I’m trying to imagine being a shepherd and seeing this angel. We don’t have a lot of information but I think they must have been some of the faithful who were waiting on the coming of the Messiah; that’s why the angel came to them—they were faithful. Humble, waiting on the God they believed in to send someone they couldn’t quite imagine. Perhaps they had talked among themselves about it, through those dark starry nights. Maybe they wondered together: What will he look like? Where will he live?
The angel was bright, shocking, but got right to the point. They were afraid but they got over it. Then they saw an entire host (a group) of angels singing praises to God. Because they were faithful and trusting they saw more.
Once they recovered from the shock of seeing the angel, the shepherds raced to Bethlehem to see for themselves. They saw
Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Then they spread the word!
Much like the shepherds, we are called to spread the word, the good news of our Messiah. He is our Savior, and becauseof Him we have
- Peace
- Eternal life
- A Relationship with God
You aren’t a speaker or an evangelist, you say? Well these shepherds were simply farmers, if you think about it. They weren’t particularly educated or eloquent. They simply told what they knew: The Savior has come.
This season, go and tell!