Shepherds Witness The Change

Witnesses to a historical event are an essential part of the retelling of the story. Understanding who the witnesses were, the kind of people they were, and what they held important can help us understand the event itself. In the case of the birth of Jesus, the first witnesses were shepherds. These were me on the lowest rung of the societal ladder. Their working conditions made observing all aspects of Jewish law, especially the ritual washings, impossible. As a result, they were looked down upon. Yet, it is these people that Jesus chose to be the first witnesses to the incarnation. In doing so, we see that the incarnation is the moment when history upends.

Gospel - Luke 2:16-21

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,

and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this,

they made known the message

that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed

by what had been told them by the shepherds.

And Mary kept all these things,

reflecting on them in her heart.

Then the shepherds returned,

glorifying and praising God

for all they had heard and seen,

just as it had been told to them.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision,

he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel

before he was conceived in the womb.

Scriptural Analysis - Background

Twice a day, morning and evening, every day, a lamb was offered in the Temple as a sacrifice to God. This lamb had to be an unblemished land. To ensure that the supply of perfect lambs was always available, the Temple authorities had their own private sheep flocks. These flocks were pastured near Bethlehem. Therefore, it is very likely that the shepherds that the angel appeared to were those taking care of the flock of sacrificial lambs. Those who took care of the Temple lambs were among the first to see the one perfect lamb offered for the forgiveness of sins.

The angel has just appeared to the shepherds, announcing the birth of Jesus Christ to them. The angel announces the location of the birth: the city of David. The angel also tells them that, as a sign to them, they will, “find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

Scriptural Analysis - The Shepherds and the Angels

The angels have departed from the shepherds, and we see their response. The shepherds travel to see Mary in haste, just as she traveled in haste to see Elizabeth after the Annunciation: “ In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country” (Luke 1:39). We see this pattern again of people acting with excitement as the result of a divine encounter.

The shepherds find Mary, Joseph, and the infant lying in a manager: the sign the angel told them that they were looking for. The people hearing the message of the shepherd those who heard it wondered.

Luke mentions that Mary kept all of these things in her heart and pondered them. At the end of chapter 2, the statement is repeated: “His mother kept all these things in her heart” (51). This suggests that Mary herself was Luke’s source of these events.

The events of that night conclude with the shepherds doing what the angels did when they appeared to the shepherds. They glorified and praised God.

Scriptural Analysis - Jesus Is Named

Mary and Joseph are faithful followers of Jewish law, and thus, they observe it to a tee. After eight days were completed, the infant was circumcised according to the law:

He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. (Genesis 17:12)

He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring (Leviticus 12:3)

The infant is also named Jesus out of obedience to the angel, “And you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31)

Daily Application

Jesus was born in simplicity, in a small town, in a cave, and placed to rest in a manger. He could have easily chosen to be born in a noble estate to a wealthy and influential family. However, he decided to be born in the most humble of settings. This choice is not insignificant. Jesus chose to enter humanity in the lowest state possible and, by doing so, experience all of the hardships we experience throughout our lives. In doing so, he has shown us how we can embrace those hardships with humility and docility. Jesus has shown us how to handle our hardships without losing joy.

Oftentimes, people believe that they need to get themselves fixed and that they need to get their lives in order before approaching Jesus. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus desires to meet us exactly where we are, in whatever state we are. Then, if we allow him to, he will help us get our lives in order. Potentially not the way we thought that they needed to be, but in the way he knows that they need to be. By entering humanity at the lowest possible state, with the first witnesses to his birth being those who were on the margins of society, Jesus sanctified daily life. Live your life with him, and that is enough to achieve holiness.