In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
~ Luke 2:8
Perhaps at some point or other in your life you’ve had an important windfall. Some event or circumstance has entered into your life, almost by chance, and you find yourself immensely blessed by it. I know in my own life, there have been countless unexpected blessings.
The world would tell you that these events are random—just being in the right place at the right time. These moments of serendipity are no more planned than the moments of tragedy, and your job is to ‘get what you can, can what you get, and sit on the lid.’
However, Christmas reminds us that God’s plans for His people are never random, and this story of the shepherds is particularly helpful.
Shepherds in the ancient world were effectively middle class. They weren’t beggars, of course, but they weren’t among the rich or elite. Whether they owned the flocks they watched or not, they were making a living and supporting families.
Luke tells us almost nothing about these men, but put yourself in their shoes for a moment.
You’re a shepherd. Your father was a shepherd. Your father’s father was a shepherd. And so on. Shepherds as far back as anyone can remember. You’ve been raised among the sheep, and know them well. You know how to calm them, how to care for them, and where to find the best pastures for eating and for resting.
During the day, you go home to your family and see your children. You live week to week, surviving but not getting rich. You know your children after you will do the same. Apart from the small blessings and small tragedies, life is a constant stream of the mundane.
Until this moment.
Undoubtedly the most serendipitous event in the entire lives of these men is pictured for us in this passage. The night was like every night before it—for generations. The sheep were settled down, the men were leaning against trees, huddled under their heavy outer cloaks, trying to stay warm. One man stood watch for wild animals or thieves.
Then suddenly the darkness turns to light all around them in the heavens, and an angel is standing in their midst, shining with the glory of God. No wonder they were terrified!
These shepherds were no different than any other shepherds on the hills of Judea that night. They were no different than any other shepherds that had lived for countless generations. They were no different than the many generations that would follow. And yet, that one night, an angel of God appeared to them, announced the coming of the Messiah, and sent them to find Him.
We never hear another word about them. Certainly they told the stories. But we are left with this one moment, like a snapshot in time, of the most stunning event in their lives.
Why? Why these men, of all others? Why did God reveal Jesus to them?
I have no idea.
The only possible answer is God’s profound sovereignty. He chose them, and decided, of all the countless thousands, to reveal Himself to them. We know that they went to Bethlehem and worshiped the newborn Messiah, and somehow told Luke the story, and so I have every expectation that this revelation led to their salvation.
We are like these shepherds. Life is, for the most part, mundane. We eat, sleep, work, raise kids, do chores, and repeat. Very few things change in our lives.
But Christmas reminds us of the most glorious moment of our lives—the moment when we too saw the glory of God revealed. We didn’t see angels, and we didn’t have visions, but we saw the glory of God just the same. God revealed Himself to us in Jesus because He is sovereign and because He chose us.
Why? Why me?
I have no idea.
But like the shepherds, I can choose to go to Jesus today and worship Him!
