The Shepherds and the Angels (Luke 2:8-20)

The shepherds involved in this incident were not the first shepherds described in the Bible as serving God. The first martyr, Abel, was a shepherd before he was killed by his brother Cain. Moses was a shepherd living in Midian when God called him to lead his people. David was a shepherd boy in Bethlehem when he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. Amos was a shepherd in Tekoa before he became a prophet. All these are known to us by name, unlike the shepherds in this story. But which of them had the greatest privilege? Surely these shepherds did who had the privilege of seeing Jesus.

Sometimes, surprising people are found together. Maybe it can happen in a lift when you find yourself sharing it with a very important person. Or sitting in a restaurant and in walks such an individual and takes the next table to you. Maybe it happens with crowds as well. Two marches with opposing ideas can find themselves sharing the same location for a short time. However surprising those encounters are, they are not as surprising as that between angels and shepherds. Residents of heaven were with the despised of earth; shepherds were not always admired in the ancient world, although there is no reason to assume that these men were bad.

 

How many shepherds and angels were there?

The only certain detail that can be given about the shepherds is that there was more than one. Apart from that, we don’t know how many there were, or how many sheep there were. I suppose the only indication about the number of shepherds is that they could stand beside the manger when they went to see the baby. To begin with, there was only one angel addressing the shepherds. Then suddenly, a multitude of angels appeared alongside the first angel, and they were all praising God. 

 

Whatever way we look at the incident, it is clear that the angels would have outnumbered the shepherds greatly. What does that say to us about heaven’s way of doing things? Obviously, sending one angel would have been very impressive. Surely, the presence of so many angels informs us about the joy that heaven has in singing about the saving purposes of God.

 

What were shepherds doing?

They were keeping watch, guarding the sheep from attacks by wild animals such as wolves and jackals. That would have been a demanding task for them, but they would have been dedicated to their work. What would it have taken for them to leave their flocks? Probably only a divine instruction. That is what happened. The angel told them where they would find the baby, and they went to see them.

 

How would you summarise the details given to us here about the shepherds? Here is a threefold description: working, witnessing and worshipping. It looks as if they did each activity with enthusiasm. I suppose there is a picture here of living an enjoyable Christian life. It is hard to give an authentic witness if we have not worked as we should have done. Neither can we worship if we are not prepared to witness. 

 

The arrival of the angel

Suddenly there was brightness in the middle of the night. The glory of the Lord is very bright. Later in the life of Jesus, when he was on the Mount of Transfiguration, his face shone as bright as the sun. The glory of the Lord may be a reminder of the pillar of fire that went with the children of Israel as they travelled from Egypt to Canaan. How much light would there be around the field in Bethlehem? An incredible amount. It is interesting to observe that when the Saviour was born there was light during the night and when he died over three decades later there was darkness during the day. Obviously, the Lord knew how to get the attention of the shepherds.

 

We shouldn’t be surprised at the initial response of the shepherds in that they feared greatly. So would we. There they were, face to face with an angel, as they stood in the middle of incredible bright light. They would never have experienced such a situation before. Although they did not yet know why the angel had appeared, they had been taken out of their comfort zone. Up until now, their concern had been about wolves and jackals. It is sometimes a good sign to be taken out of one’s comfort zone because it could indicate that God has something wonderful in mind. But it is the case that one cannot trust in a comfort zone and in God at the same time. 

 

The announcement of the angel

The angel began to speak. I wonder what the shepherds thought when they heard this visitor speaking in their language. Maybe this was the only time an angel ever preached the gospel, so that makes it a very important announcement. He came down from heaven to deliver a message of hope to a few needy sinners, and he was delighted so to do. 

 

The sympathy. The first words of the angel to the shepherds were information that he had not come to judge them for their sins. Rather, it was the opposite. Yet we have here a reminder that the gospel is best heard in an atmosphere where the words can be listened to without unnecessary pressures filling the minds of the hearers. Panic makes it difficult to focus on what is said.

 

The strategy. The angel made clear what the divine intention was. It was that the good news would be told to everyone in Israel initially and that the outcome of responding to the message would be great joy. 

 

The Saviour. The message concerns Jesus and the angel highlights various aspects of what is involved. First, the Saviour is a personal gift; unto you, said the angel. Second, the Saviour is a real human because he has been born in the normal manner (his conception was unique). Third, he is nearby, close to them, even in Bethlehem. Fourth, he is the Messiah, the One predicted in the Old Testament from the beginning. Fifth, he is the divine Lord, the second person of the Trinity, although the shepherds may not have understood that detail. So he is the God-man who was predicted throughout the Old Testament and who has been provided as a gift for sinners, and who has been brought near to them. Obviously, many things could be said about each of those points.

 

The sign. The final detail that the angel mentioned was where the baby would be found and what he would be clothed in. Given the greatness by which he has just been described, the manger and the cloths indicate his incredible humility. And we know that other passages in the New Testament affirm that the Son of God humbled himself and made himself of new reputation.

 

The song. As mentioned previously, a large number of angels suddenly appeared praising God for the grace that he had shown to sinful humans. One well-known preacher from the past, Alexander MacLaren, suggested that the angels were not hovering in the sky above the shepherds but standing in ranks as the army of the Lord. It would be amazing to have seen the army of peace as it celebrated the arrival of their King. It was his divine pleasure that sinners should experience the peace of God in the sense of it becoming the environment in which they should live. Of course, in order for there to be peace among people, there would have to be peace between them and God.

 

The shepherds meet the Saviour

We can see from Luke’s account that the response of the shepherds to the information given by the angel was prompt obedience. It is not said how far they had to travel because it is assumed that the field for the sheep was beyond the outskirts of the town. We might be surprised that they were willing to leave the sheep, yet we can assume that the angelic instruction carried with it a powerful divine influence that the sheep would be protected while the shepherds were away.

 

No doubt, Mary and Joseph would not have expected a visit from the shepherds. They would not have expected a call from anyone. Yet others were there because verse 18 refers to people who heard what the shepherds had to say. What an incredible story they had to tell! With what degree of wonder would they relate what they had seen and heard! Their manner would draw attention.

 

The last mention that is given of the shepherds is that they praised God for what they had been given the privilege to hear and see. They may have been devout men looking for the Messiah before the angel spoke to them, or maybe his words were blessed to them and led them to understand for the first time what salvation meant. Whichever it was, they now had entered into a life of conscious praise. And it was Christ-centred praise. His coming had truly put a song into their hearts.

 

The heart of Mary

Mary was a poor woman externally but a rich woman internally. She probably was the one who told Luke about what she had done with what the shepherds said and did. Clearly, verse 19 describes what she did after the incident was over. It was in the days ahead that she ‘treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.’ As we consider her response, we can see easily that she is a devout person. Her practice reveals the secret of what it means to have a meaningful devotional life. She put a high value on what she heard about her firstborn, and she ensured that those details were put into a secure place, her heart. She was not like rich people who merely check their finances when the bank sends them information. Rather, she looked at them often, or as Luke says, she pondered them. Ponder means taking mental effort, but it is not clinical mental effort. Rather she loved what she discovered about her Saviour. She challenges us about how we react to what we know about Jesus. 

 

Applications

 

Do we wish to understand humility? After all, the Bible says a lot about it. Then we should go with the shepherds to Bethlehem. What will we see in that place where he was? Horatius Bonar wrote that ‘There the highest is the lowest…. the Creator of the universe sleeps in a woman’s arms.’ Look what he is clothed in. Truly he made himself of no reputation. When we think we want our rights at the expense of others, spend some time beside the manger.

 

Do we remember why he was born? We die because we are born as sinners; we don’t become sinners; there is never a moment of innocence as far as we are concerned. In contrast to us, Jesus was not born a sinner, yet he was born to die. He would become a curse on the cross. He would yet bear the wrath of God. The place of his birth was not pleasant as far as its provision was concerned, and we know that his Joseph and Mary were poor. Yet the real time of his poverty was still to come. 

 

Do we enjoy the peace of God? The message of the angel was that peace was available to the shepherds, and that it would be accompanied with joy. Such inward peace comes after we have entered a state of peace with God. Heavenly help is at hand for bringing about this sense of peace because the Holy Spirit, who produces this peace in his people, indwells them even although they are sinners.