Christmas Day, December 25

SHEPHERDS

Luke 2: 8-20

There are two kinds of shepherds in the Bible; ones who take care of sheep, and the others, who take care of humans. The ones who take care of humans are called pastors. Shepherds were generally devoted, strong and selfless. They had to find grass and water for sheep in a dry and stony land. They had to protect their sheep from bad weather and predators. When a sheep got lost, they had to go retrieve them. God used these ordinary shepherd people to be the first people on earth to hear the greatest birth announcement ever, and to be the first pastors to the people.

The shepherds were living in the fields, watching their flock one night, when an angel of the Lord came to them bringing the good news of the birth of a savior, who is Jesus Christ the Lord. He would be found in the city of David, lying in a manger—wrapped in swaddling cloths. The angels didn’t command the shepherds to seek the baby Jesus, but once the angels were gone the shepherds left everything immediately and sought the baby with great haste. Just like the shepherds we should want to see Jesus, leave everything, and turn to Him. The shepherds even left their sheep behind—they could have been killed. But the shepherds just looked to God to guide and protect them and considered seeing Jesus to be greater than anything they left behind. After the shepherds saw Jesus, they began to tell other people about Jesus. God used these “nobodies” as the first pastors, spreading the good news around the surrounding area.

The shepherds then returned to their flock and back to their ordinary lives, but now, they were glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen. The shepherds had great faith, which is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb. 11:1) They didn’t see Jesus before they believed. They just trusted the Lord.

We should, like the shepherds, humble ourselves enough to believe and trust in God no matter what anyone says. I’m sure some people thought the shepherds were weird when they saw them traveling at night looking for a baby in a manger, who was supposedly the savior of the world. Back then, traveling at night was very dangerous, but they knew the Lord had spoken to them so they trusted that the Lord would keep them safe. After they traveled all the way to Bethlehem and back, they continued to praise the Lord. They weren’t complaining that they were sore and tired. These nobodies glorified the Lord. We need to humble ourselves and realize we are nothing and God is all. Seek Jesus this Christmas Day with HASTE!!

~ Jill Krauser & Heather Barden