Sheep herders

Luke 2:8-15

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 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.”

We have shepherds who were the first to go see baby Jesus; 8lb,6oz baby Jesus if you so like. The shepherds were at best seen as the garbage men of their time. They were not ceremonially clean as the Jews would strive to be. They were dirty hard working men. There is something every symbolic about this though. The shepherds were tenders to the upper class families of Jerusalem's sheep. These were the sheep which would be sold for sacrifice in the temple. These same men who tended the sheep for sacrifice were invited by God to greet the newborn Jesus who would go up to be the slain Lamb for our sins.

Verse 14 has significance to the shepherds since Jewish custom of a baby boy being born there would be flutes and lyres played to announce the child was a boy. A great celebration would be had. Baby boys were revered, but baby girls were not. The girls would not carry on the family name or hold office. They would not be able to rise to greatness for the family. A heavenly host of angels came down to sing praises to God for the birth of his son.

God let the lowlifes of the culture come to His son's birth being only a few days old. They were the first to visit baby Jesus. His son who would be the Messiah and Savior!