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 of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
It is springtime in the Middle East. December has weather that is too cold and the grasses are not growing sufficiently to warrant spending nights away from home. In December, shepherds stayed close to home and pastured their flocks on local fields, travelling home each evening. I say all this to say, Jesus was probably not born at Christmastime. The current date on which we celebrate Christmas was chosen around 400 years later probably for political reasons. So, should we stop celebrating Jesus’ birth? I don’t think so. But the simplicity of this birth gets lost in our hyper-commercialized celebration. Our society has crowded Jesus right out of the feed box into which he was placed. The shepherds have spent the night sleeping with their sheep in a temporary containment area. Several flocks have been brought together to make watching them easier for all. As they are taking turns sleeping and all of them are resting, an angel shows up with his live band and laser light show. The light must have been blinding in the middle of the starlit field. The text says they were terrified. I don’t know if you have ever been terrified, but it is not a pleasant experience. I talk with people every day who have lived through terror experiences. None of them found them pleasant. Every one of them never wants to go back and relive those moments. The angel tells them to not be afraid. But they are already terrified. Has anyone ever told you to stop being afraid? Did it help? I didn’t think so. But the news they receive and the sign they observe brings them back to normal. But why did the angel appear to these shepherds, these lowliest of the low? Because the message of salvation is above all for the lowliest. The Lord comes for those on the outside, the castaways. He comes for those who get overlooked. He comes for those who are hurt by life and are suffering. He comes for those who are willing to receive help. So the shepherds get this wonderful news and the celebration begins. God is finally going to intervene in history after 400 years of silence. The promises He made so long ago are going to be fulfilled in our days. That was something worth celebrating.