Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. Luke 2:9-11 HCSB
When our first grandchild was born, we were proud and wanted everyone to know. We called people, texted, sent messages, and even put pictures on Facebook announcing her birth. We did the same with our second grandchild, and next year we will celebrate and proclaim to others the birth of three more grandchildren.
Wow – what a birth announcement the shepherds received! Angels proclaimed the good news that the Messiah had been born. The Jewish people had been looking forward to the birth of the Messiah, the One who would be their Savior and deliver them. This would have been exciting news for the shepherds. Mistakenly, the Jewish people were looking for an earthly Savior, but Jesus came to save all people from their sin and give them eternal life.
Interestingly, the shepherds were probably watching sheep that would eventually be used as a sacrifice in the temple for the sins of the people. They were the first to hear that the perfect Lamb of God had been born. Instead of the birth being announced to the rulers and the wealthy, the greatest birth announcement of all time came to common shepherds.
Challenge: Thank God for the perfect Lamb of God – His Son, Jesus Christ – who has paid the perfect sacrifice for your sins and made it possible for you to enjoy forgiveness and eternal life.