8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. (Luke 2:8-21)
Here we see that after the Lord Jesus was born, angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the good news. Shepherds were of relatively low social status, and the good news of birth of the Lord Jesus was first announced to them. God gives grace to the humble and favors the lowly. When the angel appeared to them, they were afraid, but the angel told them not to be afraid. As we saw earlier, when the angel appeared to Zechariah and Mary, he also told them not to be afraid. However, demons are different. When they appear to people, they don’t tell them not to be afraid. The angel told the shepherds that the Lord Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. A manger is a feeding trough for animals, a humble place. Upon hearing the good news, the shepherds believed and obeyed, and hurried to Bethlehem, where they found Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus in a manger. Seeing him, they spread the angel’s words concerning the child. Returning, the shepherds glorified and praised God, because everything they had heard and seen was just as the angel had told them. We see the shepherds’ faithful response. They acted immediately upon hearing the angel’s message, telling others and glorifying and praising God. Here we also see that the angel’s message portrays Jesus as the Savior, the Messiah, and the Lord. The word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word “Mashiach,” meaning “the anointed one.” In ancient Israel, when a person was appointed to an important position (such as king, priest, or prophet), a ceremony was held in which sacred anointing oil was poured on their head. This “anointing” ceremony symbolized their selection by God and the granting of authority and mission. We also see that after eight days, the child was circumcised. According to the Old Testament, a child must be circumcised eight days after birth. He was named Jesus, a name given by the angel to Mary and Joseph.
May God bless you and your family!
