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. 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 Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
(verses 8-12)
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There are two things we need to remember about these shepherds.
The first is that they were stunned with fear. When that angel first appeared, these shepherds “were terrified”; or, as the King James version so quaintly put it, “they were sore afraid”! Ouch indeed! We so easily forget the shocking terror that would have pierced their hearts – instead, we too easily sing “Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plain.” But before these shepherds ever got around to hearing the sweet harmonies, the angelic messenger needed to pronounce over them the decisive authoritative word: “Do not be afraid.” For this was an absolutely stunning moment – a message from the very throne room of heaven.
The second thing we need to remember is that these shepherds were deeply committed to the heritage of their hometown, Bethlehem. They would have been proudly steeped in the history of David, the shepherd who became Israel’s greatest King. They would have known the prophecies of God’s promised Messiah, coming from David’s own line, being birthed in David’s own town.
So, amid their abating fear, they would have heard the angel’s announcement with quivering excitement and keen awareness, understanding each title to be filled with colour from David’s own history.
“Saviour.” That title would have stirred images of David’s stone crashing into the Philistine giant, dropping him to the ground, saving God’s people from danger and oppression. He’d saved his sheep from the lion and the bear, and he would go on to save Israel as king, fighting for them on the field of battle, keeping them safe from their enemies. If David had acted as saviour, this heaven-endorsed announcement promised even more. “Good news … for all the people … a Saviour has been born to you.” The shepherds understood.
“Messiah.” The Hebrew title means “anointed one,” indicating one chosen by God for a specific task. The title would have conjured up images of David himself, anointed by the prophet Samuel to be King over all Israel, the oil oozing through his hair, flowing down over brow and neck, dripping on clothing, marking him chosen. Now the angels were announcing the Messiah – the one long-promised; the one chosen by God to fulfill his purposes. The shepherds understood.
“Lord.” Did the angel really mean this? If so, it is the most shocking title of the lot. David himself would only ever have used this name in prayer and worship, lifting his praise in song to Almighty God. For shepherds knew – as did everyone else in all Israel – that “Lord” was the divine title. The name above all names. Reserved for God alone. David only used it in reverence. No wonder, then, this angelic announcement was “good news that will cause great joy,” for it means this child who has been born as Saviour and Messiah is none other than God himself. Stunning! The shepherds understood.
At least in part. For how could they grasp the full wonder? Especially when the angel gave the authenticating sign: “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Almighty God? Stooping so low? As a baby? In an animal’s feeding trough? How could it be?
But having been found in appearance as a man, this child – Saviour, Messiah, Lord – would humble himself even more, taking the nature of a servant, becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross. This was the calling. This was salvation. This was the cost.
So with the shepherds, then, we find ourselves “glorifying and praising God” for all we have heard and seen. In David’s town – a Saviour, who is Messiah, who is the Lord. Good news of great joy!
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Dear Lord Jesus – I praise you as my Saviour, my Messiah, my Lord. I thank you for the salvation you have secured for me. What great joy!
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Reflect:
Choose one of these titles – Saviour, Messiah, Lord – and walk with it all day. What difference does this announcement make at each step of this day’s journey? What security does it bring? What challenge? What focus? What new perspective?
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Photo by Jaka Škrlep on Unsplash
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