“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.” -Luke 2:8–20
In sum, this is the Christmas story recorded in Luke’s gospel.
The angel of the Lord appears to shepherds while they are on the job. The angel’s appearance includes a revelation of the glory of the Lord which envelops all of them. This revelation evokes “great fear” in the Shepherds. It wasn’t—at least initially—a joyous occasion. Their fearful state was so real, the angel begins his announcement by comforting them with an admonition to “Fear not!”
Only then does he announce the manifestation of the evangelium (The Good News! see Genesis 3:15). The Anointed One, the Lord, who will crush Satan under his feet, is born. And the sign—the seal of approval proving his proclamation was authentic—is that in Bethlehem, you’ll find a baby wrapped in grave clothes lying in a feed box. Not what you would expect.
And, if one angel wasn’t enough to convince the fearful shepherds, an entire army of angels suddenly appear and give glory to God, saying: Gloria in Excelsis Deo!
When the angels leave, the shepherds hurry off in obedience to the heavenly announcement. When they see the sign—Mary, Joseph, and the baby in a manger—they give witness to their own experience with the heavenly vision. While some bystanders are awe-filled and uncertain of what is going on, Mary knows!
After meeting Jesus, the shepherds return to their regular jobs as believers, glorifying and praising God because everything turned out exactly as they had been told it would.
A few brief lessons: Angels are frightening. Faith is not blind. Obedience will be rewarded. And, even after we meet Jesus, we still have to go back to work at our regular jobs. But we go as believers—believers who glorify and praise God for his faithfulness to accomplish the great salvation he promised.
The Christmas story is about how “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” –Psalm 85:10
Merry Christmas!