The Jews in the first century were looking for the Messiah — just not how He came. God made sure that the news of His birth was broadcast far and wide. This daily devotional looks at how the message was given to unusual messengers who did their job.
Nuggets
- Shepherds were uneducated, religiously unclean people, but they were the first ones who were told of the birth of the Christ Child.
- We think we have to have this long, drawn out discourse when we witness and tell others the story of the Christ Child’s birth, but we don’t.
- The whole message of the host was the Christ Child was born to glorify God.
- God knew the shepherds would do something with the message.
Devotions in the The Birth of the Christ Child series
Broadcasting the Message of the Christ Child’s Birth
We asked this question in the last devotion: Why wasn’t everyone cognizant of the fact the King of kings and Lord of lords Who was coming to save the lost souls was here?
They may not have known the birth was going to take place. God made sure they got the message after the birth occurred.
The angels gave the message to an unlikely group of people. They first told the shepherds about the birth of the Christ Child.
Let’s look at Luke’s account of the story.
Let's Put It into Context
The nuggets from the previous devotion were the following:
- Caesar Augustus may not have believed in the Sovereign God, but God still used Him to accomplish His plan.
- Mary and Joseph were nothing but obedient.
- People were waiting for the Messiah — they just weren’t waiting for this little Baby to be born that night in Bethlehem.
- Being born in a stable striped away all of the trappings of this life showed what is most important — salvation that can only be acquired through the Christ Child.
An Unlikely Pairing: Shepherds and Angels
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid” (Lk. 2: 8-9 KJV)
Shepherds had a bad rep in those days. They were considered dregs of society. They were uneducated, religiously unclean people.
But they were the first ones who were told of the birth of the Christ Child. I think there were several reasons for this. We have to take into account who they may have been, where they were, and what they were doing.
The shepherds were doing exactly what David had been doing when he was young — tending sheep. They may have been on the same hills David had run. They may have been descendants of David or one of his brothers.
Those who may have been related to David were being told that the promise made to David was being fulfilled.
The sheep were outside. They weren’t cooped up in a barn that was their residence alone. They were on God’s hills in God’s nature.
I like how Murphy described why God made the announcement in this way. He wrote, “His kingdom was not of this world, and He deigned not to borrow its rites. But His insignia are stamped in the heavens (Matthew 2:2). Angels announced His advent with strains of highest rapture.”
Resource
I don’t think we should lose the fact that the shepherds were watching. Were the shepherds sitting around doing nothing? Oh, no. They were checking to make sure the sheep were healthy. They were tending to what needed to be addressed — illness, growth, sheep squabbles.
Remember, these sheep may have been earmarked for sacrifice in the temple. That meant they were to be without blemish. That meant they had to be extra careful.
The shepherds were having a normal night. And then the angel showed up.
Oh, yeah. They were afraid.
One thing my Ladies and I talked about was angel placement. We always think that the angel was in the sky.
Really, the Scriptures don’t say. It just says the angels came to visit.
The angel wasn’t the only thing that appeared. God’s glory did, also. Glory expresses the splendor representing the attributes of God resulting from the authority of God. It is called the Shechinah.
Of course, the shepherds were afraid. They got over it.
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The First Evangelistic Message
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Lk. 2: 10-12 KJV)
We think we have to have this long, drawn out discourse when we witness and tell others the story of the Christ Child’s birth.
Nope. Fifty-eight words. We should learn from the first evangelist.
Fear not (Lk. 2: 10 KJV)
The standard reaction to seeing a angel show up is fear. Let’s add a twist to this.
Abbot contended that the gospel produces fear in those who are hearing it for the first time. That is understandable, as the gospel is showing us our separation from God.
It is also showing us our sins. Sins are actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
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God doesn’t do this so that we become overwhelmed. He is showing us what we need to fix. Because He has presented the means through which our relationships can be restored, we no longer have to fear death and hell.
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy (Lk. 2: 10-12 KJV)
Considering it was mankind who broke the relationship back in the Garden, we might think God would be upset with us. We could see the message being one of a threat or punishment.
Nope. God doesn’t operate that way. He wants the relationship restored.
So, God sent a message of salvation. But it isn’t just deliverance from evil and the consequences of sins to replace them with good and eternal life.
God gives us joy.
which shall be to all people (Lk. 2: 10 KJV)
None of our qualifiers work. God sent salvation to everyone. We don’t have to have a certain job. We don’t have to have certain skills.
God wants the relationship with everyone restored. Paul told Timothy that God was One “who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2: 4 CSB).
For unto you is born this day (Lk. 2: 11 KJV)
Maybe people didn’t know the Christ Child was going to be born that night. But God got the word out immediately after the birth.
God didn’t want to wait. Someone may die before they found out the Christ Child had been born. He didn’t want to lose anyone for eternity.
in the city of David (Lk. 2: 11 KJV)
We talked in the last devotion how small the town of Bethlehem was in the first century. It was said to have had only about 100 people.
Still, it was an important town. This was from where David came.
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Lk. 2: 11 KJV)
The message wasn’t about just any baby. The Baby was Christ the Lord.
Jesus means Savior. Christ, like Messiah, means anointed one. Lord means the essence of Jehovah.
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And this shall be a sign unto you (Lk. 2: 12 KJV)
God wants to make sure we see we need the Christ Child. We talked before that we are told point blank where we go wrong (sin), and we are told point blank how to fix it (faith).
We get what we need to see that we need the Christ Child.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (Lk. 2: 12 KJV)
Boardman felt it was imperative that the Christ Child have a humble birth. He wrote, “Had He descended otherwise, we might not have believed so easily in the reality of the Incarnation. We might have said that He was an angel. But when we behold Him a helpless little Babe, we feel that the Incarnation was no acting — no phantom.”
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lying in a manger” (Lk. 2: 12 KJV)
It didn’t matter us Jesus was born in a palace or in a stable. He was the Savior of the world.
We generally expect babies to grow up and fix things that are broken in this world. Maybe they will fix society. Maybe they will fix global warming. Maybe they will find cures for diseases.
Only Jesus was able to fix the separation Mankind experienced after the original sin.
The Message from the Heavenly Host
“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, good will toward men” (Lk. 2: 13-14 KJV)
Ooo, baby. If one angel was scary enough, I bet a multitude of angels was a sight.
This wasn’t going to be one or two more angels joining the lead angel. This was going to be fill-up-the-night-sky numbers.
Their whole message of the host was the Christ Child was born to glorify God.
The Shepherds’ Message
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” (Lk. 2: 15-17 KJV)
Much is made over the fact that God had the first message of the Christ Child’s birth was given to a group of people low down on the food chain.
But I think it was more than that. God knew the shepherds would do something with the message. Let’s look at their actions.
- “… Let us now go …” (Lk. 2: 15 KJV)
- “And they came with haste …” (Lk. 2: 16 KJV)
- “… they made known abroad …” (Lk. 2: 17 KJV)
˘God gave the message to those with willing hearts. Wonnacott wrote, “They did not arise and go because they doubted, but because they believed.” He gave the message to those who would be obedient to Him.
Yes, they may have been common, even ignorant, men. But they were willing to be of service to God.
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Making the Connections
When I was preparing the Sunday Morning Bible Study lesson, I kept sensing the need for urgency. There was a reason the angels gave the shepherds the message on the day the Christ Child was born.
God didn’t want to wait to get the message out. He didn’t want anyone to wait another moment for salvation.
Today. God wants you to address your spiritual condition today.
It doesn’t matter that there is no one in the church office. It isn’t about you and the church.
It is about you and God. God isn’t taking a holiday today.
God does not want you to wait. All you have to do is kneel down – literally or figuratively – and admit you are separated from Him, believe that the Christ Child was sent to be your Savior, and confess that God is the Sovereign God.
How Do We Apply This?
If God could use the shepherds to tell the good news, He can use us. Cox wrote, “… that whatever may be the distinctions which obtain among us elsewhere, we are all one in the service of Christ, and should use our several gifts for each other’s good …”
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When we think about the birth of the Christ Child fulfilling prophecy, we realize we can believe the words in Scripture. God has told us what we need to know. He keeps His promises.
God doesn’t have to make everything big and splashy. He can use the common, everyday things to grow us in His image.
The main message we get from the birth of the Christ Child is that He is our Savior. He is a gift from God, we just have to accept the gift.
Father God. We accept. Amen.
What do you think?
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