By: Amanda Baker
Luke 2:8-11 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Christmas is a time for us to celebrate the coming of our Savior to this earth as a baby. The Christmas story is a familiar one to most people, and yet every year, I find that the unsearchable riches of the Scriptures come alive again with truth from this very familiar passage. The Lord came to this earth in an extremely humble manner and in a way that fulfilled prophecies written so many years before. The thing that struck me as I was recently pondering the announcement of Christ’s birth is the unlikely audience that the Lord used to announce His birth. His purpose in coming was to save His people from their sins. Why did He choose to use His angels in such a magnificent manner to herald the news of His birth to a group of simple shepherds? This unlikely audience could be considered symbolic of the fact that the Lord was concerned with the unlikely people of this world rather than just the important ones. He chose the shepherds to share the news of His birth. I am sure that those shepherds were not expecting that job, but God used them and encouraged their hearts with His angel’s words – “Fear not!” May we, like the shepherds, be willing to be used to share the good news of the Gospel no matter what time of year it is. And when we have thoughts of doubt as to whether we should speak up for Him, may we remember the angel’s words to the shepherds, and fear not!