The Shepherds and Angels

Luke 2:8-20

The first people told about the Messiah were men nobody would have told.

That same night, shepherds are keeping watch over their flocks in fields outside Bethlehem. Shepherds — low status, ritually unclean, their testimony inadmissible in court. An angel appears. The glory of the Lord blazes around them. They're terrified. The angel says: Don't be afraid. I bring good news of great joy for all people. Today, in David's town, a Savior has been born — the Messiah, the Lord. You'll find him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Then the sky explodes: a vast company of the heavenly host, praising God. The shepherds go immediately. They find exactly what they were told — a baby in a feeding trough. They spread the word to everyone they meet.

• Joy
• Unexpected Witnesses
• God's Announcement
• Humility