The Shepherds

Bible Passage: Lk 2:8–20

Summary: In Luke 2:8-20, the announcement of Jesus' birth is made to shepherds by angels, highlighting God's choice to reveal His glory to humble and marginalized people, signifying a radical inclusivity in the divine plan of salvation.

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What are shepherds? What do they do?

 They would stay with their sheep day and night to ensure their safety. They’d protect their flock against all threats, including big wild predators, and harsh natural conditions like storms and droughts.

Based on what we saw in the video earlier, how do you think they looked/smelled? What do you think people thought of them? Do you think they earn lots of money?

This story in Luke is a weird one. Remember in the video, one of the shepherds says they’ve been waiting a long time for this?

They’re referring to the coming of someone called the Messiah. The Messiah refers to someone specially chosen by God to save God’s people. Anyone know what they needed saving from?

At the time of Jesus’ birth, Israel, the nation that Jesus was born into, had not had independence for a long time. What do we celebrate on 9 Aug every year? Our independence! We were a people free to govern ourselves - no foreign rulers telling us what to do. Well, by the time of our story today, Israel had been governed by different foreign powers for hundreds of years. At this time, it was Rome that was in power. Yall know Rome?

Every Israelite boy and girl who went to school would study their holy text, and they would learn about prophecies. A prophecy is a message from God, often about what will happen in the future. Some of these predicted the arrival of the Messiah - the chosen one from God who would rescue Israel from their oppressors.

One of these prophecies is quite well-known, because we see it a lot especially at Christmas time:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” - Isaiah 9:6-7

Now, think of the most famous, rich or powerful person you can think of.

Now imagine this person said SURPRISE!! and came to visit you at your house. Who would you tell about this visit first?

Rmbr, earlier I said that this story is weird one. It’s weird because if God had finally brought the Hero of the story to earth, that Messiah that everyone was waiting for - why were the first people He told random poor shepherds? Why not tell a king? Or someone powerful? Someone people would take seriously?

Instead of telling someone the world thinks matters, like a king or a rich person, God chose to tell this very special news to people the world couldn’t care less about.

You see, everything about the Christmas story is actually very weird.

The prophecy from Isaiah we read earlier said that the Messiah was a Mighty God, a Prince of Peace! He would be the king on the throne to establish and uphold justice and righteous forever!

But this king was born in a stable. And then placed into a tray that animals eat out of.

How many of us can’t sit on the floor without first checking how dirty it is? Or can’t even bear to put our bags on the ground, let alone our bums.

This Messiah, this King - was born into the grimiest, germiest, smelliest situation.

Not exactly a royal welcome.

And who were His parents? A teenage girl and a poor carpenter.

Now before we start juding Mary for being a teen mom, let’s remember the context of the time she lived in. It was normal for a girl her age - maybe about 15-16 - to get married. And mind you, she was a virgin when she gave birth. So she really didn’t do anything untoward if you know what I mean.

The point is, you don’t exactly expect a great King to be born to such nobody parents, who would probably struggle to even buy Jesus school uniforms if they had to. In our times, they’d be on the school’s Financial Assistance Scheme.

The Christmas story is weird because it’s unexpected. God does things in unexpected ways. He doesn’t always choose the things, places or even people we expect Him to. In this case, He chose people with the least power and prestige - the shepherds - to deliver the greatest news to ever come on this earth.

God doesn’t look at how rich we are, how well we do in school, or how popular we are. He cares about what goes on in our hearts. God values every single person, whether rich or poor, whether you’re the first or last in class, whether your parents come to church or not. Even the person that you might think is the least worthy of any love at all, because he/she is super irritating, or did something terrible to you or someone you love - that person is loved and valued by God.

And you know what the great thing about God’s love is? Anyone who ever experiences that love can never stay the same - they always become better.

So there are 2 things I’d like us to remember today:

God Chooses the Unexpected

God’s Love Makes Us Better

(repeat)

God Chooses the Unexpected

Years later, when Jesus became an adult and began to reveal what it really meant to be the King of God’s kingdom, He showed it first to the least, the last and the lost. This means that He went to the poor, the destitute, the hopeless - those who were sick and dying, who were thrown aside by society because they seemed beyond help. He showed everyone that God’s kingdom wasn’t what they expected. He wasn’t there to overthrow Israel’s Roman oppressors - He was there for a much bigger purpose.

Many people who saw that the first people Jesus reached out to were the poor and sickly refused to believe that He was the Messiah. If He really was the Chosen one by God to become the King to destroy their oppressors, wouldn’t He be rubbing shoulders with the already great and powerful? Y’know, find the influencers and get them to spread your message right?

Anyone ever bought anything because some influencer told you it was good? Haha, guilty. Or maybe out of peer pressure coz your friends told you it’s such a good buy.

The Christmas story shows us that God’s really wants everyone to know Him and how much He loves the whole world. We might think that only some people deserve God’s love. Fill in the blanks with your own word: Only blank people deserve God’s love. Maybe your word was successful, or smart, or kind, or people who go to church - the truth is, none of us deserve God’s love, because the Bible tells us we are all sinful and fall short of the glory of God. See, that’s the BIG PURPOSE that Jesus came to this world for. Jesus wasn’t just meant to save Israel and only Israel - Jesus came to rescue all of us from sin, so that we can all be deserving of God’s love.

2. God’s Love Makes Us Better

When the shepherds first heard the news from the angels, they were confused. The Bible tells us they were “filled with great fear” in verse 9. Then later, by verse 20, they’re running around and singing and praising God’s glory!

How did they get from fear to cheer?

They met Jesus!

Even meeting a baby Jesus was enough to transform these shepherds.

The poor and sickly people that Jesus first reached out to - they were the ones who first understood what the kingdom of God truly meant. It meant power over diseases, joy over sadness, compassion over strength. The kingdom of God is so unexpected, it’s upside down.

When these people encountered Jesus, they came to Him one way, and when they left Him, they were a completely different way.

That’s what being with Jesus is like.

If we live in God’s kingdom - meaning, the reality in which God is the King - we experience God’s love, and His love changes us. People who do terrible things change their ways. We are not defeated by a diagnosis of a life-threatening sickness. We let go of bad, destructive habits.

That’s how the shepherds moved 180 degrees from fear to cheer. They met God’s love - they met Jesus. Jesus is God’s love in the form of human being.

Let me tell you very quickly my story.

I didn’t grow up in a rich family. I was one of those kids on the school Financial Assistance Scheme, and I was on it for majority of my schooling life, if not all of it. That’s almost ten years ok, pri to sec school.

I didn’t feel like I fit in in my church at the time because my family couldn’t afford to go on the same vacations that my friends in Sunday school went on.

As I got older, I struggled with more issues about my identity. I hated my weight, the size of my feet, I just felt so ugly.

Then one day, at our youth camp here at Christalite (my family had moved churches by then), I felt God say to me very clearly “You think you’re trash, but I don’t make trash. You are my masterpiece.”

Wow. TEARS. That was my first true encounter with Jesus. That was the moment I knew I had met with Jesus, and my life was changed.

Does that mean I never had another problem again in my life? Of course not. Two years after that moment with God, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. That was another big journey on the struggle bus, but God saw my family throughout that journey, up till the very day that my dad passed away, and even beyond that. We’re coming to his one year death anniversary, and I can still say with confidence that regardless of the sickness we experienced, God is very, very good.

Two things I want us to remember from today:

God chooses the unexpected

God’s love makes us better.

I feel like my journey was not something I could have imagined for myself. I never ever thought that God would choose me, the girl with such little self-confidence, to be here speaking to you today. To have the opportunity to speak in front of the church as some of you have seen me do. And I would never have been able to do it had I not had that encounter with Jesus at youth camp. I would not be able to praise God through my dad’s passing had I never experienced the love of God.

If you find yourself feeling overlooked at home, perhaps due to a lack of attention from your parents or siblings, remember that God often chooses the unexpected to make a difference. You can look for small ways to serve your family, like helping to cook a meal or doing chores, which can transform the dynamics at home. These simple acts of love reflect God’s grace and allow you to take up your role as a change agent within your family. Don’t wait for recognition; let your love and service shine through, just as God chose unexpected humble beginnings for Jesus.

In church, you may feel like just another face in the crowd, especially if you struggle with self-esteem or feel disconnected from your peers, just like I did. Remember that God's love transforms us and that you play an essential role in this community. Take the initiative in CG when it’s group discussion - don’t sit in awkward silence hoping someone else speaks up. YOU speak up. Engaging with others creates deep relationships and helps you experience the impact of God’s love directly. Your courage to step out of your comfort zone might inspire others to do the same. When people witness how God’s love has changed you, they are slowly changed too.

If you haven’t had the kind of encounter that the shepherds had with Jesus that Christmas night, I pray that you will this Christmas. If you have, then I pray that you keep having it, over and over. One meeting with Jesus is never enough. We have to keep meeting Him, over and over, so that we can be transformed over and over.

If you haven’t had that experience but you’re curious about it and wanna find out more, come talk to me! Or any of the older leaders around. Or the friend that brought you.

Merry Christmas yall. I hope you have a good one!