Around the time of Jesus ‘birth, the shepherds on the hills around Bethlehem would have had the essential job of caring for the sheep probably destined for slaughter in the Temple. A necessary job but one with little respect – maybe comparable to the toilet cleaners at a pop festival – someone has to do it. However, because of the close association to animal blood, excrement and death and the smell hanging round them, shepherds were regarded as unclean and were not allowed to worship at the Temple. Their testimony wasn’t accepted in a court of law, their status was that of a non-person.
There would be no reason for these shepherds to think this night would be any different from any other. A long cold night ‘keeping watch over their flocks’ frightening off predators and robbers, huddling round a camp fire, telling stories and checking on individual weak or sick sheep. There would have been a group of them – the young apprentices learning from the seasoned veterans. They were not easily frightened – between them years of experience – being able to identify the sounds of the night, the calls of the wild.
However, that night they became ‘terrified’. The sky suddenly lit up with extraordinary power light and sound. The darkness made way for a glorious glow. An angel appeared and said “Do not be afraid” the reason he gave was that, ‘a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’
No matter how unclean these shepherds were before the glory of God, God had provided a Saviour. And this Saviour was for them. God had chosen them to hear the news first. To top it all as proof, they were told where they could find the baby – not in a palace but lying in an animal food trough in a stable – down to earth, somewhere they could identify with.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God – what an amazing experience for the lowly, rough shepherd gang. They acted on the message, left their sheep, swapping their priorities to God’s agenda and went to worship the Saviour. They went from fear to joy. Those who had no status in society were chosen to hear the good news first. Those whose testimony wasn’t accepted in a human court were chosen to be witnesses to the greatest event in history.
When Jesus comes into our lives – we are changed. Our priorities shift. Our fear is replaced by joy. The shepherds came back to the sheep – just as we may come back to our lives that have to be dealt with and worked through – employment, finances, relationships, disappointments – but we have the underlying joy and peace of knowing God with us through it all.