Christmas Day
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 Saviour has been born; he is Christ the Lord …” Luke 2:8-11
There are two wonderful things about God in this story that we don’t easily pick up.
The first is: God loves those that religious people reject. Because their work kept them out in the fields seven days a week, shepherds could not attend the Jewish religious customs of the day. This meant the religious leaders shunned them. They thought there was no excuse for missing Sabbath worship.
Shepherds were so looked down on that they were even barred from giving testimony in a court of law. But God chose to reveal the news of His Son’s earthly birth to these very men. Always remember: God loves those that religious people reject.
A second wonderful truth about God in this passage is: everything He does exalts His Son, Jesus, and His death for us at Calvary.
Notice from the passage that the shepherds were nearby – nearby to where? They were nearby to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7). Sheep to be sacrificed in the temple in Jerusalem were mainly taken from Bethlehem. Some of the sheep these shepherds were looking after at the time would end up being put to death on behalf of Jews wanting to be right with God. So God reveals to these men His final and ultimate sacrifice for the sin of the world – the baby Jesus.
Everything God does exalts His Son and the death of His Son at Calvary.
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