Shepherds

SLIDE 1 In 2001, the Richards family of Canberra, Australia, set the Guinness World Record for the Most Lights on a Residential Property – there were 331,038 bulbs, to be exact. The family’s retina-scorching record stood for more than a decade. SLIDE 2 Then, in 2012, Tim Gay and his family from LaGrangeville, New York bested the Richards. They decorated their house with 346,283 lights. (Many of those were, to add tinsel to injury, synchronized to music.)

SLIDE 3 The Richards couldn’t stand to be losers so the next year they upped the ante by decorating their house with more than 502,165 lights. (In case you’re interested, that equates to more than 29 miles of wire.)

But! There is, of course, always room for more light. So our heroes from New York got their revenge. SLIDE 4 In 2014 Tim Gay and his family covered their own house and grounds with a display that involved 601,736 lights. SLIDE 5 The whole thing took roughly two months to build and spans two acres. It also involves much more than lights: it includes more than 200 songs, including both top-40 hits and traditional holiday songs.

SLIDE 6 As Tim Gay told Guinness, on the occasion of his win: “My family and I are thrilled to bring the World Record back to the United States.” He added, “And we’re even more excited that we did it with nearly 100,000 more lights than the previous record.”

Now I enjoy getting into the Christmas spirit and I enjoy looking at the Christmas lights and displays at Christmas time, but I think these two have gone a little overboard. As pretty as the lights are, we must never lose sight of what Christmas is all about – the story of the birth of Jesus.

SLIDE 7 We’ve been looking at the reactions people to the announcement of the birth of Jesus. This morning we are going to look at the reaction of the shepherds. One thing we know for sure, they didn’t decorate the hillside with Christmas lights. We know that Mary responded by submitting to God’s will for her life. She said to the angel Gabriel:

May your word to me be fulfilled. (Luke 1:38b)

Joseph responded by obeying the angel he saw in his dream. We’re told that:

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. . . . (Matthew 1:24)

What was the reaction of the shepherds?

SLIDE 8 Like Mary, their first reaction was one of fear.

Even though our passage starts with verse 8, let’s read the first seven verses as well to set the scene.

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:1-9)

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the ancestral city of David. Not far away there were shepherds watching over their sheep when an angel appears before them terrifying them. The Greek literally says they feared a mega fear – they feared a great fear.

Have you ever been so far from civilization that there were no street lights and you couldn’t see any lights from cars or houses? You don’t have to be to old to remember when much of town was like that. You know then, how dark it can get at night. This is the shepherds. The only light is what is given off by a fire to keep them warm. Far away from town and people this angel suddenly appears.

They probably would have been surprised if someone just walked up on them. They weren’t expecting anyone to be out there, but to see this angel startled them. Not only that, but Luke tells us that they were surrounded by the glory of God – “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The glory of God is often described as a bright light. In Revelation we’re told that there will be no sun because God himself will be the light. It was pitch black when the angel appeared and then suddenly they were surrounded in light. I think it’s reasonable that the shepherds would fear a great fear.

10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14”Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:10-14)

The angel has good news for these shepherds. Much as every generation today longs for the second coming of Jesus, every generation of Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah. They longed for his coming even as we long for his return. The news of the angel is that the time had come, the Messiah had been born Bethlehem, the city of David. The angel even gave a sign so they could recognize him, he would be lying in a manger.

We probably remember the old KJV that talks about Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes. That would be like putting a child in a diaper. That’s what they put children in. The angel wasn’t the sign though, it was the birth of a child who they could find in a manger.

I know the angel said not to be afraid, but after he says it even more angels appear – they now see a great company of angels. We’re not told how many that is, but I imagine the sky being filled with angels. I think I might have become even more afraid. We often think of them singing praise to God, but Luke says they spoke it. The first angel announces the birth of Jesus and the other angels give glory to God.

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:15-16)

SLIDE 9 The second reaction of the shepherds is curiosity. Once the angels leave the shepherds immediately go to see what the angel was talking about. It sounds like they leave their sheep – they couldn’t have brought all their sheep with them – and go to see this baby they’ve been told was born.

There’s probably some background information that would helpful to know about shepherds. In the Old Testament shepherding was an honorable profession. David was a shepherd. At least one of the prophets was a shepherd. The leaders of Israel were to as shepherds. However, by the New Testament the shepherding occupation was no longer held in high esteem. By this time shepherds had a bad reputation and shepherding was one of the lowest occupations. It didn’t take much skill to watch the sheep. If there was a sheep pen, they slept in it with the sheep so they smelled like the sheep – which was not very good.

Like carnival workers, they were constantly on the move. So they weren’t trusted and were often accused of being thieves. As a result of their bad reputation they were not even allowed to give testimony in court.

Because of the kinds of things they had to deal with as they took care of the sheep they were never ceremonially clean. Therefore, they were never allowed to attend synagogue on the Sabbath or visit the temple.

Perhaps the best thing you can say about them is that they knew their sheep and their sheep knew them.

You see the picture being painted. These are not the kind of people you invite to the birth of your child and certainly not to witness the birth of a king. And yet, this is who God chose to share the news with first. Up to this point the only ones who knew the truth about the birth of Jesus was Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah. God had sent an angel to Mary and Joseph. Mary had gone to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah. And now God sends a multitude of angels to tell some measly shepherds. God didn’t tell the king, the high priest, or religious leaders. God told a group of shepherds who were out in the field watching their sheep.

The shepherds were well aware of the reputation they had. They knew because people would cross to the other side of the street when they saw the shepherds coming. But despite that they went in search of the child whose birth had been told to them by a heavenly host of angels. It didn’t matter if no one really wanted to see (or smell) them. They had to go and see for themselves.

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:16-20)

SLIDE 10 The third reaction of the shepherds is they shared their news with everyone they saw. They didn’t keep it to themselves, they told others. Remember the reputation they had. No one trusted them. No one wanted to be around them. But this news was too good to keep to themselves. They hadn’t been instructed to spread the news, but they couldn’t help but tell everyone they saw.

Notice what they did then. They returned to the jobs. The shepherds had such an amazing night. They not only saw angels, they heard the angelic message and they heard the angelic choir. They went and saw the newborn king and then shared with everyone they met what they had seen. Their lives would never be the same.

How about your life? Is it the same since you met Jesus? If not, how is it different?

In spite of the fun and laughter, thirteen-year-old Frank Wilson was not happy. It was true, he had received all the presents he wanted, and he enjoyed the traditional Christmas Eve reunions with relatives for the purpose of exchanging gifts and good wishes, but Frank wasn’t happy. This was his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who during the year, had been killed by a reckless driver. Frank missed his brother and the close companionship they had together.

Frank said good-bye to his relatives, and explained to his parents that he was going out to see a friend. Frank put on his new plaid jacket. It was his FAVORITE gift. He placed the other presents on his new sled, and then he headed out hoping to find the leader of his Boy Scout troop. Frank always felt understood by him.

Though rich in wisdom, Frank’s Scout leader lived in the Flats, the poorer section of town. His Scout leader did odd jobs to help support his family. To Frank’s disappointment, he wasn’t home. As Frank hiked down the street toward home, he caught glimpses of trees and decorations in many of the small houses. Then, through one front window, he glimpsed a shabby room with limp stockings hanging over an empty fireplace. A woman was seated nearby crying. The stockings reminded him of the way he and his brother had always hung theirs side by side.

A sudden thought struck Frank: he had not done his “good deed” for the day. Before the impulse passed, he knocked on the door. “Yes?” the sad voice of a woman asked. Seeing his sled full of gifts, and assuming he was making a collection, she said, “I have no food or gifts for you. I have nothing for my own children.” That’s not why I am here,” Frank replied. “Choose whatever presents you would like for your children from the sled.” “O, God bless you!” the amazed woman answered gratefully. She selected some candies, a game, a toy airplane and a puzzle. When she took the Scout flashlight, Frank almost protested. Finally, the stockings were full. “Won’t you tell me your name?” she asked, as Frank was leaving. “Just call me the Christmas Scout,” he replied.

The visit left Frank touched, and with an unexpected flicker of joy in his heart. He understood that his sorrow wasn’t the only sorrow in the world. Then he stopped by another house and then another and then another. Before he left the Flats, he had given away the rest of his gifts. His plaid jacket was gone as well, to a shivering boy. Now, Frank trudged toward home, cold and uneasy. How could he explain to his parents that he had given his presents away?

“Where are your presents, son?” asked his father as Frank entered the house. “I gave them away,” he answered in a small voice. “Frank, how could you be so impulsive?” his mother asked. “How will we explain to the relatives who spent so much time and gave so much love shopping for you?” His father was firm. “You made your choice, Frank. We cannot afford any more gifts.” With his brother gone, and his family disappointed in him, Frank suddenly felt dreadfully alone. He went to his room thinking of his brother and sobbed himself to sleep.

The next morning, Frank came downstairs to find his parents listening to Christmas music on the radio. Then the announcer spoke: “Merry Christmas, everyone! The nicest Christmas story we have this morning comes from the Flats. A crippled boy down there has a new sled this morning left at his house by an anonymous teenage boy. Another youngster has a fine plaid jacket, and several families report that their children were made happy last night by gifts from a teenager who simply called himself the ‘Christmas Scout’. No one could identify him, but the children of the Flats claim that the Christmas Scout was a personal representative of old Santa Claus himself.”

Frank felt his father’s arms go around his shoulders, and he saw his mother smiling through her tears. “Why didn’t you tell us, son? We didn’t understand. We are so proud of you.” It was the perfect gift, for Frank had shared the gift of love he had received with others in need. A representative of Santa, I think not. Frank was a representative of the One who gave the gift of love we all need this Christmas so that we might be able to share it with others.

What will your response to the birth of Christ be this year? Mary submitted, Joseph obeyed, and the shepherds told everyone they saw. What will you do?