Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Shepherds just like you and I

We celebrate Christmas as one of the two most important and most revered of Christian holidays, but isn't it interesting that two of the Gospels don't even mention the virgin birth or any birth at all.

Just saying.

Anyway, let's look at Luke's Gospel for a moment as we wind our way toward the night (was it midnight, 1 a.m., 9 p.m.?) he was born.

Who do you identify with in the story?
Mary?
Joseph?
The inn keeper
You name it

I identify with a group of folk:
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Thankless jobs. Thankless life, but all they knew and all they could do probably. Below middle-class. But here they were, the living messengers of the Good News of the birth.

J. Hampton Keathley III, on a blog called bible.org writes, "The birth of the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the Chief Shepherd of our souls was first announced to those men whose very work spoke of the person and work of Jesus Christ—the Lamb of God. It was this Lamb who would lay down His life for us, provide for and lead us as His sheep, and then one day reward those men who have been faithful themselves as under-shepherds. The glory of God, for which Israel had long awaited, was not revealed to the priests or the Pharisees, but to shepherds. Further, there is good evidence these men may have been watching over the temple sheep, sheep designated for sacrifice, which spoke of Jesus Christ and the reason for His coming into the world. Christ took on himself true humanity. He became the babe of the cradle that He might become the man of the cross (Heb. 10:5; 2:14)."

All I know is the first persons that the birth was announced to were persons just like you and I, regular folks. That gives me a warm feeling on a cold winter's night.

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