Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Luke 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luke 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
Put yourself in the place of these lowly shepherds for a moment. Imagine what it must have been like as they were out tending their flocks, not expecting anything other than the usual quiet night. The only sounds you would here are the gentle voices of the sheep; perhaps a shepherd playing a tune on a pipe; maybe a lonely song. In the midst of all of that usual routine heaven suddenly breaks forth in the person of “the angel of the Lord!”
Luke states that the shepherds “were sore afraid” and we can certainly understand that! Who wouldn’t be afraid if you suddenly found yourself in the presence of one of Heaven’s messengers? And yet for all their fear, they hear the message being proclaimed by this heavenly visitor: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
They hear the real Christmas message: their Savior is born! Hallelujah!
The angel then gives them a sign by which they’ll be able to find this Savior. They’ll “find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” The Lord of glory has not only been born into the world, but He chose to do so in the most humbling way. No fancy trappings of the world; no recognition by the world’s leaders; no heavenly proclamation to those who are enamored with the world but a glorious message to those humble enough to hear and to respond.
These days, so much of “Christendom” is so caught up with their own cares that most wouldn’t even hear the real message of a Savior being born unto them. Most don’t realize at this moment that religion is worthless if Jesus isn’t at the center of it, mind, body, soul and strength. But what really sets these shepherds apart from most people is their response.
In verse 15 we hear how they respond:
“Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
Unlike so may people today who are content to “hear” the message only so it doesn’t interfere with “their” lives, these shepherds immediately drop what they’re doing and respond to the call of the message. And not only do they respond, Luke tells us in verse 16 that they “came with haste!” That means they came with speed, earnestness, and diligence. They didn’t just go, they went with purpose!
And, of course, they found exactly what the angel said they would find: their Savior. Our Savior. My Savior. Your Savior!
It’s only natural that after having found Jesus they went out and told others how they, too, could find Him. They wanted others to have the same hope and joy that they had received.
Won’t you come to your Savior and then share Him with others? Make this Christmas the one when you really responded to the call of Heaven!
Merry Christmas!