The Shepherds • Devotion 2

The Roughnecks?
Pastor Noble Baird

Personally, I have always loved how the Lord chose to include and prioritize the shepherds in the birth of Christ. As we go over the Christmas story (the birth of Christ), it is always amazing how intentional the Lord is with whom He reveals and proclaims the birth of His Son, Jesus. In Luke 2:8-20, we have the account of the proclamation to the Shepherds of the glorious birth of Christ. It reads, “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ 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 among those with whom he is pleased!’ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

One of the things I love most about the shepherds is the fact that they are just hard-working roughnecks. Day and night they work to take care of, provide, protect, and watch over their sheep. It is truly an exhausting, dirty, and labor-intensive job. They are the ones who can often be forgotten about because they are just there in the background being a seemingly small cog in a bigger picture of production and societal provision. However, the Lord sends His angels to proclaim the birth of His Son to those dirty, hardworking roughnecks who by the standards of the world are a dime a dozen and easily overlooked and simply lost in the crowd.

I am not sure about you, but man, does that bring comfort. The same Lord who intentionally sent His messengers to the shepherds, sent His Son, Jesus, for you and me! What comfort and joy we can have in this season. It is especially meaningful on those days when we may feel lost in the crowd and forgotten by the world. May we remember that the same Lord who intentionally chose to celebrate and include the shepherds in the birth of His Son, chose to include us in His story of redemption and reconciliation to Himself!