THE MESSAGE OF THE SHEPHERDS                   The Ministry of Jesus – Part 3

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

Luke 2:1-20 (READ PASSAGE) “SHEPHERDS OUT IN THE FIELDS” (V.8) “And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

SOME PEOPLE WILL TELL US THAT THIS VERSE PROVES JESUS WAS BORN IN A WARM TIME OF THE YEAR. BUT LET’S LOOK AT THIS. BY JEWISH LAW SHEEP, WHICH WERE TO BE USED IN TEMPLE SACRIFICE, WERE TO BE KEPT OUTDOORS, YEAR-ROUND, EVEN IN WINTER. AND THE FACT THAT SHEPHERDS WERE WITH THEM AT NIGHT DOESN’T PROVE THAT IT’S NOT WINTER. INSTEAD, IT POINTS TO ONE OTHER IMPORTANT FACT: YOU SEE, SHEPHERDS WERE A DESPISED CLASS OF PEOPLE, AND WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LIVE IN THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES. SO WHERE, ON A YEAR-ROUND BASIS, WERE THEY TO BE FOUND? OUT IN THE PASTURES!

WHY WERE THEY DESPISED?

THEIR WORK WAS 24/7, AND THEREFORE PREVENTED THEM FROM BEING IN A COMMUNITY SITUATION. BUT WORSE, IT PREVENTED THEM,OFTEN, FROM OBSERVING THE CEREMONIAL JEWISH LAW, AND THEREFORE, THEY WERE VIEWED AS UNCLEAN, UNRIGHTEOUS OUTCASTS, ROAMING THE COUNTRYSIDE WITH THEIR FLOCKS. THE ONLY TIME YOU INTERACTED WITH A SHEPHERD WAS WHEN YOU NEEDED TO PURCHASE AN ANIMAL FOR SACRIFICE.

SO LET’S LOOK AT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE SHEPHERDS:

Lowly ...Unsophisticated ...Lived with their sheep (dirty?) ...Religious Outcasts

SO WHY WOULD A HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS GOD CHOOSE THEM FOR THE HONOR OF BREAKING THE NEWS OF COMING OF CHRIST? (V. 9) “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.”

WHY WOULD GOD CHOOSE THEM? I MEAN, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? WE HAVE THE MESSIAH FINALLY BEING BORN, THE SAVIOR OF ISRAEL THAT HAS BEEN FORETOLD FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, AND THIS IS HOW GOD CHOOSES TO BRING HIM?

WELL, WHY WOULD GOD CHOOSE YOU? WHY WOULD GOD CHOOSE ME?

LOOK AT WHO HE’S USING IN THIS WHOLE DRAMA

* AN UNKNOWN CARPENTER NAME JOSEPH FROM THE NASTY TOWN OF NAZERATH (REGARDED AS THE ARMPIT OF THE JEWISH WORLD)

*AN UNWED FATHER AND MOTHER

*A LINEAGE THAT CONTAINED FIVE WOMEN (ALL OF WHOM WERE ACCUSED OF HAVING ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN)

*SCUM OF THE EARTH SHEPHERDS

*PERSIAN ASTROLOGERS (THE MAGI) WHO, UP TO NOW, WORSHIPPED THE STARS. (BY THE WAY, THE MAGI DIDN’T COME TO THE STABLE; THEY CAME ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER TO JOSEPH AND MARY’S HOUSE, BUT WE’LL COVER THAT IN ANOTHER LESSON)

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE’S BEING BORN IN A BARNYARD FEED TROUGH!

HOW CAN GOD DO THIS? BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE OF US, AND GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART! YOU SEE, WE HAVE HOMOGONIZED AND SANITIZED THE MANGER SCENE; WE’VE LIFTED UP THE “SOCIAL STATUS” OF ALL THESE PEOPLE IN THE MANGER SCENE, TO A LEVEL THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY GIVEN IN THEIR OWN TIME.

SO, IF GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART, WHAT IS THE HEART OF THE SHEPHERD? Bravery

Loyalty

Gives his life for his sheep

PLUS, THE BIBLE SHOWS A HISTORY OF GOD ALWAYS USING SHEPHERDS. LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE FAMOUS SHEPHERDS: ABEL ABRAHAM ISAAC JACOB JOSEPH MOSES DAVID. . .

AND WE’VE SEEN THAT JOSEPH AND MARY BOTH ARE DIRECTLY DESCENDED FROM KING DAVID. (V10-11) “And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

ISN’T IT INTERESTING THAT THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE CONTAINS A REFERENCE TO KING DAVID? AND THAT THE MESSAGE IS PRESENTED TO SHEPHERDS. IT’S AS IF GOD IS TELLING THE WORLD THAT HIS HISTORICAL WORKERS, THE SHEPHERDS, ARE NOW GOING TO PASS THE CUP ON TO THE ULTIMATE SHEPHERD, JESUS CHRIST! THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGELS: V.13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

THIS LAST IS ACTUALLY TRANSLATED DIRECTLY TO SAY “GOD’S PEACE among men WHO HAVE GOODWILL TOWARD HIM,” OR “TOWARD MEN with whom he is pleased!’”

THE MESSAGE OF THE SHEPHERDS: (V. 15-19) “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (NKJV)

THE SHEPHERDS BECAME THE FIRST WITNESSES. THEIR RESPONSE SHOWS US HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND TO HEARING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE SAVIOR: WE SHOULD GO IMMEDIATELY, LEAVE THE TASK AT HAND (OUR SHEEP) AND SEE JESUS FOR OURSELVES, THEN IMMEDIATELY SHARE THE NEWS. (V. 20) Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

THE FINAL THING THE SHEPHERDS DID IS ALSO AN EXAMPLE TO US: THEY LEFT, PRAISING AND WORSHIPPING GOD FOR WHAT HE DID FOR THEM! . SO LET’S LEAVE TODAY, CLOSING WITH A PRAISE SONG!