Carols Devotional: “What Child Is This, Part 2”

Luke 2:8-20

“While shepherds watch are keeping.”

The first message about the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, was given to lowly shepherds.  They were the keepers of the flocks that were destined for sacrifice in the temple.  How appropriate that God would send angels to announce the birth of the “Lamb of God” to the shepherds of these sacrificial animals.  In 33 ½ short years the animals would no longer be needed because Jesus would become the “once and for all lamb of God.” (John 1:19)

Although the shepherds were initially frightened, they didn’t doubt the message they were given, and who the message was from.  Their immediate reaction was, “Let’s go see this thing that has happened that the Lord has told us about.”

After they saw the baby Jesus, exactly as the angels had told them they would find him, they returned to their field, but on the way they told everyone they saw about what they had seen.  They were the first evangelists!!

God has committed to us the message about Jesus, and like the shepherds, we should tell everyone can that Jesus came to this earth as a baby; came to be that sacrificial lamb for us.  There might have been some who doubted the shepherds.  After all, how often is it that people get messages from angels, and see a whole angelic choir singing in the sky?  But they didn’t let that stop them from spreading the message.  At the very least it got people wondering.  If they knew the prophecies, they knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  There will be those who doubt us too, but we can share our personal experience.  It’s hard to argue with a personal experience.

Spread the message.

Naomi Brinkman