That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. (Luke 2:8–17 NLT)
Most of us have fairly positive view of shepherds. That was not the case in the time of Jesus. Shepherds tended to have a bad reputation. Tending sheep meant they were not able to keep many of the ceremonial laws of religious Jews. Shepherds also had this annoying habit of mixing up the concept of “mine and thine;” they often borrowed without returning.
The shepherds of Luke 2 were in the fields, at night, guarding their flocks. This was the life of a shepherd – out in the countryside with the sheep. It being night, this was the time when things would be winding down for the shepherds.
Shepherds were normally quite at ease outside and under the stars. What happens in Luke 2 is not normal or natural: it is supernatural. An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, and the glory of God was plainly evident all around them. We need to read this with a sense of wide-eyed awe. This was not just out of the ordinary – it was out of this world. Luke 2 tells us they were terrified. I would have been terrified as well.
The angel of the Lord was there not to frighten the shepherds but to announce good news of great joy. This news was about the birth of a Savior – the Messiah, Christ, the Lord. This was the long-awaited Messiah the people of God had longed for. The angel gives them instructions as to where to go to see this baby, born on that day. Clearly, the assumption was they would go to see this baby themselves. They are also given signs as to how they will recognize this child. Notice how specific and unusual the signs were. These signs would help them find the baby, but they would also attest to the truth of the words of the angel. If this all was not enough, the angel was surrounded by a multitude of other angels praising God.
Think of all the unusual and unlikely parts given to us in this story. Shepherds as the recipients of the good news. Angels appearing at night. A baby born as the Messiah. A baby wrapped in clothes, lying in a manger. A multitude of angels glorifying God. Unusual and unlikely, but this is the way it happened. It was the incredible and the long-awaited showing up to an unlikely audience and in an unlikely way. This was God’s work and God’s doing. God is still doing his work all around you and in you, and at times through you. This might sound unusual and unlikely to you. That is okay; that can be the way God works. Where can you see God at work today?
Dr. Harry Kelm is the executive director of the North American Baptist Conference.