Day 23, Read Luke 2:15-20

The very nature of sheep suggests the need of a shepherd.  They are unaggressive, relatively defenseless, and in constant need of care and supervision.  Thus we are not surprised to often find the sheep/shepherd relationship in Scripture (Psalm 23:1; 100:3; etc.)  Jesus, when He saw the people, saw them as sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34), meaning they were in a sad way.

Perhaps we should not be surprised that the first announcement of the birth of the Savior came to shepherds on a hillside on the outskirts of Bethlehem.  After all, their occupation is that of the great Savior.

·        Jesus the Messiah was the promised shepherd of Israel (Ezek. 34).  Having found the “shepherds of Israel” (the kings, prophets, priests; v1-10) lacking, God promised that HE would be Israel’s Shepherd (v11-32).  But what He meant was that He would sent His Son, the Son of David (v23-24): “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them— My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.”

·        Jesus the Messiah was the Good Shepherd (John 10).  Jesus also found the shepherds lacking in His day.  It is out of their condemnation that He promises to be the Good Shepherd.  He will be the trustworthy “door” of the sheep, the only way into the sheepfold (v1-7).  Unlike the failed leaders who are thieves or mere hirelings, Jesus will “give His life for the sheep” (v11).

·        Jesus the Messiah is also the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  According to Alfred Edersheim (p.89) this may be the primary significance of the shepherds in the story.  They may have been keeping watch over the very sheep used in the worship of the temple at Jerusalem a short distance away.  Their glorifying of God may have reached far beyond sleepy Bethlehem to Jerusalem, the seat of power.  It is this Lamb who would be led silently to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7), the “lamb unblemished and spotless” whose blood would redeem all who believe (1 Peter 1:18-19).  In the future, it is the Lamb that was slain who will rule (Rev. 5:11-14; 13:8; 14:1-4; 19:6-9).

The shepherds speak well of Christ.  But one hopes they speak well of us too.  Their response to the simple announcement as to where the Savior could be found was to quickly go seek Him out.  It indicates that they, as do all humans, had a longing for salvation, for deliverance from sin and guilt, for a Savior.  An announcement by angels was sufficient to tell them the Savior had in fact come.  And having found Him, they blessed Mary and Joseph with their story.  And then they blessed God for keeping His promise of grace and mercy.  Let us learn from the shepherds this Christmas.