Why Shepherds?

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."


It was a quiet Christmas Day this year. Just a small family gathering. We watched the usual christmas movies on TV and had the usual Christmas snacks. It was all enjoyable. I spent the usual amount of time this holiday season reflecting on the spiritual aspects of Christmas. For some reason, shepherds kept popping up in my devotionals.

Why did the first announcement of the birth of the long-awaited Messiah go to shepherds? Why shepherds? Who would you think that the news of the arrival of the redeemer of all mankind should go to first? Wouldn't you want the leaders of the world to know about it? Wouldn't you want the Jewish Temple and/or synagogue leaders to know about it? How about the Romans who occupied the country? These would all be good choices perhaps. Remember, this was no ordinary baby. This was the King of all kings, and Priest of all priests, and ruler of all mankind being born.

Well, because we have the Bible, we know that God did not choose for the news to go out to the "important" people of the day, as the world would measure it. First, the news went to shepherds. So who were these people, and why were they worthy of the reception of this world-class news?

Before answering that, here are some features of the shepherds of Jesus' day:
1) Shepherds had important jobs, but they were not well educated and lived alone usually. They were usually among the lower wage earners.
2) Shepherding usually started at an early age. It was a job given to the youngest males in a family many times.
3) A good shepherd protected his flock from harm day and night. This required long hours of diligence and patience.
4) In society, shepherds were not highly regarded. Their testimony was not allowed in the judicial venues, for example.

There are many reasons I can think of why shepherds were the "audience of choice" for thousands of angels to proclaim the Messiah's arrival. You can probably come up with more, but to keep this blog short, I will list a few. Because God (and Jesus) typically illustrates his principles to us using imagery and examples, here are some points to consider:
1) After the announcement of the birth of the Messiah occurred, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to see Jesus. Jesus would later proclaim that He is the good shepherd. In fact, Jesus used many examples of sheep and shepherds in his parables to illustrate His relationship to us. Who better to attend the birth of "the good shepherd", than shepherds?
2) John the Baptist would later proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Who better to attend the birth of a "lamb", than shepherds?
3) Jesus, the King of all Kings, and Lord of all lords, would have been seen as a threat to the rule of any "important" person of power and authority in his day. Shepherds had very little power and authority, so the coming of the Messiah was a welcomed event to them, and would not be seen as a threat to their power and authority, for they had little of both.
4) By arriving in such a simple, uncomplicated, meek, and mild manner as a baby in a manger (probably filled with sheep) God displayed to the most simple, caring, and humble ranks of society (shepherds) that the Messiah is for all mankind; not just the seemingly important, rich and powerful ranks of society. True today as it was then.

Now that we are once again celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, the most profound lesson I am reminded of, after this scrutiny of shepherds, is the fact that: "I am a sheep". I wander from God at times, but He always comes looking for me, so to speak, by calling for me to return to him. He has promised never to forsake His sheep, therefore He will never give up on you or me. Because he loves all of His sheep so dearly, He sent the good shepherd to give his life for them. I think it's time for me to be a good sheep and follow my shepherd, how about you?

Holiday Blessings,
George