Christmas Story Character - Shepherds

Shepherds

This morning we are closing out our series on the Characters of the Christmas Story as we look at the Shepherds.

We have looked at the angel, Mary, Joseph, and last week the birth of Jesus.

Today we will look at the Shepherds, last week we heard a little about the shepherd’s but this week we are going to look specifically at the Shepherd’s

Last week we seen that the shepherds were out in the fields watching over their sheep when an angel of the Lord appeared in front of them.

The angel gave the announcement that Baby Jesus had been born and how the shepherds could go about finding Baby Jesus.

The angel announced that Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, and that the baby had been wrapped in swaddling clothes and was lying in a manger.

After this announcement more angels appeared with the main angel and they began to praise God.

Luke 2:15–20 NASB95

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Pray

I. Let’s Go

Luke 2:15 NASB95

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

The angels leave, and the shepherds began to say to one another, let us go straight to Bethlehem.

In this verse we are told that the shepherds go straight to Bethlehem.

Now I seen a video of a guy who was saying that he had read this story to his sons, his eight year old says, dad what happened to the sheep.

We are not told, so technically it is not important.

But let’s stop and think about that for a moment.

These shepherds jobs are to care and tend the sheep, if they just jump up and run off, what happens to the sheep.

We are not told that someone stayed behind, if the sheep were in a protected barn or stable, then why were the shepherds out in the fields that night.

These sheep have witnessed the things the shepherds have just witnessed.

We have all heard the saying that sheep are dumb, well they are in most cases, but can be smart in other cases.

But sheep are also very afraid of things.

So the sheep have seen what the shepherds have seen, and then the shepherds just leave to go meet the Baby Jesus.

Now this reminds me of the parable that Jesus told in Luke 15:4

Luke 15:4 NASB95

4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

In this parable it is about the amazing love of God to leave behind His people to go after the one that is lost, that it may be saved.

In our Christmas story, the shepherds left the 99 to go after the One.

Not the lost one here, but the One that is never lost.

Not the one that needs saving but the one that came to save us all.

Not the one that wanders through creation, but the One that is the wonder of creation.

We should always be willing to leave the 99 things on our to do list to seek the one that matters.

II. Make Known

Luke 2:16–19 NASB95

16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

As the shepherds leave their sheep, and go into Bethlehem, they find Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, just as the angel had told them.

When they find what they were looking for, the shepherds share the story of what they had just experienced.

All that heard this story wondered at it, that is they began to think about what the Shepherds had said.

Here these guys from out in the fields, come rushing to the site of the new born Baby Jesus.

In biblical times shepherds were generally young boys that were not quit old enough or strong enough to do the manual labors of the family.

Thus the young boys could still help the family by tending to the sheep.

Though not all shepherds were young boys, we know that Moses tended his father-in-law’s sheep in his middle ages of life.

Shepherds were not always the most up standing citizens in an area.

They spent the majority of their time out in fields.

Therefore when the shepherds began to tell the story of an angel giving them the announcement and then more angels appearing to sing it may have been a hard story to believe.

We are told though that Mary treasured these things in her heart.

We must remember that it was just 9 months before that an angel appeared to Mary to tell her how all of this was going to take place.

She at first was like, I am a virgin, I cannot have a child, but she trusted the message from God and was obedient and willing.

She has now given birth to what at first she did not think could happen.

But now she is seeing it all.

III. Glorify and Praise God

Luke 2:20 NASB95

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 spend some time with Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, then they begin to head back to their sheep in the fields.

As they went the glorified and praised God because of what all they had seen.

They had witnessed the angel appear before them, giving them the announcement of the birth of the Messiah, then they go and find Baby Jesus just as they were told.

These Shepherds were excited, they were willing, and wanting to tell everyone that they seen about what had happened.

When we meet the Messiah, and have the true life changing experience, we should be excited and wanting to tell everyone what has happened to us.

Christmas is over, the celebration is in the past, but our Savior lives, and we should celebrate Him and tell people about Him every chance we get.