Sunday, 12/21/2025

The Characters of Christmas: The Shepherds and Jesus

Luke 2:8–20 (ESV) And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Throughout the history of Israel, shepherding was a honorable profession. 

Shepherds made up the lowest class of people, coming in just ahead of the lepers. 

Shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean. 

They were isolated and forgotten. 

They were treated with contempt and mistrust. 

God entrusted the greatest message ever sent from heaven to a bunch of smelly shepherds. 

Matthew 9:12-13 “When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” ¹³ Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-29: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth…He chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things…so that no one may boast before Him.”

The Shepherds help us see that God has a message for sinners just like us. 

The first thing we see about the shepherds is that they were attentive and alert in their jobs. 

Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

They are suddenly filled with awe and fear by the angels announcement 

Whenever we come face-to-face with God’s holiness, we become fully aware of our sinfulness. 

Isaiah 6:5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

 Luke 5:8 “Get away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.” 

1 Thessalonians 2:13: “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”

These shepherds didn’t just accept and rejoice in the message they received, they acted upon it. 

The Bible is clear that acceptance must lead to action, 

James 2:17 “…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” 

They went and saw. 

They left and shared. 

The shepherds were filled with continued adoration.. 

A clear evidence of conversion is always adoration. 

Someone has observed that many of us worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship. 

Christmas is real history but it must become your story. 

Is He “Savior” to you? 

Is He “Christ” to you?

Is He “Lord” to you?