Shepherd Evangelist

December 18th, 2020

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.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2:15-18, NIV

When the shepherds were told to look for a baby, they were told they would know when they found the right baby, because the one they were looking for would be lying in a food trough. 

Why would God choose the shepherds to be the first to see the baby Jesus? They were poor, low class, night-shift shepherds. They likely smelled bad and were viewed by most people as untrustworthy. 

Why would God choose them? Here’s one possible reason: they wouldn’t think it strange to lay a baby in a feeding trough! As shepherds living on the land and raising their children off the land, that wouldn’t make them uncomfortable. 

Maybe God chose them, in part, because Mary and Joseph, and especially the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, were the kind of people and circumstances the shepherds would be comfortable with. 

I wonder: If Jesus came today and was born in a homeless shelter, or was laid in a bucket and nursed next to animals—how would we respond? Would we be able to worship Jesus, or would we be distracted by the surroundings?

Shepherds were able to move past these distractions and see Jesus for who he was, and as a result, they went and told everyone they saw!

The shepherds became the first evangelists. They told people what they had seen and experienced. 

How might your expectations for how things should be keep you from worshiping Jesus when he’s found in some unlikely places?

Who could you share Jesus with this Christmas? Who could you invite to church this Christmas?

Prayer: God, the One who is too good to keep to ourselves, give us courage to share your good news with others.