Being a shepherd at the time of the birth of Jesus was not a glamorous profession. You had to spend most of your time with the sheep – usually sleeping with them for protection. Just think about the wonderful smells that accompanied that part of the job. Further, some of the men who became shepherds did so because they were not accepted in regular Jewish society, so they chose to love on the outskirts of al the towns. In fact, it was so bad that shepherds were despised by the so-called “good” people, and the only group that was considered lower on the social ladder than the shepherds were the lepers.
But I want you to think about something. God chose to announce the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, to these shepherds who were certainly poor in spirit, as opposed to the high and mighty leaders of the day. He chose to share His message of love, hope and peace first with those who were despised and rejected, looked down upon, and scorned. Do you ever feel like those shepherds? Do not fear – God has the same message of hope, love and peace for you that He gave to the shepherds that night through His angels:
“I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
There was born a Savior – Christ the Lord. Did the shepherds respond to that message? Oh, yes, they certainly did. According to Luke 2:15-16, they “made haste” to go and find Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus. This means they took off running – looking for that Savior they knew they needed. Imagine these shepherds running from the fields into Bethlehem, jumping over the low fences that surrounded the town and rushing to see the sight. They found Jesus. Jesus promises that all who seek Him with all their heart will find Him! Have you sought Him? Have you found Him? This is the season to seek and find – He’s offering Himself as the ultimate Christmas gift.
But that’s not all. After they had seen Him, what did they do? Did they go right back to work? Forget it? No. The Bible tells us (Luke 2:17-18) they “made widely known” the things they had heard and seen. They became evangelists – they became missionaries. They shared the love of Christ with all that would listen.
You see, the shepherds show us a couple of things about God’s love:
- God’s love is available to everyone, no matter where your life has taken you. God will meet you right where you are, just like He met the shepherds right where they were!
- Anyone who has experienced God’s love can share God’s love! It was not enough for the shepherds to look at the Baby Jesus, they had to spread the good news!
Don’t miss this – God could have appeared to Caesar or to Quirinius, but He chose to appear to those who need they had a need for a Savior – those who were poor in spirit. God could have been born in a temple or a mansion – but He chose to be born in a dug out cave used as a stable and laid in a feeding trough.
At Maple Grove, we’d love to share the love of Jesus Christ with you this Christmas Season, or at any time of the year. Our prayer for you is that you will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Come start your journey – or continue your journey – with us.
Bro. Parks