“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:9-11)
According to Luke's gospel, the angelic annunciation of the birth of the Savior of the world came not to important dignitaries or kings, but to shepherds tending their flocks in the middle of the night. While the recipients of the message were certainly important to God's plan, equally so were the sheep they watched.
We can trust that God had a specific purpose for this shepherd audience, and the work they performed suggests the reason. These men, who watched the sheep meant for the slaughter, received a divine message about the ultimate Lamb who would take away the sins of the world through His death and resurrection.
-- Adapted from “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” by Alfred Edersheim
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