Connecting Shepherds with Good News of Great Joy!

Yesterday, we celebrated the Advent of Joy, with a connection to Shepherds. As stated in Part 1, all this week we’re going to be looking at the New Testament connections between shepherds and good news of great joy.

Today, in Part 2, we’ll focus on the most obvious connection within the Advent them of joy. How the shepherds were chosen to be included in the nativity account?

Why God would choose shepherds?

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’” (Lk. 2:8-14)

Out of all the people who the angels could have appeared to, why did God choose shepherds?

Living in the 21st century, it might seem logical.

We know that further passages of Scripture (some of which we’ll explore this week) teach that Christ is the eternal shepherd of mankind. Furthermore, we know that Christ instituted the church as a flock, to which pastors (meaning shepherds) are to care for.

For Believers, having the vantage point of looking back on history, the inclusion of shepherds just makes sense.

Not so for First Century Jewish culture.

To gain an understanding of the controversial circumstance of the angels appearing first to the shepherds, we need to bring our minds back to that time period, in that culture. We will then understand why these shepherds would be so honoured and in turn, so joyful that they would be included into the account of the Messiah’s birth.

In that time period, the shepherds struggled because they were often looked down upon by the rest of jewish society. They were typically uneducated, living in the fields outside the city with limited social interaction.

There were also obvious issues of uncleanliness, from being an actual sheep-herder; often carrying the filth and sent of the flock with them, wherever they went. They were considered unclean by social and religious standards.

Furthermore, Pharisees and other religious leaders often discarded them as an unholy group; due to their required care of the sheep on a 24/7 basis. Keeping the Sabbath and attending temple worship was often difficult for them, as they tried to find a balance between keeping the Law and caring for their sheep.

Join the Conversation, Share Your Thoughts!

How does the inclusion of shepherds impact how you view the nativity?