a shepherd, you were in trouble. Your witness wouldn’t be acceptable.
Shepherds were not only seen as unreliable, but as unclean nomads. And yet God looked down on a people whose word wasn’t treated as reliable and entrusted them with the amazing news of Christ’s birth—the hope of the world. They weren’t exactly the most influential of their day. They weren’t the power brokers, the politicians, or the change-makers. They were just keepers of the sheep. In the great adventure of fleshing out God’s missional mandate, He chose the weak, the not yet, and those on the outside, to further His kingdom. As Paul would later write, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.”
Luke 2:10-14 records it this way:
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.” 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!”
Three verses later we see that God was pleased to use these men, the bottom of the social class in Israel, to be the very first human preachers of the newborn King. The original text in verse 17 has been translated: they “spread the word,” “told everyone,” “made known abroad,” “publicized widely,” and “spread the message.”
As you read this passage, consider how God is calling you to be His messenger in a world that needs the hope of Jesus. How can you join God on His mission in the coming new year? Maybe you feel unqualified to make a difference. Think about those shepherds. They were so overcome with the consciousness of the Good News that they didn’t have any room left to be self-conscious about their doubters and haters. They were so lit up about the message that they didn’t consider the world thought of them as unworthy or uninfluential messengers. They made a difference anyway!
Perhaps you feel like your world is too dark to make a difference. Remember that the glorious invasion of the Gospel came to those shepherds at night, when things were the darkest. When the hour is the darkest, the light is the greatest! Advent reminds us that the light has invaded the darkness and hope has come. Peace has come. Joy has come. And we have been tasked with the Great Commission of heralding the Gospel in this hour. God has a mission that needs you. Never let the haters marginalize that truth! Go, and “spread His message” to those around you.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for invading the darkness of my sin with the light of your salvation. Thank you for the Good News of Jesus, that all who put their faith in Christ have been born again to a new and living hope. Expose any fears I have, or any areas where I am too preoccupied with self to make a difference in the world. Empower me to live on mission with you, being your messenger in the places where you are pleased to use me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- What typically comes to mind when you think about shepherds?
- When has God invaded a dark time in your life?
- In what ways have you felt unqualified or unworthy to share the Good News of Jesus with others?
- What can we learn about God from this passage in Luke 2?
- What does obedience to God’s mission look like in your life right now?
