Lowly Shepherds

Jesus’ birth was announced by angelic choirs. It was also greeted by shepherds, to whom the angels first announced the birth of the Christ.

Why would the news go to shepherds first?

Commentators commonly note that shepherds were not well-regarded in first-century Israel.

They were rough-hewn characters, unsettled, living on the margins of civilised life.

That is perhaps one reason why Luke records that shepherds were the first to hear the news of Jesus.

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. (Luke 2:8-10)

This is consistent with Luke’s constant theme of reversal.

With the coming of the Christ, everything gets turned upside down, as the humble are exalted and the exalted cast down (Luke 1:46-55).

While Augustus is surrounded by armies and wealthy retainers, the King of heaven is surrounded by lowly shepherds.

Yet, there seems to be something more precise going on here. True, shepherds are despised, but Israel was a nation of shepherds.

The Egyptians gave Israel the land of Goshen because they wanted to be separated from what they considered “loathsome” shepherds (Genesis 46:32-34; 47:3).

The patriarchs all kept goats and sheep, and some of the greatest of ancient Israel’s heroes were shepherds, including Moses (Exodus 3:1) and David (1 Samuel 16:11; 17:40).

Shepherding was so honoured in ancient Israel that the king was designated as the “shepherd” of the people.

And so, the angelic announcement to the shepherds of Bethlehem is an announcement of the gospel to all Israel (Luke 1:54).

Israel, dwelling like shepherds in darkness under Herod’s reign, and under the thumb of the Roman empire, have seen a great light.

Of course, the chief shepherd of Israel is Yahweh Himself (Psalm 23; 80:1) and the coming of Jesus is the coming of the Shepherd of Israel (cf. Ezekiel 34:23; John 10),

And so, the coming of the Chief Shepherd is announced to all the shepherds of Bethlehem. Their worship of Jesus is a sign that they acknowledge their Shepherd King.

This is our God. A God who comes to greet and announce good news to those who are of no great importance.

He comes to an unlikely place and offers good news of great joy to unlikely people.

The angles didn’t head for Rome where all important matters of this nature should be dealt with. Instead they headed for the ancient equivalent of some rundown Glaswegian pub. They didn’t head for the Sydney Opera House, they headed for the farmers market out near Dubbo. His eye was not on the eagle, but on the sparrow.

For many, this makes the good news hard to believe. For others, it makes it too good to be true.

That God should come to us, ordinary nobodies of whom the world could not care, and that He should give us any attention at all, should thrill our hearts and be reason enough to rejoice this Christmas.