Outsiders

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Luke 2:8-9 (NIV)

Driving down to the Dead Sea from Jerusalem, on the hills outside the city, we usually see flocks of sheep and goats being looked after by very poor folk! There's not a lot of grass, as the terrain is a bit rocky - a similar scene to the shepherds on that first Christmas eve. These weren't the guys that would have been the first names on an invite to a posh dinner party! They were basically outsiders.

Were they sitting there telling jokes, keeping their spirits up in the darkness. Were they intrigued at the new bright, shining star in the sky? Who knows?

Certainly, they were struck dumb and terrified at what happened next...

An angel of the Lord, maybe our friend Gabriel, appeared.. he must have been something awesome, because the Bible says the shepherds were terrified. I think we would've been too.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” Luke 2:10-14

Why did God send the angels to the shepherds? Why not to the Sanhedrin, the religious leaders of the day, who studied the scriptures for a living?

Did the God, who knows every heart, realise that those guys would have "pooh-poohed" it?

They would've looked down their nose at a young woman from Nazareth and her carpenter hubby - how could they be the bearer of the long awaited Messiah! Especially, as that baby was found laying in a smelly feeding trough, wrapped in swaddling cloths. There was nothing majestic about it.

Yet those shocked shepherds did take it on board. They were so awestruck, they said: "Let's go and see"....

I wonder if you are humble enough of heart to say... let me go and check out if Jesus really is real! Maybe you haven't had an angel visitation, but you HAVE heard the good news about Jesus. Check it out, have a look for yourself.

Interestingly enough, those humble shepherds were the first ever missionaries:

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:16-20

Then those outsiders became the insiders - they, who the people thought were insignificant shepherds, got the inside track on Messiah's birth!