Why Shepherds?
Luke 2:15-20 NKJ
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
It seems a bit unusual talking about the Christmas story on Good Friday. In any case, our verses for today involve the shepherds that the angels appeared to on the night Jesus was born. Why shepherds? And why these guys? You would think if the Lord was trying to get the word out, He could have used a different marketing plan. But I don’t believe that God was trying to market the idea of Jesus being born. I do believe He wanted a witness, and these shepherds were just the right group.
After the angels appeared to the shepherds, they immediately went to see what had been declared to them. They were interested in what God was doing. They could have simply marveled at the appearance of angels and missed the message. But they heard the message, believed it, and went to see it for themselves. They were interested.
They came with haste. They did not delay, mess around, and then wander into town. They were quick to believe what the angels said, and they moved onwhat the Lord had shown them. There is a phrase we see in the Old Testament that so and so got up early in the morning. The people we see God using did not procrastinate; they put a high priority on what God had said.
What they saw, they testified of. Not just that they saw a baby, but that the angels had appeared to them and told them about the child. They did not keep it to themselves. They did not shrink back from people possibly thinking they were strange. Angelic appearances were rare in those days. And it was not as if these guys were considered the most spiritual people in Bethlehem. Shepherds were not considered in the same category as the priests and Pharisees. Surely there were some who heard them and scoffed. But some marveled at what the shepherds had to say. Thirty years later, someone had to remember what some wild-eyed shepherds were spreading around town. Someone had to have put two and two together that even though Jesus was from Nazareth, there was an amazing rumor about angels announcing the birth of the Savior who was Christ the Lord. There was a witness to the birth of Jesus.
And these shepherds had a heart for God. They went back to their sheep glorifying and praising God for the things they had heard and seen. So they gave God glory for sending a Savior.
Application
God does not always do things the way we think they should be done. But there are certain characteristics of the people that He uses and those to whom things are revealed. There needs to be some interest in the things of God. Some people are interested in what God is doing regardless of what their job is. You don’t have to be on a church staff to have a heart for God.
Another characteristic is a person who is quick to believe and quick to obey. When a person misses it, they are quick to repent and get things right between them and the Lord. As a parent, I always appreciated when my children were quick to follow up on what I asked, as opposed to me having to tell them over and over to get it done.
Someone who is not afraid to tell others what the Lord has done in their life. This is a great quality. I am not talking about being pushy, but simply giving God credit for what He has done is a good thing.
And finally, someone with a heart that praises and glorifies God. He has done so much for us and deserves all the praise we can offer. God is not looking for perfection or for the person who knows volumes about the Scripture, but for someone with the right heart. And regardless of any demographic that defines us, we can all be that person. We can be like the shepherds.