Sheep & Shepherds

The shepherds in the field saw the star and they saw angels, and they heard the good news that a Saviour had been born… We all know the old story. But were these poor shepherds the only “dignitaries” informed of this royal birth in Bethlehem? Why shepherds? It is shepherds that most clearly reflect the heart of God in the way they care for their flocks. This is a constant analogy in the Scriptures. Like a shepherd and his sheep, so is the concern of the Creator for us, His “sheep.” So, when He spoke of the purpose for which He was born to be a witness of the “truth,” He also made it clear who would hear that truth. The Savior said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.”[1] Though the “church” through the centuries was supposed to be His sheep, when we see the many compromises they made incorporating the various customs of their day into the celebration of their Savior’s birthday one is left to wonder to whose voice they have been listening. One has to wonder if the church is a “sheepfold” or a “zoo?” But somewhere there must be a real voice of truth, among sheep who hear His voice and follow Him. So, it was shepherds who were the only invited guests at the first Christmas celebration; and this too should reflect a deeper and more profound message for the Christmas season. Consider a shepherd’s relation to his sheep and consider the Savior’s words,

“I am the good shepherd...and my sheep hear my voice,
I know them. And they follow Me!”[1]