angels and shepherds

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ANGELS &SHEPHERDS:Worshiping TheNewborn King

WWe can learn a lotabout the value

of human life bywatching the way parents,doctors, and nurses tenderlyhold, look at, and speak to anewborn son or daughter. Wecan also learn a lot about theson of Mary by watching the way two very different groupsresponded to His birth.

In the following excerpt of Windows On Christmas,Bill Crowder, RBC Director ofChurch Ministries, explains how the wonder and worship of angels and shepherds help us to see the inexpressible value and miracle of the mostimportant child ever born.

Mart De Haan

CONTENTS

Contrast And Similarity . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Angels:Their Response Of Exaltation . . . . . . . . 4

The Shepherds:Their Response Of Worship. . . . . . . . . 17

What Is Your Response ToChristmas? . . . . . . . . . 31

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Painting: Gerard van Honhorst (1622) Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the New American StandardBible®. Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 byThe LockmanFoundation. Used by permission.This booklet is based on a portion of Windows On Christmas by Bill Crowder, published byDiscovery House Publishers, a member of the RBC Ministries family.© 2008 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

HP082 Angels & Shepherds pp.qxp 8/14/08 1:25 PM Page 1

CONTRAST ANDSIMILARITY

FFew things are moreintriguing than the

contrasts of life. Theyremind us that, at somelevel, we live in a world ofextremes that are in tensionbut balance one another:opposites that attract, lightcounteracting darkness, thenegative to balance thepositive.

The concept of contrastscan be seen clearly, forexample, when we examinethe two top rock bands ofthe early 1960s—the Beatlesand the Rolling Stones. Bothbands were from England,and both bands wererevolutionary in their music,but the similarities endthere.

The Beatles (in their earlydays), under the carefultutelage of manager BrianEpstein, were clean-cut,dressed in suits, and fun,while the Stones were dark

and brooding and lookedmore like a street gang thanprofessional musicians. The Beatles were likableenough to spawn a cartoonseries, while the Stones were edgy and presentedthemselves as being almostdangerous. While theBeatles innocently sang “I Want To Hold YourHand,” the Stones werepushing the edges ofpropriety with “Let’s SpendThe Night Together.”

These two bands formed a strong contrast that polarized theirrespective fan bases intoradically different camps.

THE CONTRAST OF THE ANGELSAND SHEPHERDSIn the Christmas story, we likewise see a profoundcontrast—a contrast that isdrawn between two of themost recognized groups of figures in the Bible:angels and shepherds.

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The contrasts betweenthese two groups could not be more extreme:• Angels are otherworldly

in origin, but theshepherds were, inhuman terms, the lowest of the low.

• The angels were bright and glorious with heavenly light, but the shepherds weredirty and covered in thefilth of carrying out oneof the most unpleasantoccupations in biblicaltimes.

• The angels knew what it was to exist in the very presence of God Himself, but theshepherds were excludedfrom worship in thetemple they served.

• The angels exploded onto the scene with loud, dynamicdeclarations of praise and worship that stunnedthe poor shepherds into silence.

THE SIMILARITY OFTHEIR RESPONSEDespite these differences,however, in the mostimportant thing of all, theangels and the shepherdsdisplayed a marveloussimilarity: They bothresponded to the birth of Christ with expressions of celebration.

Their celebrations on the night Jesus entered ourworld were the precursors of the celebrations that have followed forcenturies—including ours.Remembering the coming of the Messiah-Redeemercauses deep joy and delight,awe and wonder.

We’ll see all of this andmore as we examine theangels and the shepherds,and see within theirresponses to the birth of theKing reasons for us to join inthe celebration with all ourhearts. As the carol invites:

“O come let us adoreHim, Christ the Lord.”

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THE ANGELS:Their ResponseOf Exaltation

CChildhood impressionsare hard to shake.My dad loved huge

Christmas trees, and hemade quite a production of trimming those trees (a tendency that also washard-wired into my owngenetic code). First wewould string all the lights on the tree, then cover itwith ornaments and tinsel.Then I would watch as Dad placed the angel onthe top branch—the finalact of the tree-trimmingritual. It seemed such a grand gesture. Onlymoments before, the treehad somehow appearedincomplete, as if somethingimportant was missing. But with the placing of theangel, the house was finallyready for Christmas.

Of course, as I rememberit, the angel was blonde,

feminine, winged, androbed in a white gown that sparkled. For yearsafterward, whenever Ithought of angels, my mindenvisioned that figure onthe top of our Christmastrees. What a shock it was,years later, when I learnedthat whenever angels arenamed in the Bible theyhave masculine names, andthat it is highly unlikelythey were blondes insparkling gowns!

Yes, it’s hard to shakeour childhood impressions.Still, I was right about onething: angelic beings playeda significant role in theevents of the Nativity.Without their involvement,there would be a hole in thestory—as incomplete as anunfinished Christmas tree.And to help us understandthe role of angels in thebirth of Jesus, let’s take acloser look at the heavenlybeings themselves.

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WHO ARE ANGELS?If you were to ask me thatquestion in the context ofeveryday life, my knee-jerkresponse would probablybe, “They are my favoritebaseball team, and theyplay in Anaheim, California.And, by the way, they wonthe 2002 World Series overthe San Francisco Giants.”Unfortunately, much of thecurrent cultural thinking

about who angels are andwhat they do is no morebiblically accurate thanthat. From paintings topoems to movies totelevision shows, it seemsthat angels need a newpress agent. They just aren’t

being well-represented. Of course, it helps toremember that their best and most accuraterepresentation comes to usin the pages of the Bible.

Angels are seenthroughout the Scripturesand are called by a varietyof names, includingcherubim, seraphim, andliving creatures. Sometimesthey are described as men,often in shining garments.They are seen guardingEden, waging war, rescuing Peter from prison,worshiping in the presenceof God, and, tragically, inthe case of some angels,rebelling against God. Theycarry names like Michael(“who is like God”), Gabriel(“warrior of God”), andLucifer (“light bearer,”before he became Satan—the Adversary). They arethe often mysterious,sometimes mercurialservants of God that are atthe center of many of His

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From paintings to poems to moviesto television shows,

it seems thatangels need a

new press agent.


dealings with men andwomen in the Bible.

The word angel itselfcomes from the Greek termangelos, which is defined as“a messenger, envoy, onewho is sent, an angel, amessenger from God.” The primary definition is messenger, and that isexactly what they often areseen doing in the pages ofthe Bible:• Sometimes they carry

a message of warning, as with Sodom andGomorrah (Gen. 19).

• Sometimes they carry a message of rescue, as with Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednegoin Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace (Dan. 3).

• Sometimes they carry amessage of instruction,as with Hagar, Sarah’shandmaiden (Gen. 16).In each of these

instances where we see angels active on earth, they are delivering

messages from God. While angels

unquestionably do more than simply carry

messages, it’s impossible tounderestimate their criticalrole as messengers bringingannouncements fromheaven to earth. This maybe why the New Testamentword for “preaching the

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While angelsunquestionably do more thansimply carrymessages, it’simpossible tounderestimate

their critical role as messengers

bringingannouncements

from heaven to earth.


gospel” (announcing God’s message to people) is euangelizo, which comesfrom the same word as“angel.” The gospel (goodnews) was first delivered to the world by angelicmessengers during theevents surrounding thebirth of the Savior.

HOW ARE ANGELSPART OF THECHRISTMAS STORY?Let’s come back to mychildhood Christmas tree.Why did we put an angelon the top of our tree?Some people use a star, butmany, like my family, usean angel. Why? Becausethe Christmas story is filledwith angels, busily carryingmessages to people who areintegral to the story.

The first angel weencounter in the Christmasstory is Gabriel, anarchangel—apparently the highest ranking in thecommand structure of the

angelic realm. Gabrielvisited planet earth toinform the principal players,and, ultimately, the worldthat the “fullness of time”had come—that long-awaited moment in historywhen the promised Messiahwould arrive (Gal. 4:4). This came in a series ofannouncements:

Announcement #1.The first announcementwas about the coming ofthe forerunner of Messiah,John the Baptist (Lk. 1:5-22). Gabriel appeared to Zacharias, an aged,childless priest who wasperforming his priestlyfunctions in the temple. At first the old priest was troubled by thisphenomenon, but the terrorof the moment turned tocomedy when he heard theangel’s message. Gabrieldeclared to Zacharias thathe and his wife Elizabethwould have a son whowould be the fulfillment

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of Malachi’s prophecy.(Malachi had promised thatGod would send an Elijah-like figure who wouldprepare the way for themessianic Redeemer.)When Zacharias, who knewthe physical realities facedby himself and his agedwife, questioned thepossibility of a senior-citizen childbirth, Gabrielinformed him that he wouldbe mute until the child,who was to be named John, was born.

Gabriel’s announcementcame true, and John theBaptist arrived to “preparethe way of the Lord”—stepone in the process ofbringing Christ into theworld.

Announcement #2.Six months later, Gabrielcame to the village ofNazareth to give a messagefrom God to a youngwoman named Mary (Lk.1:26-38). Gabriel informedMary that she had been

selected for the role thathad long been the desire of Jewish women—theprivilege of giving birth to the promised Messiah.Her response was one ofsubmissive confusion: Shewas ready to do the Lord’sbidding but mystified as tohow such a thing couldoccur. She was a virgin,and, being betrothed to her fiancé Joseph, had nointention of violating hervows of purity. The angelassured her that she wouldin no way violate her vows,and that the child would bethe result of the miraculousintervention of the HolySpirit. Furthermore, whenthe child was born, He wasto be named “Jesus” (“the Lord is salvation”)—defining both His character(as the Son of God) and Hismission (as Redeemer). Atthat point Mary’s responsewas one of simpleavailability: “Behold, thebondslave of the Lord; may

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it be done to me accordingto your word” (Lk. 1:38).

Following his visit toMary, Gabriel also visitedJoseph, her husband-to-be,and gave him the samemessage—Mary’s child wasof God, not man (Mt. 1:20-25). Joseph could take herto be his wife with fullconfidence in her purity.

Nine months laterGabriel returned with yetanother message—this time not a message ofanticipation, but one ofarrival.

Announcement #3.The angel of the Lord(presumably Gabriel)appeared in the Judeanskies over the shepherds’fields of Bethlehem (Lk. 2:9-14). The shepherds ofBethlehem were enduringyet another cold nighttending the sheep whenthey suddenly beheld abrilliant, heavenly lightshow! This time the gloryof the Lord accompanied

the angel’s message, andthe shepherds were terrifiedby the sight. And themessage itself could nothave been more dramatic.

The angel said to them,“Do not be afraid; forbehold, I bring you goodnews of great joy whichwill be for all the people;for today in the city ofDavid there has beenborn for you a Savior,who is Christ the Lord.This will be a sign foryou: you will find a baby wrapped in clothsand lying in a manger”(Lk. 2:10-12).These simple herdsmen

clearly were not equippedto handle this! Angels weresupposed to appear topriests, not shepherds. They should be calling onthe current managers of thetemple in Jerusalem, notmen and boys who were at the lowest level of theJewish social strata.

We have heard this story9


so many times that we havebecome inoculated againstits power and majesty. We talk about angelicappearances as if they werean everyday occurrence—but they weren’t then, andthey aren’t today.

No one could haveanticipated that such anaudience would be the firstto hear the angels give the

euangelion—the good newsof the Savior’s arrival!

WHY DID THEANGELS RESPONDWITH EXALTATION?Up to this point in theChristmas story the angelshave served as God’smessengers. But carryingmessages is not the onlyfunction of angels. In fact, it may actually besecondary to their primaryactivities in heaven—praiseand worship. Notice howthis plays out in both theOld and New Testaments:

In the Old Testament,the prophet Isaiah wastransported into the throneroom of God where hewitnessed the angelicworship of God in heavenas the six-winged seraphimdeclared the glory andgreatness of God:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is theLord of hosts; the wholeearth is full of His glory”(Isa. 6:3).

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Angels weresupposed to

appear to priests,not shepherds.They should becalling on the

current managersof the temple inJerusalem, not

men and boys whowere at the lowestlevel of the Jewish

social strata.


The role of the seraphimis the perpetual worship ofGod, exalting the beauty ofHis holiness.

In the New Testament,the apostle John was givena glimpse of the heavenlylandscape (Rev. 4–5). Hesaw the “living creatures”(another term for angels)declaring the holiness ofGod and calling on theredeemed to worship Godfor the wonder of Hiscreation and to worshipChrist for the grace of Hissalvation (Rev. 4:11; 5:12).All the residents of heaventhen joined the anthem asthey praised the Father andthe Son for their powerfulintervention in the fallenworld.

In Revelation 4 and 5,the angelic realm celebratesGod’s creation and Christ’ssalvation. But in theChristmas story, theyassemble in a glorious mass choir to celebrate His invasion of the broken

planet that is the object of His eternal love (Lk. 2).When the angel announcedthe arrival of the Son ofGod in human form, theheavenly host could remainsilent no longer. They raisedtheir voices in exaltation ofGod for His glory, for HisSon, and for His plan torescue the lost, tired, andconfused race of men andwomen who, like the sheepguarded by the angels’bedouin audience, had long since gone astray. This response of exaltationbecomes the great thread ofworship that began that firstChristmas and continues inour worship today. Theirmessage was powerful:

Suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of theheavenly host praisingGod and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, andon earth peace among[those] with whom He ispleased” (Lk. 2:13-14).

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What Isaiah and Johnwitnessed in the sanctuaryof heaven, the shepherdsexperienced on thatBethlehem hillside. Theyheard the angels affirm theglory of God and announcethat Christ had come tooffer peace with God to arace in rebellion againstHim.

The reconciliationbetween God andmankind—the solution forthe human condition ofsin—is summed up in thesimple word peace. It isimportant, however, tounderstand that this peaceis not simply the absence of conflict—it is thepresence of the Christ whois described by the prophetIsaiah as the “Prince ofPeace” (Isa. 9:6). It is,through Christ, the reality of a relationship with theGod of peace (Phil. 4:9).The Hebrew word for peace,shalom, encapsulates thisidea, for it carries the

weight of such realities ascompleteness, soundness,and contentment. Peace.

The angels could offerthis promise of peace to theshepherds (and us) becausethe Christ who makes suchpeace available to us hadjust arrived on planet earth!

The voices of the angels,raised in exaltation of theliving God, continue to ringout in our celebrationstoday. The hope of peace,the longing for glory, the giftof Jesus. All these thingsthat reverberated in the

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The angels couldoffer this promiseof peace to the

shepherds (and us)because the Christwho makes such

peace available tous had just arrivedon planet earth!


hearts of those shepherdscontinue to resonate withthe deepest longings of ourown hearts two millennialater.

HOW DID THEANGELS SERVECHRIST?How disappointed theshepherds must have beenwhen the glorious brightangels left and the skyreturned to its colddarkness. But the angelswere not finished. Theywould continue to beinvolved in the ministry ofChrist for the next 30-plusyears, particularly duringcritical moments of dangeror declaration:• An angel warned

Joseph to take theChrist-child out ofHerod’s reach: “Nowwhen they had gone,behold, an angel of theLord appeared to Josephin a dream and said,‘Get up! Take the Child

and His mother and fleeto Egypt, and remainthere until I tell you; forHerod is going to searchfor the Child to destroyHim’ ” (Mt. 2:13).

• Angels served Jesusfollowing His testingsin the wilderness:“Then the devil left Him;and behold, angels cameand began to minister toHim” (Mt. 4:11).

• An angel ministered to Jesus during Hissuffering in the Gardenof Gethsemane: “Nowan angel from heavenappeared to Him,strengthening Him” (Lk. 22:43).

• An angel opened thetomb on resurrectionday: “A severeearthquake hadoccurred, for an angel of the Lord descendedfrom heaven and cameand rolled away thestone and sat upon it”(Mt. 28:2).

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• Angels announced theresurrection of Christ:“The angel said to thewomen, ‘Do not beafraid; for I know thatyou are looking for Jesuswho has been crucified’”(Mt. 28:5). “And [Mary]saw two angels in whitesitting, one at the headand one at the feet,where the body of Jesus had been lying”(Jn. 20:12).

• Angels attended thereturn of Jesus toheaven: “As they weregazing intently into thesky while He was going,behold, two men inwhite clothing stoodbeside them. They alsosaid, ‘Men of Galilee,why do you standlooking into the sky?This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, willcome in just the sameway as you havewatched Him go into

heaven’ ” (Acts 1:10-11).Paul may have been

considering a similarcataloging of the activitiesof angels in and around theearthly mission of Christwhen, in writing to one ofhis young ministry protégés,he gave a summarystatement of the incarnationof Christ in 1 Timothy 3:16:

By common confession,great is the mystery ofgodliness: He who wasrevealed in the flesh, was vindicated in theSpirit, seen by angels,proclaimed among thenations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.There was great interest

among the angelic hostconcerning the earthlymission of the Lord of glory. The events of theincarnation were not merely“seen by angels”; thesedivine activities were“beheld”—that is, gazedupon—with great interest.

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In other words, Christ’sredeeming work was, andis, an ongoing source of

fascination for the angeliccompany. Notice how theapostle Peter describes this:

It was revealed to themthat they were not servingthemselves, but you, inthese things which nowhave been announced toyou through those whopreached the gospel toyou by the Holy Spiritsent from heaven—thingsinto which angels long tolook (1 Pet. 1:12).What does the phrase

“things into which angelslong to look” mean? Bibleteacher and commentator

Adam Clarke described it this way:

[The Greek phrasemeans] to stoop downto—the posture of thosewho are earnestly intenton finding out a thing,especially a writingdifficult to be read; theybring it to the light, placeit so that the rays mayfall on it as collectivelyas possible, and thenstoop down in order toexamine all the parts,that they may be able to make out the whole.There is evidently anallusion here to theattitude of the cherubimwho stood at the ends ofthe ark of the covenant,in the inner tabernacle,with their eyes turnedtowards the mercy-seator propitiatory in abending posture, as iflooking attentively, or,as we term it, poring[over] it. Even the holyangels are struck with

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Christ’s redeemingwork was, and is,an ongoing sourceof fascination for

the angeliccompany.


astonishment at the plan of humanredemption, and justly wonder at theincarnation of thatinfinite object of theiradoration. If then thesethings be objects of deep consideration tothe angels of God, howmuch more so shouldthey be to us; in them,angels can have no such interest as humanbeings have. Why is this so? Because

it involves “the incarnationof that infinite object oftheir adoration”—the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Theangels exalt Christ for whoHe is and for what He hasdone. They exalted Him inHis birth, ministered to Himin His life, supported Himin His anguish, announcedHim in His resurrection—all because He is the Christ. All because Hechose to do all of that foran undeserving, sin-stained

race. All because He choseto express His inexpressiblelove in such a mysteriousand wonderful way—andpour it out on His waywardcreation.

The angels know whatwe too easily forget: thatthe Lord Jesus Christ is everand always deserving of thehighest exaltation. And, asClarke said, if the angels,who can only observeredeeming love but neverexperience it, exalt Christfor His grace, how muchmore should adoration of

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The angels know what we

too easily forget:that the Lord Jesus Christ is

ever and alwaysdeserving of the highestexaltation.


the Savior drive the heartsand passions of the menand women who have beengranted this great grace!

This marriage of awe and exaltation from theobserving angels and fromredeemed humanity findswonderful expression in one of the most familiar of Christmas hymns:

Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies;

With th’ angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Hark! the herald angels sing,“Glory to the newborn King!”

May we, with gratefulhearts, join in the exaltationof the birth of Christ, God’sglorious gift to us!

THE SHEPHERDS:Their Response Of Worship

HHow surprised Mary must havebeen when a band

of ragtag shepherds arrivedat the stable telling ofangelic hosts and “a star ofwonder”—all announcingthe birth of her son!Though still exhausted from childbirth, Mary musthave been astonished asthese simple men of thefields bowed in worshipbefore her son and thenwent to tell everyone theyencountered about the childthey had seen (Lk. 2:16-18).

The shepherds were the first to kneel at themanger, which could seemsurprising, given who andwhat they were. Yet therethey were—worshiping thenewborn Savior!

Let’s look, now, at the shepherds and theirresponse of worship, so

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that we can learn moreabout them. By doing this,we will better understandand appreciate theirreactions to what theywitnessed on that coldJudean night outsideBethlehem. Knowing thembetter will also enable us to move beyond historicalrecords and ancient hymnsto share their experienceand join in their celebration.

SIMPLE MEN WITHSIMPLE LIVESI can think of no betterstatement to describe theshepherds than that they

were “simple men withsimple lives.” The verybrevity of Luke’s descriptionemphasizes this simplicity:“In the same region therewere some shepherdsstaying out in the fields and keeping watch overtheir flock by night” (Lk.2:8). Yet that one versespeaks volumes about who these men were and what they did.

“In the same region there weresome shepherds . . . .”The region surroundingBethlehem has beenassociated with shepherdingsince the earliest days ofrecorded history. It wasthere that David guardedthe flocks of his father,Jesse. Bethlehem was aplace of pasture and,therefore, appropriate forgrazing flocks. It was near“the tower of Eder” (MigdalEder) or “tower of the flock”(Gen. 35:21; Mic. 4:8),though it is uncertain

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I can think of no betterstatement todescribe the

shepherds thanthat they were

“simple men withsimple lives.”


what this was. Some see the titles in reference toJerusalem in general, andthe sheep gate (throughwhich the sacrificial lambswere taken to the temple) in particular, as the strongtower of the nation ofIsrael. Others view it as a reference to Bethlehem,the birthplace of Israel’sshepherd-king, David.Others, however, view the“tower of the flock” literally.They believe it was theactual place in the Judeanhillsides from which theancient shepherds of Israelwould watch over theirflocks—precisely what they were doing the nightthe angelic announcementwas delivered. These“shepherds’ hills” outsideBethlehem formed a land ofsheep and shepherds thatwas pastoral and practical.

Even more significant,however, is that the sheepthat grazed here were notordinary sheep. Because of

their proximity to thetemple at Jerusalem, thefields of Bethlehem wereprimarily the domain oftemple sheep—the animalsused in the sacrificesoffered in the temple. In the first century, more than250,000 sheep were offeredannually as sacrifices at thefestival of Passover alone!Thus, these shepherds ofBethlehem were responsible

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These shepherds of Bethlehem

were responsiblefor delivering

healthy,unblemished sheep to be offered on the altar of

sacrifice for theatonement of sin.


for delivering healthy,unblemished sheep to be offered on the altar of sacrifice for theatonement of sin.

“. . . staying out inthe fields and keepingwatch over their flockby night.” “The night wasdivided into four watches,”says Bible commentatorJohn Gill, “the even[ing],midnight, cock crowing, andmorning; and these keptthem . . . alternately, somekept the flock one watch,and some another, whilethe rest slept in the tent, ortower, that was built in thefields for that purpose.”

Commentator AdamClarke adds, “The reasonwhy they watched them inthe field appears to havebeen either to preserve thesheep from beasts of prey,such as wolves [and] foxes, or from freebooting[bandits], with which all theland of Judea was at thattime much infested.”

The life of a shepherdwas a life of loneliness andlabor, danger and poverty.Yet these hardships may nothave been the greatest oftheir difficulties. Because of their profession,shepherds were consideredceremonially unclean. Theirwork, among other things,required their hands-onparticipation in the birthingof lambs (which would bring them into contact withblood) and the disposing ofdead lambs (which wouldbring them into contact with dead bodies)—both of which made themceremonially unclean. This resulted in them being spiritual outcasts.

It seems so sad that thevery individuals who wereresponsible for raisingsacrificial lambs for thetemple in Jerusalem werethemselves excluded fromthe temple because they were consideredceremonially unclean.

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But these shepherds faced a two-fold dilemma, for not only were they made

unclean by the nature oftheir work, they also wererequired to stay constantlywith their flocks. This meantthat they were unable toleave their tasks for weeks

at a time, preventing themfrom going to the temple so that could be cleansed. It was the kind of religious “catch-22” that often bubbles up fromhighly legalistic systems ofspiritual thought—and thesedetached, castoff workersserve as tragic examples of it.

AMAZINGMOMENTS OF HEAVENLYSPLENDORLife is filled with“moments” that brand heart and memory. Somemoments are dark andforeboding, like when I gotthe phone call that myfather had just died of aheart attack. When I thinkof that moment 26 yearsago, the emotions of lossand pain flood back overme and I feel afresh theemptiness that attacked me then.

Other moments are 21

It seems so sadthat the very

individuals whowere responsible

for raising sacrificiallambs for the

temple inJerusalem were

themselvesexcluded from

the temple because they

were consideredceremonially

unclean.


thrilling, like the time(actually the one and onlytime) I broke 80 on the golfcourse. To this day, I canreplay every one of thosestrokes in my mind,finishing with a brilliantbirdie on the final hole for a crowd-pleasing 76. (Whenyou have only one of thosemoments, you have toenjoy it as long as you can.)

And then there are thoserare amazing moments. Forme, one of those momentsoccurred on my weddingday. I was standing at thefront of the church with thepastor and my dad, whowas my best man. Themusic played and the bridal party entered. Thedoors at the back of thechurch closed for a briefmoment that seemed to lastforever and then the musicchanged and the doorsopened—and out steppedMarlene as she wasescorted by her father.As I think about it even

now, a lump comes to mythroat and I get choked up.To see the woman I loved,radiant and beautiful in her wedding dress, coming down the aisle to marry me—me! It was breathtaking andspectacular and magnificentand humbling andoverwhelming. It was a moment of splendor.

Measured against whatthe shepherds saw in thosemoments on the hills ofJudea, I know it soundspretty small. Yet what I feltin that moment was notaltogether different fromwhat I imagine theshepherds were feeling—breathtaking, spectacular,magnificent, humbling, andoverwhelming splendor.

Luke’s descriptionchallenges our imaginationsand thrills our hearts.

An angel of the Lordsuddenly stood beforethem, and the glory of theLord shone around them;

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and they were terriblyfrightened. But the angelsaid to them, “Do not beafraid; for behold, I bringyou good news of greatjoy which will be for allthe people; for today inthe city of David therehas been born for you aSavior, who is Christ theLord. This will be a signfor you: you will find ababy wrapped in clothsand lying in a manger.”And suddenly thereappeared with the angel amultitude of the heavenlyhost praising God, andsaying, “Glory to God inthe highest, and on earthpeace among men withwhom He is pleased” (Lk. 2:9-14).How do you even begin

to consider such a thing? Itis far too much to processas a whole, so I prefer tobreak it down intomoments.

The Moment OfThe Messenger. The

angelic messenger isdescribed as “the angel of the Lord” who wasaccompanied by the “gloryof the Lord” which “shone”in such a way as to terrifythe shepherds (Lk. 2:9).Like so many involved inthe Christmas story, thosepoor shepherds werecompletely unprepared for such a sight.

The glory of the Lordwas referred to as the“Shekinah,” the brightnessof the perfection of the all-sufficient God. It has beendescribed theologically asthe sum total of theattributes of God combinedtogether to create brilliant,perfect light. The shepherdssaw this glory of the Lordon the hillsides aroundBethlehem.

In the Old Testament,the glory of the Lord wasevidence of God’s presenceamong His people. We seethis phenomenon first inExodus 24:16, “The glory

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of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloudcovered it six days; and onthe seventh day He calledto Moses from the midst ofthe cloud.” The people ofGod had gathered at Sinaito either accept or rejectGod’s rule over them as anation. His glory displayedHis power and might.

We see His glory againat the dedication of thetabernacle, the house ofworship for the wanderingchildren of Israel: “ThusKorah assembled all thecongregation against themat the doorway of the tentof meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation” (Num. 16:19).

And we see it at thededication of the temple in Jerusalem where thechildren of Israel hadestablished a center fortheir national life andworship in the marvel thatwas Solomon’s temple: “It

happened that when thepriests came from the holyplace, the cloud filled thehouse of the Lord, so thatthe priests could not standto minister because of thecloud, for the glory of theLord filled the house of theLord” (1 Ki. 8:10-11).

The people of Israelenjoyed the presence ofGod in their midst—untilthey began to stray intoidolatry and immorality.They corrupted God’s house with pagan idols and dishonored His name,so God responded withchilling words throughEzekiel the prophet.

After a series of events in which God displayed thespiritual adultery of Hispeople, Ezekiel watched as,step by step, the glory ofthe Lord departed from thetemple, and then fromJerusalem, and, ultimately,from the people of Israel.The culminating blow isseen in Ezekiel 11:23,

24


where we read these tragicwords: “The glory of theLord went up from themidst of the city and stood over the mountainwhich is east of the city.”

Following Ezekiel’s grimwords, the few remainingreferences to the glory ofthe Lord found in the OldTestament point to thefuture, with no expressionof God’s presence amongHis people until that nightin Bethlehem some 600years later. There, with the angel of the Lord, theglory returned! Returned toannounce the presence ofGod once again among His people in the person of the Christ, whom Johndescribed tellingly: “TheWord became flesh, anddwelt among us, and wesaw His glory, glory as ofthe only begotten from theFather, full of grace andtruth” (Jn. 1:14).

It is “the glory of theLord” that evokes wonder

and worship—and, in thecase of the shepherds, fear.For hundreds of years, theglory of the Lord had notbeen seen in the land ofIsrael—until, in thepresence of the shepherds,the glory returned!

The Moment OfThe Message. Ostracizedfrom the very religioussystem they had helped to fuel, the shepherds wererequired to look elsewherefor hope. That night, they found it in the angel’s message, says

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For hundreds ofyears, the glory ofthe Lord had notbeen seen in theland of Israel—

until, in thepresence of theshepherds, theglory returned!


commentator John Gill:To the shepherds, thefirst notice of Christ’sbirth was given; not tothe princes and chiefpriests, and learned men at Jerusalem, but to weak, common, andilliterate men; whomGod is pleased to chooseand call, and reveal Hissecrets to as He hidesthem from the wise and prudent, to theirconfusion, and the gloryof His grace. This was a precursor of what the kingdom of Christwould be, and by, and to whom, the Gospelwould be preached.Dr. Larry Richards,

author and educator,reminds us that theshepherds were uniquelyequipped to be therecipients of this greatprivilege:

The Savior, who wasnow born and lying inthe quiet manger, was

to be the Lamb of God.And as the Lamb, Hewas destined to die forthe sins of the world. To die for these veryshepherds as theirSavior. Perhapsshepherds, who cared for young lambs, who sat through cold darknights in the fields toguard and protect theirflocks, might understandthe shepherd’s heart ofGod the Father, mightglimpse what it meantfor Him to give His one Lamb for all.From a human

standpoint, it’s amazing that the Son of God wouldidentify Himself withshepherds, some of thelowliest members of society and culture in that day (Jn. 10). Yet, He described Himself as ashepherd, the protector andthe pursuer of His flock.

Imagine theseshepherds—isolated from

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their people, their temple,and their national hope—discovering from themouths of angels that they were not cast out

or forgotten by God, a factthat He proved by havingthem be the first to hear the message of hope:“Today in the city of Davidthere has been born for youa Savior, who is Christ theLord” (Lk. 2:11).

This message of hope to the shepherds was amessage of hope to all theworld. For this child born inBethlehem would become:• The Good Shepherd who

lays down His life for thesheep (Jn. 10:11).

• The Great Shepherd whopurchased the sheep bythe blood of the eternalcovenant (Heb. 13:20).

• The Shepherd andGuardian of our souls (1 Pet. 2:25).

• The Chief Shepherd whowill come again for Hisown with the reward of acrown of unfading glory(1 Pet. 5:4).

HUMBLINGWORSHIP IN ANUNEXPECTEDPLACEWhere do you like toworship? Some prefer amajestic cathedral, others a simple chapel. But wouldanyone’s first choice be astable? Yet, after hearing

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Imagine theseshepherds—

isolated from theirpeople, their

temple, and theirnational hope—discovering fromthe mouths of

angels that theywere not cast out

or forgotten by God.


the message of the angels,the shepherds’ firstresponse was to find thestable where Mary hadgiven birth to the Savior.

To me, this only confirmsthat our God is the God ofthe unexpected. And fewthings could be moreunexpected than the Kingof heaven being born in astable.

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, theshepherds began sayingto one another, “Let us

go straight to Bethlehemthen, and see this thingthat has happened whichthe Lord has made knownto us.” So they came in a hurry and found theirway to Mary and Joseph,and the baby as He lay inthe manger (Lk. 2:15-16).I have often heard

people use various forms ofthe expression, “You are notdefined by what happens to you, but by how yourespond to what happens toyou.” This is true, I suspect,in areas of life both goodand bad, both joyful andpainful, both exciting andterrifying. How we respondmeasures us in ways thatwords fail to express.

The shepherds’ responsewas, first, to worship, and,second, to tell what theyhad seen!

When they had seen this, they made knownthe statement which hadbeen told them about thisChild. And all who heard

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Our God is the God of theunexpected.

And few thingscould be more

unexpected thanthe King of

heaven being born in a stable.


it wondered at the things which were toldthem by the shepherds(Lk. 2:17-18).Shepherds were not only

the first to hear, they werealso the first to tell theChristmas message. Withtheir hearts bursting withwonder at what they hadexperienced, they sharedthat wonder with others bytelling the whole amazingstory about the angels andthe glory and the baby.

This is true worship—tokneel before the Christ sothat you are then able tostand before others andproclaim His glory andsalvation. Once we arehumbled into silence in the presence of the King, we can then speak boldly to all who need to hear.

To think that all of thisburst forth from a worshipexperience in a mostunlikely place, on a mostunlikely night, involving the most unlikely men.

CELEBRATIONFROM THE HEART

The shepherds went back, glorifying andpraising God for all thatthey had heard and seen,just as had been toldthem (Lk. 2:20).“These simple men,”

writes commentator AdamClarke, “having satisfactoryevidence of the truth of thegood tidings, and feeling adivine influence upon theirown minds, returned to the care of their flocks,glorifying God for what Hehad shown them, and forthe blessedness which theyfelt. . . . What subjects forcontemplation! Whatmatter for praise!”

Once outcasts, theshepherds were nowembraced. Once unfit forthe temple, they now stoodwith prophets and priests tocelebrate the arrival of thehope of the ages.

Shepherds celebrating atthe birth of a lamb—what

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could be more appropriate?Several years ago, I led

a study trip through Israel,and one of our stops, ofcourse, was Bethlehem. Wehad a Bible-study session ata place overlooking what isknown as “the shepherds’fields,” and then the grouphad the opportunity tospend some time shoppingin Bethlehem’s world-famous olive-wood stores. I was one of several whobought lovely nativity setsmade of olive wood. Thecost of the sets dependedupon the fineness of thecarving. Some were sorough-hewn that they werealmost abstract art, whileothers were so realisticallycrafted that the figureslooked like they were alive.

Later, as our tour bus carried us back toJerusalem, we once againpassed through theshepherds’ fields. With my wooden nativity set inhand, I thought about the

events of the day and the events of the firstChristmas. And as we drovethrough the area where theangels visited the shepherdsand proclaimed the arrivalof the King, I thought of thewords of one of my favoriteChristmas songs:

In the little village of Bethlehem,

There lay a Child one day;And the sky was bright

with a holy lightO’er the place

where Jesus lay.’Twas a humble birthplace,

but O how muchGod gave to us that day;

From the manger bed what a path has led,

What a perfect, holy way.Alleluia! O how the angels sang.

Alleluia! How it rang!And the sky was bright

with a holy light,’Twas the birthday

of a King.Driving through those

hilly fields speckled with 30


rock, rough in terrain, andstill populated by scatteredsheep, these familiar wordsheld an added richness andtexture. And as I looked at the hills and tried tovisualize that holy night solong ago, our guide askedthe driver to stop the bus.Standing on the roadsidewere two young boys, nomore than 12 or 13 years of age, with a small lamb.They were Bethlehemshepherds.

Two thousand years after the birthannouncement of the Son of God was delivered to poor, forgotten,ostracized shepherds, these shepherds were stillworking the fields and“watching over their flocks.”As the boys walked downthe aisle of our tour bus,almost every person placed a hand on the head of that little lamb. It was a wonderful moment. Shepherds

from the shepherds’ fields presenting a lamb.

Two thousand yearslater, we continue tocelebrate the Lamb, and we join the company ofshepherds who were thefirst to do so.

WHAT IS YOURRESPONSE TOCHRISTMAS?

TThe angels and the shepherds whowitnessed the events

surrounding the birth ofChrist leave us with alegacy of response, whichwas anything but casual.Their response was intenseand passionate as theygazed on the Christ-childand glorified His heavenlyFather.

The great challenge left to us, I suspect, is that all of our Christmascelebrations should includetraces or threads of theexaltation and worship they

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exhibited. If we do this, wewill cut through all the glitzand the glam of a seasonthat has grown increasinglysecular and commercial,and be reminded of thebeauty of the One who isChristmas.

We revel in the benefits and blessings of Christmas—but He isChristmas. We enjoy thegifts and trappings ofChristmas present—but

He is the eternal One who brings true joy andeverlasting life. We can beconsumed with wrappingsand focused on lists ofpresents—but the Onewrapped in cloths at Hisbirth remains “the greatestGift of all.” May we lookand love and never forgetthat . . .This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guardand angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

This Christmas day, and every day . . .O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

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The great challengeleft to us is to cut

through all the glitzand the glam of

a season that hasgrown increasingly

secular andcommercial, and

be reminded of thebeauty of the Onewho is Christmas. hThis booklet is excerpted

from Windows On Christmas byBill Crowder, which is published by Discovery House Publishers,a member of the RBC Ministriesfamily. Bill, who spent 20 years in pastoral ministry, is now theDirector of Church Ministries forRBC Ministries. He and his wifeMarlene have five children.


angels and shepherds

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