When Shepherds Glaze

Title: When Shepherds Gaze

Text:

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Intro:

Intro:

I. A Good Shepherd Provides

In 1865, an Englishman named William Chatterton Dix penned the words to a poem entitled "The Manger Throne." A few years later the first three stanzas of that poem were set to the music and soon became known as the beloved Christmas carol "What Child Is This?"

II. A Good Shepherd Protects

This song was published in the United Kingdom in 1871 as a new Christmas carol. For close to a century and a half the question found in the title of this carol has become an annual reminder that something significant happened on that night in Bethlehem as someone significant lay wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger.

III. A Good Shepherd Rescues

This child would change the world forever; but what child is this?

IV. A Good Shepherd Recruits

The title of the carol, "What Child Is This?", is intended to be the primary question the shepherds must have asked on the night they visited the baby Jesus. Can you imagine what Shepherds were thinking after the visit by the angel. Can you imagine how their heads must have been spinning as they tried to comprehend all they experienced on that first Christmas night.

V. A Good Shepherd Sacrifices

Luke's Gospel records the scene in chapter 2:8-18. Let's read it.

VI. A Good Shepherd Speaks

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!"

"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

Conclusion

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them." ()

While no nativity scene is complete without the shepherds' presence, the answer to this Christmas Carol's question, what child is this? would also be incomplete without the description of the "shepherd."

What child is this? He is a shepherd; in fact, Jesus later described Himself as the good shepherd and told what a good shepherd does and who the good shepherd is in John's Gospel, chapter 10.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

Jesus' statement is a summary of what this child in the manger came to be for all people. He is the one who came to lay His life down for all of humanity just as a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The shepherds in the Christmas story have often be portrayed as the ones who were a bit rough around the edges and living on the lowest rung of society's ladder, but Jesus describes Himself as being a shepherd who has great responsibility. There is no greater responsibility than holding the life of another in the control of one's own hands. Protecting the life of others was the responsibility and calling of the shepherd.

Do we understand what it means for Jesus to be our shepherd?

Those living in the far east during Jesus' lifetime would have known exactly what it meant to be a good shepherd. Shepherds were equated with righteous government and often appear in contexts where the subject of justice is prominent. Shepherds were expected to be the ones who showed kindness in counseling, protecting, and guiding those whom they were responsible for through every difficulty. Even the shepherd's staff has been viewed throughout the ages as a symbol of power, authority, and strength.

Throughout the Bible, shepherds are mentioned over one hundred times. If we can fully understand who shepherds were in terms of how they are defined and described in the Bible, we can gain a better and more complete understanding of the question: What Child Is This?

One of the first careers found in the pages of the Bible is that of the shepherd. After Adam and Eve had begun their life together outside of Eden, we learn that their son, Abel, was a shepherd. "Now Abel was a keeper of sheep…"

In biblical days, those who possessed flocks of sheep and other animals that needed shepherding such as goats, cows, oxen, horses, donkeys, and camels were viewed as wealthy and powerful. Great flocks and herds were deemed as blessings from the hand of God. Abraham is an example of such a blessing of this type when he is described in . "The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds…camels and donkeys."

The owner of the flocks often was the one who also was the shepherd of his sheep such as Abel in and Jacob in . Likewise, Jesse's son, David, was given the responsibility to take care of his father's sheep before he would be called to care for and lead the people of Israel as their king. In fact, the place David was found before he was anointed as king by the prophet Samuel was out in the fields tending his father's sheep.

This story is found in your Bible in ,

After this history changing moment of anointing David as the future king of Israel, David continued to fulfill his duties as a shepherd while King Saul was still enthroned as king of Israel.

The Bible says in , "David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem."

The Savior of the world, the good shepherd, would be born in the City of David, and would be a direct descendent of King David, who also was a good shepherd in his days.

What child is this? He is a shepherd and king just as his ancestor David.

The principal duty of the shepherd was to make sure the animals that were under his or her care had enough food and water. David's most famous poem speaks to these priorities in that begins with truth that echoes the answer to the question of the carol: What Child Is This?

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."

First of all a good shepherd provides.

I. A Good Shepherd Provides

A good shepherd sees to it that there's plenty of grass for grassing and water for drinking. His sheep doesn't live in want. He knows their needs. He meets their needs.

One author points out that the feeding of the sheep is an essential duty of the shepherd. He says, "Sheep cannot feed themselves, nor water themselves. They must be conducted to the water and the pasture. The grass varies with the seasons, and the shepherd is ever changing the location of his flock.

Unless wisely fed they become emaciated and sick, and the wealth invested in them is squandered.

The same is true of Jesus, for He is our good shepherd. He supplies the spiritual food we need by way of His Word. states, "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—."

He also promises to supply our physical needs. In , Jesus said, 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

He may supply your needs in a miraculous way, like the feeding of the five thousand, or He may drop a job offer in your lap, or send you an unexpected refund from your Federal taxes.

The apostle Paul put it this way, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" ().

I don't always know how He will do it, but I trust that He will do it. God is trustworthy. He will supply our needs. He might provide affordable health care to subsidized a large medical insurance premium, He might provide an unexpected full time job such at Grace School, as in my wife's case, or He could show you how to purchase a used car you can afford without going in debt.

states, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

But just as the shepherd was responsible for the food and water provisions of the sheep, protecting the flock also was a priority that must continually be provided.

II. A Good Shepherd Protects

Sheep were easy prey for wild animals as seen in various places of the Bible. Saul discovered this when David requested to go fight Goliath.

"But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him" ().

David expressed his confidence in God's protection in . He states, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

In , David describes how the Lord not only provided for his nourishment, but also protects him wherever he might find himself in life. These characteristics of the good shepherd help answer the question the shepherds asked at the Nativity: What Child Is This? He is the one who will provide for our needs regardless of what they may be and He will protect all who are under His care.

III. A Good Shepherd Rescues

The good shepherd went to great lengths to take care of those under his or her care. He would make sure his flock was kept intact and would go the extra mile to make sure one that was lost was looked for until it was found as Jesus taught in His parable of the lost sheep found in ,"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains

and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

What child is this? He is the one who left all the riches and comfort of heaven to look for the ones who went astray. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one of us—to our own way. The mission of the shepherd is to look for and rescue the ones who are lost. This is what a good shepherd naturally does. This is who this child in the manger would grow to become. He is the one who came to seek and to save those who were lost, alone, exposed, and astray.

IV. A Good Shepherd Recruits

After Jesus completed the rescue mission on the cross outside of Jerusalem, He then restored, empowered, and entrusted the shepherding responsibilities to Peter on the shores of Galilee where they first met three years earlier. The whole conversation revolved around the ongoing role and responsibility of being and training others to be shepherds of the ones Jesus came to rescue and call His own.

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."

Jesus is still recruiting faithful followers to become under-shepherds of His sheep.

One of the most important aspect of being a good shepherd is that he will sacrifice himself for his sheep.

V. A Good Shepherd Sacrifices

state, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."

Jesus does so much more than provide, protect, and rescue us. He sacrificed for us. He gave His life for us. He died for us.

Those He recruits to shepherd His flock, will do the same. A true shepherd will not flee when times get hard and the way gets tough. He will not flee when the wolves are howling and the fiery darts fill the air. He will not flee when the goliath's of this world threaten the sheep of God.

But should these earthly shepherds fail us, Jesus will never fail us. We can trust Him, look to Him, and cry out to Him, for He cries out to us.

VI. A Good Shepherd Speaks

In we see that a good shepherd speaks to his sheep. Here Jesus says, "When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

The only way for the sheep to recognize the shepherd's voice is for the shepherd to have spoken to the sheep. Not only do they recognize His voice, the gladly follow it.

We cannot go wrong by listening to and following the voice of Jesus. Listen this morning for the voice of the Good Shepherd. Listen to Him calling you to the cross. Listen to His words from , which read, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Conclusion: What child is this? He is the one who came to lay down His life. He is the one who came to provide for and protect His flock. He is the one who is the good shepherd. His name is Jesus, the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in the manger, just as the angel said he would be.

Now go and tell everyone what has been heard, seen and experienced concerning who this child is, just as the shepherds did on that first Christmas in Bethlehem. What child is this? He is a shepherd…the good shepherd, who wants to be your shepherd. Will you let Him be your shepherd this morning?

Let's pray.