Glory in the Night

Good morning, church! As we continue our Christmas series, we have journeyed with Mary in the first sermon,

marveling at her willingness to say, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Then in our second sermon, we looked at Joseph and his quiet obedience,

even when the world didn’t understand the plan God had laid before him.

Today, we turn our eyes to a group of people often overlooked in the Christmas story—the shepherds.

Ordinary men, working through the night, minding their flocks.

And yet, God chose them to be the first to hear the good news of great joy.

Let’s read

Luke 2:8–14 NKJV

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Let’s start with the shepherds themselves.

They were ordinary men, often considered lowly, even outcasts in Jewish society.

Their job was hard and humble—

They stayed awake at night, tending flocks, enduring the cold, mud, and danger of wild animals.

Think about that for a moment.

While everyone else slept, shepherds kept watch.

And God chose them—

not the Pharisees,

not the priests,

not the kings—

but the lowly shepherds to be the first witnesses of the Messiah.

Illustration: Imagine a night shift worker in our time—

someone working at a 24-hour convenience store or a security guard at a hospital.

Their work is unseen by most, but it is essential.

God often uses the ordinary, the overlooked,

and the faithful in their small stations to reveal His glory.

So what does this tell us?

God sees your work, your nights of worry, your “ordinary” moments of faithfulness.

Like the shepherds, you don’t have to be

famous,

powerful,

or perfect to experience the glory of God.

The angel’s first words to the shepherds were, “Do not be afraid.”

Then he announced the good news:

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Notice who the good news is for:

the humble,

the ordinary,

the overlooked.

Jesus’ birth is not just for kings, the rich, or the religious elite.

It is for you, for me, for all people!

Notice, the angel doesn’t give them a complex roadmap or a theology lesson.

He gives them a simple description: a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.

It’s something real, that they can touch.

Not some abstract words of wisdom,

Or fantastical philosophy, but real.

It’s accessible. And it’s enough.

Illustration: Imagine walking through a quiet, snowy field at night.

The world is dark and cold, and all you see are simple footprints in the frost.

Then, in the distance, a faint glow appears.

You follow it and find a tiny, humble stable.

Inside, a newborn baby lies in a manger, swaddled in rough cloth.

Nothing about the scene looks impressive to human eyes—

just straw, a few animals, and a small child.

And yet, in that fragile, ordinary moment, the glory of God shines brighter than any palace, any crown, any treasure.

This is what the angel announced to the shepherds:

the Savior has come—not in grandeur, but in humility, bringing hope to the world.

You see; God’s kingdom often comes not in power we expect, but in ways that require faith to see. The angel reminds us: the good news of Christ is simple, humble, and for anyone willing to receive it.

After seeing the angel and hearing the message, the shepherds didn’t stay in the fields.

Luke 2:15–16 NKJV

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Notice their response:

It was immediate obedience, —action, — and faith.

They didn’t

question,

delay,

or assume they weren’t worthy.

They went straight to see Jesus.

And after seeing Him, their response was praise and spreading the news.

Illustration: I think of someone Yadi & I went to witness to a long time ago,

And him upon hearing about a life-changing opportunity in Christ, then paused and said,

“I’m not ready,”

The shepherds didn’t hesitate.

Their faith drove them to action, and their lives were changed forever.

God calls us not to hesitation but to active faith.

Notice how the shepherds respond in

Luke 2:15 NKJV

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

They didn’t pause to debate, or wonder if they were worthy,

or even try figure out what the journey might cost them.

They didn’t ask, “Is this really necessary?”

or “Can someone else do this instead?”

They moved immediately, and in doing so, they participated in the fulfillment of God’s plan.

This is the same call God gives to us today.

Faith is never meant to be passive.

By no means is it.

It is not enough

to marvel at God’s glory from a distance,

to nod in agreement during a sermon,

or to admire the manger scene during Christmas.

True faith is active, like the shepherds’ faith.

It moves. — It obeys. — It acts.

When God reveals His glory, our response should not be hesitation

It should be immediate worship and sharing His news with others.

Think about how often we delay.

How many times do we hear God’s prompting and respond with hesitation?

Perhaps God calls you to reach out to someone in need,

to forgive an enemy,

or to speak the truth in love—and you stall.

Maybe it’s the call to step into ministry, — teach a Sunday School class, — or mentor a younger believer—and you hesitate,

Thinking someone else is more qualified.

This is exactly what the shepherds teach us:

God’s call is for those willing to move in faith, not for those waiting for perfection.

God uses the ordinary

Let’s consider again the shepherds.

Society at that time looked down on them.

They were seen as uneducated, — unimportant, — and socially low.

Yet God chose them to witness His glory first.

They were ordinary men, doing ordinary work, yet they were entrusted with extraordinary news.

This is a powerful reminder for each of us:

you don’t need a title, position, or wealth to be part of God’s story.

You don’t need to have a pulpit, a platform, or a fancy degree to be used mightily by God.

He sees your willingness, your faithfulness, and your openness to His plan.

Consider a teacher in a small town school, a nurse on a busy night shift, a single parent working two jobs.

On the surface, their lives might seem “ordinary” or even mundane.

But God can use their kindness, their integrity, and their willingness to love and serve as a platform to demonstrate His glory.

Their small acts of faithfulness can have eternal impact,

just like the shepherds’ journey to see Jesus became part of the greatest story ever told.

You might feel ordinary, overlooked, or unimportant.

But remember: God delights in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

Moses was a shepherd, David was the youngest of his brothers,

Mary was a humble maiden, and the shepherds were socially insignificant.

And yet, God used them all to reveal His glory and advance His kingdom.

Notice The angel’s message was not announced to

the Pharisees,

to scholars, or to rulers—

it was announced to the humble shepherds.

“I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”

The Messiah came for the overlooked, the lowly, and those willing to receive Him.

This is a recurring theme throughout Scripture:

God exalts the humble and resists the proud

James 4:6 NKJV

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

The humble are teachable, — open, — and receptive.

They recognize their dependence on God and are willing to receive His gifts with gratitude.

The proud, in contrast, often miss God’s work because

they assume they already know enough or can manage life on their own.

Humility doesn’t make you weak; it makes you accessible to God’s power.

The shepherds had no agenda, — no claim to fame, — no expectation of reward.

They simply trusted, believed, and went.

And in that simple act, God revealed His glory to them—and through them, to the world.

Faith is not passive.

Following Christ is never about standing still or waiting for the “perfect moment.”

It is about moving in obedience,

even when it feels

inconvenient,

uncomfortable,

or uncertain.

When the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem, they didn’t just witness the birth of Christ—

they experienced joy and transformation.

Their lives were forever changed because they acted on what they heard.

Obedience opens the door to God’s blessings in ways that thinking, planning, or hesitation cannot.

Consider Jesus’ words in John 15:10–11:

John 15:10–11 NKJV

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

You may hesitate to obey God because it requires sacrifice, — courage, — or leaving your comfort zone.

But just as the shepherds discovered, obedience brings joy.

The joy is not always immediate or obvious,

but it is transformative.

It changes your heart, reshapes your perspective, and positions you to witness God’s glory in ways you never imagined.

Finally, like the shepherds, we are invited to see God’s glory—

not just in a distant theological concept, but in real, tangible ways.

The angel’s announcement was accompanied by a visible display of God’s glory:

the heavenly host praising God.

It was unmistakable, tangible, and awe-inspiring.

In our lives today, God’s glory is still visible, though it may appear differently.

It may be a healed relationship,

a provision in a desperate moment,

an answered prayer,

or the transformation of a heart.

Sometimes, His glory appears quietly in the obedience of ordinary people,

in acts of faithfulness that go unseen by the world.

Other times, it is dramatic, unmistakable, and awe-inspiring, like the shepherds’ night.

The key is to watch, listen, and respond.

God reveals His glory, but we must position ourselves to see it.

Like the shepherds, we must step out of our ordinary routines, pay attention to God’s whispers, and move in faith.

When we do, we not only experience His glory ourselves, but we become witnesses who can share it with the world.

Illustration: Think of a sunrise breaking over the horizon.

You can stay inside, distracted, and miss it—or you can step outside, look, and be overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of it.

God’s glory is like that sunrise: it is present, visible, and ready to transform those who are willing to notice.

Conclusion

So, what does all this mean for us today?

God calls us to action.

He calls us to be ordinary people who trust Him, humble ourselves, obey His instructions,

and to look for His glory in our lives.

Like the shepherds, we are invited to step out of our routines and see God at work.

You don’t need status to be used by God.

You don’t need wealth or power to experience His glory.

Your humility positions you for blessing and revelation.

Your obedience opens the door to joy and transformation.

Christmas is not just a story to be remembered—it is a story to be lived.

It is an invitation to active faith, humility, obedience, and attentiveness to God’s glory.

When we respond like the shepherds, we participate in God’s story

and become witnesses to the greatest news the world has ever known:

Jesus Christ has come.

Church, let us go like the shepherds:

ordinary people,

willing to be used,

willing to obey,

and willing to share the joy of the Savior with the world.