Seeing Jesus with The Shepherds
Luke 2.8-20

2.8: In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

The same region – Near Bethlehem, which is called the city of David (2.4). This is where Joseph and Mary were to go and register due to the census decreed by the Roman government. The prophet Micah declared hundreds of years before the birth of Christ these words, But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago (Micah 5.2). Bethlehem was nearby Jerusalem. It is believed by some that many of the sheep used in the temple sacrifices came from there. So, you have Shepherds in this region.

Shepherds – Shepherds worked in this region day and night, all year long. Shepherds have been looked at with a high view and also a low view. It is believed by some that in this day they were a class of despised and lowly people. They stood at the bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder just like tax collectors and dung sweepers. They were second class. Some carried the description well, but for others it was just a stereotype. They neighbors, the Egyptians held up agriculture and farming. They didn’t like shepherds due to sheep and goats eating their crops. They considered sheep worthless.

So, on this night, these men are simply doing their job, keeping watch over their flock by night. Just as if you had the night shift at your job. Maybe you are working security and keeping watch over everything. Maybe you are working the night beat as a cop. Maybe you are out looking at the stars with your family or trying to catch fireflies as they light up in the night.

2.9: And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

Heaven pushes back the curtains on a world behind the scenes and an angel, a ministering spirit who serves God (Heb. 1.14), appears before these shepherds and the glory of God was shining around them.

The shepherds respond with overwhelming fear. Would you not?

Zacharias did when an angel appeared to him (1.12); Peter, James and John were filled with fear at the transfiguration of Jesus as they see the glory of God; as well the prophet Ezekiel falls on his face at the presence of God’s glory – this is a proper response. God’s presence causes humanity to stand in awesome fear.

2.10-12: The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid…”

The angel tells the shepherds to fear not and share a great announcement…

I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

The incarnation of Jesus, God taking on flesh is the gospel of abundant joy. The message is that Jesus comes for all, but not all will respond to Him and therefore will not benefit from His gracious coming, but there is and will be a people who do respond to His grace by faith believing that He is the Son of God, the Savior.

For today in the city of David there has been born FOR YOU a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Here is the good news, the gospel of joy - in Bethlehem a Savior, who is Christ the Lord has been born. This is the Savior, who is the Messiah, the Christ and He is Lord, meaning this is God, this is the master of all. This is God who is Sovereign over all things, who has come to be the Savior to mankind.

He has come FOR YOU. What an amazing word for the shepherds to here.

What an amazing word for us to hear this night. God in the flesh, the Savior has been born, He has come from heaven to earth FOR YOU.

This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. The angel tells the shepherds that this is the visible physical reality that confirms this announcement. This is how you will know.

A king born in a manger? Jesus is born in a stable or a cave and was laid in a feeding trough for there was no room in hotels that night, but the only room was the same place where cattle and ox lay. It was a birth of most humble circumstances for the most exalted figure ever born. The most powerful person comes in the most simple of ways. A manger, an animal trough is the center of God’s activity. He came this way because He came to meet the central need of men. He did not come to overthrow the Romans, He didn’t come to raise the standards of the world, He didn’t come to teach and relieve ignorance (Francis Shaeffer). He came as the angel revealed to Joseph, His earthly dad, to save His people from their sins (Mat. 1.21).

2.13-14: And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

The one angel who made the announcement is now joined by an army of angels, which are too many to count. This is mind blowing for these shepherds; too much for them to fathom as these great heavenly hosts join in giving glory to God. The angles show us where glory is due. Glory is due to God and no other. The angels declare with this doxology that Jesus is God and that He is the one who brings peace to humanity – for He Himself is our peace (Eph. 2.14). He provides peace with God to those who receive is favor (grace) and makes peace with others possible.

How do the shepherds respond?

2.15-16a: When the angels had gone away…so they came in a hurry.

The shepherds respond with immediate obedience. The Lord has revealed and they respond in a hurry down the hills to see Jesus.

2.16b: They found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

What did the shepherds see? They found things just as the angels had told them – Jesus, the baby, lying in a manger. They are in the presence of God, who has taken on human flesh. Could you imagine this? Here is this private, hidden event in this stable or cave, but God invites others in. He does not keep Himself in isolation, nor is He indifferent. He is a God of invitation, who says, come!

2.17: When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. They told others what the angels said about this baby, Jesus, that He is the Savior, who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord. This is him who has been born.

2.18: And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

The response to what the shepherds shared was amazement, pondering and much surprise. The people wondered, could this really be the Messiah? Has the Messiah really come?

2.19: But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Mary was filled with a holy awe with all she had seen, heard and experienced.

2.20: The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. The shepherds have seen the glory of heaven – they have seen Jesus, the Savior, the Christ and Lord. They have come face to face with the glory of God. Seeing what they have seen, hearing what they have heard could they really go away thinking about what they had to do back in the fields or about themselves? This experience was too overwhelming. No doubt it changed them and led to worship of God.

Worship is the act of giving glory to something, meaning weight or value, or honor and we worship that thing or person by making sacrifices with our energy, time, money, in an attempt to be satisfied and happy. It is about devotion, giving oneself to something or someone, it is not just music or a certain genre or style, it is not tied to a place or time, but instead about who and how.

Everybody worships something or someone. Who are we worshiping?

The shepherds worship and glorify God as they go back to the fields. They give Him glory which He rightfully due. Jesus is to be our weight, the one we value above anything else, we should honor Him, He should be something our heart and mind longs for and we worship Him by making sacrifices of time, money, resources, everything and our life.

So, what about us? We have run down the hills with the shepherds, looked at the baby, and have heard the shepherd’s testimony. Have we believed? Has this changed our life? Is our life giving praise and glory to God? As we come face to face with the glory of God, with Jesus, this is the proper and honoring response. If you have never accepted the grace of God’s gift in Jesus Christ, I invite you to look at Jesus closely tonight – He came in a manger to become what we are, so that we might become what He is; He lived a perfect life of love, grace and truth; He died on the cross to save you from the punishment that we all deserve for our sin, which is eternal death; He then raised up from the grave on the third day, so that we could experience freedom from our sin and death, being justified before God the Father. He ascended into heaven where He reigns, Lord of all and one day He is coming back to those who call Him Lord and Savior to dwell with them forever. Trust in Him as your Lord and Savior. Christians, don’t let the 2,000 year old announcement from the angels lose its amazement, but stand in awe and worship Him this night!