High
on a bluff, opposite the City of Bethlehem sits the traditional site of the
Shepherd’s fields. Set well back from
the edge of the bluff are some shallow low ceilinged caves, such as those
commonly used by shepherds watching over their flocks by night. Each cave is large enough to hold a fair
sized flock of sheep. At night the
shepherds built their campfire and lay down in mouth of the caves. The shepherds were the door of the sheep. Walking to the edge of the bluff one looks
down on the fields of Boaz. Boaz was the
father of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David the King, who was the
direct line ancestor of Jesus on both Joseph’s side and on Mary’s side. Joseph’s genealogy is given in the Gospel of
Matthew, and Mary’s in the Gospel of Luke.
The
flock they guarded was large enough for several shepherds to tend. Shepherds were usually single men too young
to marry, or landless bachelors. It was
rough work, dirty work, tending sometimes recalcitrant, wayward, and often
stupid sheep. It could be dangerous
protecting the sheep from thieves, wolves, and as David tells us from marauding
lions or bears.
There were no city lights, no ambient light; the only illumination starlight and the waning or waxing moon. Looking across the fields of Boaz, Bethlehem would be silhouetted blackly on the horizon.
The
account of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is plain and
unadorned. A young couple, Joseph and
Mary, travel by foot, no donkey; only the wealthy could afford a donkey. The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is
approximately 70 miles depending on the route they would have chosen. On arriving in Bethlehem, the city of their
ancestor David, they found that there was no room in the inn. The customary inn was little more than one
room and a courtyard, with a cave for a stable nearby. They took refuge in the stable which, all
things considered, was probably considerably cleaner than the inn would have
been and had the advantage of privacy.
The newborn baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid on the hay in
a stone manger. The only hint in the
passage of things to come is the simple reference affirming that Joseph was of
the lineage of David, but so also was Mary.
The
theological weight of this part of the story rests solely on the appearance of
the angel to the shepherds on the hill.
Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were
shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with
fear.
At
first only one angel appears. The
radiant light of the Cloud of the Glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds,
and we are told that they were filled with fear.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them,
"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be
for all the people. 11 For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will
find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
That
is the heart of the matter, all else is trappings. The baby is the Savior who has come into the
world to save his people from their sins.
He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed one who is the Lord. The title is evocative of Psalm 45. The one who is born is the Living God in the
flesh.
Psalm 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest
wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness
above thy fellows. 8 All thy garments
smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they
have made thee glad.
In
the birth of this infant the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled,
Isaiah
9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order
it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
It
is only after the central message is safely and clearly delivered that the
multitude of angels appears. The phrase,
“Lord God of Hosts,” actually means “Lord God of Armies.” The multitude of the heavenly host appearing
is the Angelic Army of the Lord.
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" 15 When the angels went away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to
us." 16 And they went with haste
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the
saying that had been told them concerning this child.
It is significant that
it is to simple working class men that the angels appear; not to prelates or
scholars, not to rulers or priests, not to Sadducees or Pharisees. Why?
Because God knew the hearts of these men, and He knew that they would
respond with joyful faith.
Luke 2:18 And all who heard it wondered at
what the shepherds told them. 19 But
Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Do
I need to make the application? I
certainly do.
1 Corinthians 1: 26 For consider your
calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,
not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world
to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the
strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised
in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the
presence of God. 30 He is the source of
your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and
sanctification and redemption.
