The document describes the story of the shepherds from the Bible visiting the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. It provides background context on the story and analyzes various details. The shepherds were watching their flocks at night when an angel appeared and told them the good news that a Savior, the Messiah, had been born in the town of David. The angel said they would find the baby wrapped and lying in a manger. Suddenly, many other angels appeared praising God and saying glory to God and peace to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels left, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem immediately to see what had happened.

1. Give Glory to God
Luke 2:8–20

2. Background
Luke weaves this story in with his account of John the
Baptist’s conception and birth. Both births were
announced by an angel, accomplished by God’s
miraculous power, and accompanied by wonders that
God performed.

3. Background
But Jesus stands supreme in this pairing. He is God’s
Son (Luke 1:32a), the promised king (1:32b, 33), virgin
born (1:35), the Lord (1:43), and the source of the
salvation (2:30).
To him alone the glory of God belongs.

4. Background
As Jesus was born against the backdrop of Roman
imperial power, there was another who claimed glory.
Caesar ruled much of the world and had ordered it to
pay him taxes (Luke 2:1).

5. Background
Some said that the true glory in the world was that of
Rome’s political, military, and economic power. Of
such glory Jesus and his family had none.
Shut out from ordinary living quarters for humans, the
newborn Jesus lay in a manger, a feeding trough for
animals (2:7).

6. Luke 2:8–14
8. And there were shepherds living out in the fields
nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

7. Luke 2:8–14
While there were Old Testament prophecies and
promises that specifically detailed how Jesus would be
conceived and where he would be born, nothing is
specifically written that would have caused
“shepherds” to have been listening or looking for the
angels or Jesus.

8. Luke 2:8–14
The scene opens with a sight familiar to all who live in
the area. Most people in the biblical world make their
living in agriculture, and the herding of sheep and
goats is prominent in their economy.

9. Luke 2:8–14
Many famous people in Israel’s history were
shepherds, including the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob as well as the great King David.
Yet as common as it is to herd sheep, shepherds
receive a measure of scorn from some.

10. Luke 2:8–14
Since they had to watch their sheep on the Sabbath,
they violated the Mosaic Law which caused them to be
looked upon by the Pharisees as outcasts and
spiritually inferior.
Because shepherds commonly stay out at night with
their herds, some religious teachers view them with
suspicion since nighttime is associated with thievery
(Jeremiah 49:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:2).

11. Luke 2:8–14
Application: No matter who you are, what you have or
don’t have, the message of Christmas is for you. God
has sent His only begotten Son into the world that you
might be saved.

12. Luke 2:8–14
9. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified.

13. Luke 2:8–14
This is now the third appearance of an angel in Luke’s
story line: Gabriel had announced John the Baptist to
be the prophet of the great king (Luke 1:11) and Jesus
as the king himself (1:26–33). Now an angel is about to
make an announcement to a band of humble
shepherds.

14. Luke 2:8–14
Luke describes an illumination of the nighttime scene.
Such light can come only from God, who calls light into
existence (Genesis 1:3). God is spirit and doesn’t have
a body, a form, He’s invisible.
But when He reveals Himself, He does so with a type
of brilliant, shinning manifestation of light.

15. Luke 2:8–14
His “glory” that had appeared in the tabernacle in
Exodus 40, in the temple in Solomon’s day, and was
seen departing from God’s house in Ezekiel’s day
(Ezekiel 8-10), is back!

16. Luke 2:8–14
The typical reaction to the appearance of an angel is
fear (Judges 6:22, 23; Luke 1:11, 12; Acts 10:3, 4). The
word “afraid” is the Greek word phobeo {fob-eh-o}
meaning “frightened, alarmed, and to be in awe.” The
shepherds were “terrified.”

17. Luke 2:8–14
10. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news that will cause great joy for all
the people.

18. Luke 2:8–14
This heavenly messenger does not come in judgment
which was assumed but in mercy. So he tells the
shepherds to not be afraid (Luke 1:13, 30).

19. Luke 2:8–14
The angel brings good news, like the prophet Isaiah’s
promise of good news for the suffering people of God
(Isaiah 40:9; 52:7; 61:1).
The joyous news is not just for the shepherds but also
for all who await the fulfillment of God’s promises.

20. Luke 2:8–14
We often talk about the manifest presence of God in
our church services but most of us have never
experienced anything even remotely similar to what
the shepherds did on the night of Jesus’ birth.
Yet these shepherds are experiencing God in their
midst out in a “field” during the normal activities of
life. The message here is that Christmas can be
experienced by all and in any place!

21. Luke 2:8–14
Pause2Talk
Why do we always assume that it is the poor or
oppressed who are suffering? How does the suffering
of the rich or powerful differ if at all?

22. Luke 2:8–14
11. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born
to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

23. Luke 2:8–14
The angelic designation is a reminder that the
birthplace is the home of Israel’s great king, the one to
whom God made a promise of a descendant whose
throne would endure forever (1 Chronicles 17:11–14).
That long-awaited promise is now coming to
fulfillment.

24. Luke 2:8–14
“For unto you” is plural and means not only for those
shepherds that first Christmas night, but for all of
humanity a Savior is “born this day.”
The angel calls the newborn child a Savior. We are
familiar with that term for Jesus in designating him as
the one who saves from sin.

25. Luke 2:8–14
When the word “Savior” was mentioned the people
thought of a Rescuer, a Deliverer (Deuteronomy 20:4;
Psalm 24:5; 25:5; Isaiah 63:8-9; Micah 7:18; Luke 1:47,
69; 2:25-30; 1 Timothy 4:10).
But for the shepherds, this term may sound at first like
a title that the Romans give to their successful rulers.
But the Scriptures call God the Savior of his people
(Isaiah 43:3; Hosea 13:4; etc.). Is this child to be a rival
to Caesar for the title of Savior?

26. Luke 2:8–14
The angel adds that this Savior is the Messiah, a
Hebrew word meaning “anointed one”; therefore this
is the designation of God’s king. The further
designation the Lord expresses supreme authority.
Rome insists that Caesar is the only king and lord, but
for the people of Israel the true king is none other
than God himself (notice the irony in John 19:15).

27. Luke 2:8–14
Therefore only God can be rightly called LORD in the
ultimate sense. This child brings with him the
authority of God himself!
Application: Christ is so different from the other
professed deities in the world that he is not hard to
identify. He is the one who said, “Come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest” (Matthew 11:28).

28. Luke 2:8–14
12. “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

29. Luke 2:8–14
Now comes the great contrast.
The announced Savior/Messiah/Lord will be identified
with a sign indicating which newborn child is the right
one. But the sign also indicates the kind of king the
child will be.

30. Luke 2:8–14
The sign is not just that the child is to be found
wrapped in cloths (what older translations call
“swaddling clothes”); to be wrapped that way is just
normal procedure.
The unique sign, rather, is that this child lies in a
manger, a feeding trough for animals.

31. Luke 2:8–14
No lodging is available for the family (Luke 2:7), so
Joseph and Mary have taken shelter with animals,
perhaps in one of the caves near Bethlehem used as a
stable.
The promised king, the powerful Lord and Savior, is
born in the lowliest of circumstances!

32. Luke 2:8–14
Pause2Talk
Which character of Christmas other than Jesus holds a
special fascination for you and why?

33. Luke 2:8–14
13. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

34. Luke 2:8–14
The solitary angel is now joined by a great choir of
angels. Or more specifically it is an army of angels
since the term that is translated host typically refers to
armies.
Heaven’s army, so much more powerful than any
human army, now joins in praise to God for the king
who lies in an animal’s feeding trough.

35. Luke 2:8–14
14. “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth
peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

36. Luke 2:8–14
In sending his Son, God is bringing his supreme
blessing to humanity. Earth has been filled with
turmoil, violence, and fear ever since our first parents
rebelled against God. Now God promises to restore his
peace to the troubled earth.

37. Luke 2:8–14
For the shepherds living under Roman occupation, the
angelic note of praise strikes another contrast.
They represent the awesome power of heaven
gathered for peaceful purposes. Their message on this
night is about “peace” and “good will,” not war.

38. Luke 2:8–14
Pause2Talk
What peace would like to enjoy in your life right now?
What peace would you like to see the world enjoy?

39. Luke 2:8–14
The peace of God, sing the angels, come to those who
submit to the reign of the king whom God is sending.
These people have God’s favor.
The decision to submit to Christ is what will result in
peace.

40. Luke 2:8–14
Application: The good news of Christ’s birth means
that things on earth can change.
Lasting and eternal change does not come by politics
or religion. It comes through a saving relationship with
Jesus Christ.

41. Luke 2:15–20
15. When the angels had left them and gone into
heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go
to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.”.

42. Luke 2:15–20
The shepherds, now alone in the scene, speak in a way
that confirms their immediate submission to the
angelic message: Let’s go expresses urgency—“We
must go!”
The shepherds left their flocks in the care of God and
began their journey to Bethlehem.

43. Luke 2:15–20
The shepherds as ordinary people have no power,
riches, or prestige to lose in recognizing that God’s
promised king has come into the world (contrast Mark
10:21, 22).
Yet they are ready, eager to see what God has done.
They are ready to receive the peace that God is
delivering to his people.
.

44. Luke 2:15–20
Application: Christmas if properly understood always
results in conversation and action.
How could these shepherds receive the message they
had received and not talk about it? How could these
shepherds receive the message they had received and
not go see what had taken place?.

45. Luke 2:15–20
16. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

46. Luke 2:15–20
Luke introduced Mary and Joseph earlier as ordinary
folk, subject to the whims of those in power. So the
two have come to Bethlehem to pay taxes, perhaps on
a piece of farmland that Joseph has inherited (Luke
2:1–5).
With no guest lodging available, this humble, devoted
pair now make do with other shelter as their newborn
lies in a trough used to feed farm animals.

47. Luke 2:15–20
The baby … lying in a manger is the sign of which the
angel spoke. God’s promised king, the Messiah, the
Lord, the world’s Savior, is designated by such
lowliness.
He will not rule like Caesar or any other earthly ruler.
He will rule in lowliness, as the servant of all. And it
begins here—in a feeding trough.

48. Luke 2:15–20
17. When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this child,

49. Luke 2:15–20
The shepherds did not need to see the new born baby
to believe the message of the angels had spoken to
them.
Now, having seen the child about whom the angel
spoke, they feel compelled to tell others. The
shepherds are witnesses of what God has just done.

50. Luke 2:15–20
Throughout his two volumes of the Gospel of Luke and
the Acts of the Apostles, the author emphasizes that
when people see what God has done in Christ, they
share the news with others (examples: Luke 7:16, 17;
Acts 8:4).

51. Luke 2:15–20
Pause2Talk
What is the last good news that you received? How
long did you wait before you shared it?

52. Luke 2:15–20
18. … and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them.

53. Luke 2:15–20
Like others who have heard the stories surrounding
the conception and birth of John the Baptist, those
who hear the shepherds’ story display amazement or
wonder at this message (compare Luke 1:65, 66).
The word "wondered" is the Greek word “thaumazo.”
It means “to marvel, to be amazed.”

54. Luke 2:15–20
The people are uncertain about its meaning.
Years later, Jesus’ disciples will wonder whether it is
really Jesus who appears before them alive after he
dies the death of a criminal on a cross (Luke 24:41).

55. Luke 2:15–20
Note: Wouldn’t it be a blessing if the Lord would give
us back the “wonder” this Christmas! How can we
expect sinners to be amazed if Christians are no longer
amazed?

56. Luke 2:15–20
19. But Mary treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart.

57. Luke 2:15–20
The best informed of the witnesses is Jesus’ mother,
Mary.
She had received the angel Gabriel’s first message
about the pending birth of her child (Luke 1:26–38).
She had heard Elizabeth, her relative, exalt her child as
“Lord” (1:43–45). Mary had herself praised God for
what he was promising to do (1:46–55).
But even for Mary, the events are not yet entirely
clear.

58. Luke 2:15–20
Luke will later note that Mary keeps memories in her
heart of amazing things associated with Jesus’
childhood (Luke 2:51).
Her puzzlement will be greatest when, as Simeon will
prophesy, her heart is pierced with a sword of grief at
Jesus’ death (2:35).

59. Luke 2:15–20
Pause2Talk
Why should anyone learn to be voluntarily humble
which can be seen as weakness?
Do we need to be sure that others know that we are
being humble and not weak?

60. Luke 2:15–20
20. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all the things they had heard and seen, which
were just as they had been told.

61. Luke 2:15–20
The word “returned” reminds us that life goes on. We
can’t stay at the manger forever. We must take what
we have been given in Christ and “return” to our lives.

62. Luke 2:15–20
The shepherds’ praise and worship will characterize
the lives of Jesus’ followers after his resurrection and
ascension (Acts 2:47). The shepherds show no concern
regarding their low status in the eyes of the world.
God has reached out to them in their lowliness
through the lowliness of his Son. That changes all of
life, to the glory of God

63. Conclusion
The contrast in today’s passage is between the power
of the world and the lowliness of the Son of the
almighty God. That contrast is the contrast of the ages!

64. Conclusion
If we know Jesus, we can never think of life in the
same way again. Life can never be about becoming
powerful, wealthy, or important.
It can only be about seeking and embracing the
lowliness of Jesus Christ, thereby giving our lives in
service for the sake of others who need to follow him
as well.

65. Conclusion
Perhaps we feel like shepherds, alone in the night,
ignored by others. . We can and should join the
shepherds in joyfully sharing that good news.