TOPIC:‌“The Searching of the Shepherds”

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌St. Luke 2:8-20

 

‌‌“The shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see

this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us”

(Luke 2:15)

 

‌Within a few days we shall be celebrating the most joyful event the world has ever known - the birth of Jesus Christ. His coming into the stream of humanity by means of the incarnation is one of the most wonderful mysteries of divine love. God coming to live among us in the tiny dimensions of the Bethlehem Babe. And get this: It all came about by means of the supernatural virgin birth of Christ. Here at Bethlehem God upset the biological process of human birth by forming within the womb of Mary a body through which He took a human nature and was born as the baby Jesus. A scientific impossibility, yes! But not impossible with God.

 

‌And into this story of divine love comes the announcement of the birth of Jesus to these humble shepherds. That raises a very interesting question: Why did God make this divine announcement to these plain and ordinary shepherds instead of to the high and mighty leaders of that time? As a matter of fact, why wasn't Jesus born in elegant Rome instead of unknown Bethlehem? Why was He born in a cave instead of a castle? That's how kings are usually born. I believe it was because God wanted to make certain that the good news of salvation reaches all people - the Gentiles as well as the Jews, the poor as well as the rich, and the black as well as the white. There you have the God who loves the ordinary. The God who loves everybody.

 

‌We need to know at this point that taking care of sheep according to the Jews was looked upon with contempt. Shepherds were despised. It was an ugly profession. The Jews had lack of respect for those herdsmen who no doubt provided the lambs for the Temple sacrifices during the time of the Passover. Animal sacrifices were still being used during the time of Jesus to provide a covering for sins committed. So there you have the shepherds - ordinary, plain, humble and look down upon.

 

‌Now God will always come first to those with a humble heart. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding this very thing: “Brethren, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things…” (I Corinthians 1:26-28, NIV). Think again according to Paul of those people to whom God makes Himself known - the foolish, the weak, the lowly and the despised. So it . . .