Working in the Field

One dark and quiet evening, not unlike most other evenings, three ordinary men were standing in a field minding their own business, doing what they always did. These were working men, yet they were men that much of society looked down upon. These three men were shepherds and they were tending their flocks.

The Birth Announcement

There was nothing special about this night up until this point. The shepherds hadn’t noticed anything unusual, when suddenly out of nowhere an angel appeared before them.

Everything changed.

As you can imagine, they were terrified at the sudden appearance of the angel, but the angel quickly comforted them saying he was bringing them good news.

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. ¹

This was a birth announcement, but not just any birth announcement. It was the birth announcement of the Savior of the world.

Why Shepherds?

How interesting is it that God decided the birth announcement of the Christ should first go to working men who most of society looked down upon, rather than to the Pharisees or Sadducees?

Why is it that God chose shepherds over the Pharisees or Sadducees? I believe there are probably two reasons for this.

The First Reason:

First, the analogy of God as a shepherd and the people as his sheep was used to describe the relationship between God and his people throughout the Old Testament.

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
    the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day (Genesis 48:15 ESV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 ESV)

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young (Isaiah 40:11 ESV)

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ¹² As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. Ezekiel 34:11-12 ESV)

I think it should also be noted that David was a shepherd before he became king, I don’t think that was coincidental.

Jesus not only continued using the shepherd analogy, but also called himself the Good Shepherd.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me (John 10:14 ESV)

I believe there was symbolism in this birth announcement to the shepherds. The Good Shepherd had just been born and to shepherds came this good news.

The Second Reason:

Second, salvation is available to all people who accept Jesus as their Savior regardless of position, power, or past. By making the announcement to people whom society looked down upon, while ignoring the powerful and influential, a subtle message was being sent that God’s plan was for everybody.

Jesus said the following during one prayer:

²⁵ At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.²

The wise and understanding would be the Pharisees and Sudducees. Those who are like children are those who honestly and humbly seek the word of God. Who would have been more humble than these shepherds?

Jesus often chastised the Pharisees and the Sadducees while ministering to the outcast, the downtrodden, the hurt, the lonely, and the suffering. Jesus did not ignore the people whom society looked down upon.

He did not do this because he condoned their behavior, but because he loved them enough to call them to repentance. He wanted them to know that God had not forgotten them. He wanted them to know that while society looked down upon them that God still had room for them at the banquet.

These are the reasons why I believe God announced the birth of his son to the shepherds instead of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Merry Christmas and may God bless you all!

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1. Luke 2:10-11 ESV ↩︎
2. Matthew 11:25-27 ESV ↩︎