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. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them (Luke 2:15-20).
So, you are a shepherd, and you are out in the fields doing what shepherds do – tending sheep. And, seemingly out of nowhere, God sends a host of angels to tell you and your companions about the birth of the Savior of the word. This is probably just as unexpected and strange to you as it is to those who read the account in Holy Scripture. Being a shepherd was difficult work. It was unpleasant, at least to the other members of the community who weren’t the ones who had to do it. Shepherds had to be out in the elements, staying away for long periods keeping watch for predators, and making sure the sheep were safe. Shepherds were somewhat isolated from the larger community; the very nature of their work necessitated this, and this was just fine with everyone. Shepherds were not despised, per se, but they weren’t exalted either. Shepherds were smelly and dirty, and people looked down on them because of their vocation. Kind of the way we might think of garbage men (No offense to garbage men intended; It’s not a job I’d want to do, even if they did pay me well). So, it is somewhat surprising that God would choose to make the public proclamation of the Messiah’s birth to a group of shepherds off in some fields away from everybody.
This isn’t the kind of thing we expect. It certainly isn’t what we would do, and doesn’t make sense according to human logic. The birth of the Messiah is a royal birth. This is David’s Son whom David would call, “Lord,” by whom David’s throne would be established forever. Royal births are not announced like this. Announcing Jesus’ birth this way would be akin to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in announcing the birth of Prince George, posting the customary formal bulletin at the garage where the garbage trucks are parked, rather than on an easel outside Buckingham Palace. The Magi from the East expected King Herod to know about the birth of the King of the Jews. That’s why they went to Jerusalem to Herod’s palace to find out where the child was. But God has made it clear in His Word that He doesn’t operate according to the thinking of man: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”[1]
Mary probably understood this attribute of God better than anyone. She understood that God operates in a way foreign to man’s thinking. We are impressed and fearful of the proud and mighty, but God scatters them, and puts them down from their thrones. God instead exalts the lowly, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty.[2] Scripture tells us that God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.[3] So God announces the arrival of the Messiah to foolish shepherds, rather than to proud and mighty kings. He comes to be with us in human flesh through the womb of the humble Virgin Mary, and is born not in a palace, but in a peasant’s home, and laid in a lowly manger. All of this is to accomplish the most unexpected thing of all: This Jesus lying in a manger – who is God, with us – will defeat the proud and mighty devil, and destroy sin and death once and for all in what the world would see as the most foolish and absurd way possible. He will die on a cross as a despised criminal, bearing your sin, and mine. For God made Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[4] Jesus’ death is the propitiation for our sin and the sin of the world;[5] He gave His life as a ransom for many.[6] After three days, He rose from the dead for our justification.[7] He did this for you and for me, while we were still sinners, before we had done anything to earn His favor. He did it because He loves us. How foolish! How illogical! How wonderful! Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out![8]
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