Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - WHY THE SHEPHERDS?

 WHY THE SHEPHERDS?

A little over 2000 years ago, an event took place that would change the course of human history forever. A child, born to humble parents, under humble circumstances, and in humble surroundings, gave no indication at the time of how He would later come to change the world. In fact, at first people at did not understand Jesus at all.

Although many must have known the prophecies concerning the Messiah, no one apparently expected such an arrival. The circumstances of the prophecy proclaimed by Jacob: 

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, 

Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, 

Until Shiloh (Messiah) comes; 

And to Him shall be the obedience of the people,”

(Genesis 49:10)

had been fulfilled when Rome removed the sceptre (symbol of Jewish authority) at the time of the Roman occupation of Judea. It is said that the Jewish leaders tore their clothes and applied ashes to their bodies when this happened because the Messiah had not apparently come.

However, the announcement did not come as one might have expected for such an important person. Instead it came first to a small group of shepherds in a field at night. 

But why the shepherds? 

Shepherds were considered to be the lowest of Jewish society; unkempt, often unwashed, uneducated, poor, and unwanted. They were considered by many to be the dregs of humanity. This was not only the case in Judah; the Egyptians also despised shepherds “for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians” (Genesis 46:34). But it was to them that the first announcement came. 

Perhaps it was, in the first place, because they were Jewish. Paul would later say in Romans:

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 

for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, 

for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

(Romans 1:16)

Perhaps it was just because of their status that the announcement first came to these people. Jesus, as we know, would later go on to say:

Blessed are the poor in spirit…

Blessed are the meek…

Blessed are the pure in heart…

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear 

(Matthew 5:3,5,8 & Matthew 13:16)

Such people are often more willing to see and to hear and so accept and understand than others who have plenty. Perhaps that also explains why the Gospel is frequently more accepted in areas which have little compared to those places which have an abundance. Remember, it was a poor Jesus who went into the synagogue in Nazareth and spoke from the book of the prophet Isaiah: 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me 

To preach the gospel to the poor… 

(Luke 4:18) 

[thus] to the poor the gospel is preached

(Luke 7:22, KJV)

 

Although the shepherds were poor and had a number of unwelcoming characteristics, they were apparently not unaware of the prophecies concerning the Messiah. They were frightened when the angel appeared (as anyone would be if an unknown being suddenly appeared before them) .Therefore, it was not unexpected that the angel would say: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 2:10). And miraculously, they weren’t. They went right away to Bethlehem to see for themselves what had been told to them. There was then apparently no fear in them for they said:

Let us now go to Bethlehem 

and see this thing that has come to pass, 

which the Lord has made known to us 

(Luke 2:15)

A group of men who were poor and rejected by society but yet willing to hear and follow   with eagerness that which they had been told by the angelic host.

 

And they came with haste 

and found Mary and Joseph, 

and the Babe lying in a manger. 

(Luke 2:16)

If it were only so today that we would all come in haste to Christ when we hear the gospel and the good news concerning His coming.

It really is something to think about.