Ordinary Shepherds, Extraordinary Message

Luke 2:8-18 gives the account of the shepherds tending to their sheep the night that Jesus was born.
These shepherds were undoubtedly ordinary people. They were not wise scholars, religious leaders, or prophets, but lowly shepherds. Yet one night while these ordinary shepherds were tending to their flocks an angel appeared and told them the amazing news that the long promised Messiah has been born.
Have you ever stopped and wondered, why them? Why did God choose to personally send the angel of the Lord to tell these men the incredible news? And not only did the angel tell them the news but also where to find the Christ child Himself, such privileged information.

God did not choose to tell the priests, or the pharisees, or the scribes, he didn't even send an angel to tell the famous Maji or Wisemen. The Wisemen found out on their own because they studied the scriptures and saw the star. So why did God choose these simple shepherds to give this great message to firsthand? I believe that just as God chose Mary to bear the Christ child, He also chose these men specifically to bear the news of the Savior throughout the countryside. He saw their hearts. He saw their love and faithfulness and fervor for Him.

The way the shepherds reacted to this news shows their true character.

• They heard and wanted to see for themselves.
• How many people hear the story of Jesus and just cast it aside never choosing to meet Him personaly or find for themselves the love and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. The shepherds heard and they chose to go see Jesus with their own eyes.

• They not only went but they wasted no time doing so.
• Read verses 15 and 16 again. "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." It was most certainly late when the shepherd heard the news. They had to have been tired and exhausted and yet they chose to leave at that very moment to see Jesus. They didn't hesitate or put it off. They left their sheep behind and went to see the Messiah. How many of us hear the call of God and just cast it aside with a "maybe later"? How many of us are so wrapped up in our responsibilities and our own lives that we fail to give God priority in our lives? Think of the life altering experience the shepherds would have missed out on had they procrastinated or put it off.

• They heard, they were changed, they proclaimed
• Vs. 17 "And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds." They came and saw Jesus and when they did they couldn't contain the excitement within them but proclaimed it throughout the land. Many of us have known the love of Jesus for a long time. Many of us have heard the Christmas story told time and time again, yet we fail to proclaim the love of Jesus to others. We fail to tell others of the day We met Jesus and how our lives were changed forever. If you are like me you have often forgotten to share the great news that we, by God's marvelous grace, heard and accepted one day.

I pray you have a blessed Christmas. And I pray you never forget the awesomeness of what Christmas is all about. I pray we would all proclaim as the shepherds did. We may not be preachers or evangelists or great religious leaders, but just as the shepherds were ordinary people given an extraordinary message we have been chosen to spread the gospel throughout our land.