The Lowly Shepherds
“That
night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby guarding their flocks
of sheep.” (Luke 2:8 NLT)
It was a clear starry night and a group of shepherds
sat huddled around a campfire with their cloaks drawn closely around them for
there was a chill in the air. The sheep were bedded down in their enclosure and
the guard dogs were watching them. All was quiet and still. A light wind began
to stir when suddenly an angel of the
Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were terrified. (Luke 2:9)
Have you ever wondered
why shepherds, out in a field on night guard, minding their own business, were
the first to receive the good news of a newborn Savior? Why would God choose to
make this historical announcement to such lowly despised shepherds?
Why indeed?
If God saw fit to choose lowly shepherds, the outcast of society, to reveal his
good news, shouldn’t it erase all doubts as to why he chose you and me, just
ordinary people of the world to be his ambassadors to this generation?
So, why the
shepherds?
Jesus
identified with the shepherds. He is called the Good shepherd because he
gave his life for the sheep (John 10:11); He is called the Chief
shepherd because he oversees other ministering shepherds (1 Peter 5:4), and He
is the Great shepherd because we are saved through his blood sacrifice
(Heb. 18:20)
When the angelic
host left and all had quieted down, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this
thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:15)
No one
ordered them to go. Undoubtedly, their faith had been awakened, and they wanted
to see for themselves if what the angel said was true. Their discovery changed
their lives forever.
God chose
to reveal himself to the lowly, the outcasts of society. The religious leaders
rejected him and weren’t invited to his birthday party, but you and I were.
What better gift can you give to the Savior this Christmas than that of
YOURSELF!
No comments:
Post a Comment