Merry Christmas
It is my prayer that each of you finds peace, joy, and a settled heart this Christmas season.
Recently, I was reading Luke chapter two and thinking about the shepherds who were tending their sheep the night Jesus was born. Ordinary men. An ordinary night. A routine they had lived out for days, weeks, and years before.
And then—everything changed.
Here is chapter 2, verses 1–20 from the book of Luke in the New Testament of the Bible. This is from the King James Version:
Luke 2:1–20 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Could you imagine being one of the shepherds on that hillside the night Christ was born?
The shepherds were all just sitting around the campfires, talking and telling stories — the same as they had done for days, weeks, and years before.
One moment you’re warming your hands by a fire, passing the time.
The next moment… heaven breaks open.
All of a sudden, BAM!!!!!
A bright and shining angel appears before them and says, “Fear not!”
I think it would have been too late for me. I think I would have been more than scared at that point.
Fear and awe filled the shepherds. Glory filled the sky. And the greatest announcement in human history was given — not to kings or rulers — but to shepherds.
With these simple words, Gabriel told those simple shepherds about Jesus — that they could find Him lying in a manger.
Gabriel finished sharing his message to the shepherds and WHAM!!!
The sky becomes bright as day due to the number of angels that suddenly appear.
The hillside surrounding the shepherds resounded with the sound of all these angels praising God.
And what did the shepherds do?
They immediately left their sheep and went to find Jesus.
The shepherds were the very first people to hear that God had sent a Savior for His people.
There is a strong Jewish tradition that many lambs raised near Bethlehem were destined for temple sacrifice, and that special care was taken to protect them from injury. Some traditions suggest that these lambs were wrapped to prevent harm and kept in a manger for safety. While Scripture does not record these details, the symbolism is still powerful: the Lamb of God was born among those flocks, wrapped tightly, and laid in a manger.
The shepherds who raised those sheep would have immediately recognized the significance of a child, swaddled and laid in a manger.
And in that moment, Christmas would never be just a story again.
Why Shepherds?
Isn’t it interesting that God didn’t have the angels announce the birth of Christ to kings, nobles, and rich people?
God announced it to common people, people who understood animals; people who knew what it meant to protect, to watch, and to care for something fragile; people who would understand a Savior born in a place for cattle, with a manger for His first bed.
Jesus did not come wrapped in royalty.
He came wrapped in humility.
God could have had Jesus come as a king to be respected by everyone.
But instead, He chose a humble beginning to show that Jesus wasn’t just for the rich, but for EVERY person.
This means that Jesus came for everyone — from the simplest person to the leaders of the world.
I think it is also interesting that Jesus is called the Great Shepherd in Hebrews 13:20:
Therefore, it seems even more appropriate that the first people to hear about His birth were shepherds.
The Baby Came With a Mission
But you know what is even more amazing about the shepherds?
They didn’t just go see Jesus and say, “Yep, that’s a baby.”.
NO!
The Bible says they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told unto them. They could not keep silent after seeing Jesus.
And this is where Christmas goes even deeper.
Christmas often stops at the manger.
But the manger was never the end of the story.
That baby grew into a man who healed the sick, restored the broken, and spoke truth with compassion and authority. And that same man willingly went to the cross.
He was born to die.
Born to give His life as a ransom for many.
The wood of the manger points forward to the wood of the cross.
The swaddling clothes foreshadow the grave clothes.
And the angels’ song of “peace on earth” would one day be secured through sacrifice.
Humility was not just how Jesus arrived.
It was how He lived.
And ultimately, how He died.
My Hope for You This Christmas
My hope for you this Christmas is this:
That you will be like the shepherds and go to seek and find Jesus.
And when you do, let that change your heart. In that way, you too can go away glorifying and praising God for all the things He has done and will do in your life.
This Christmas season, may you truly find Jesus — and may finding Him change everything.
Merry Christmas.