Day 9: Shepherds

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."

There is so much I want to share about the shepherds. I've had a hard time deciding what to include and what to leave out. First, I want to give you a little background on who these shepherds probably were.  Bible and historical scholars agree that the shepherds residing in Bethlehem would very likely be the shepherds of the temple flock. This special flock birthed and provided the lambs offered in the temple at Jerusalem for sacrifices in similitude of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have you ever noticed in the story that the angels did not tell the shepherds where to go to find him? They told them He was born in the city of David (Bethlehem, where the shepherds were already abiding) and the only other direction given was that they would find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. The angel didn't need to give more direction than this because the shepherds would have known exactly what manger and exactly the location. For the Savior was born in the very place where the lambs were born which were offered in His name.

When these young lambs were born, the shepherds would wrap them in swaddling clothes. This was done to keep them safe, pure and unblemished (requirements needed for an offered lamb). It shows deeper meaning and symbolism that Mary wrapped the Savior in swaddling clothes. She was symbolically the first Shepherd, wrapping the offered Lamb of God to prevent injury and protect purity.

Immediately after the angel's announcement, the scriptures tell us, "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." They immediately left and came to see the Savior. This is symbolic because at the time of the Savior's birth (which we know from modern day revelation to be in April) the shepherds would have been looking after newborn lambs. It shows they understood how incredible this birth was, for them to leave these lambs which they had given their lives to raise and protect to go find the Savior. What happens next is even more humbling, "And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds." These shepherds left the sacrifices of the Law of Moses, and became the first missionaries for the new covenant and law. The Law of Christ.

When we read the Christmas story and come to the account of the shepherds abiding in their fields, I hope our hearts and minds will remember that there is nothing more important than coming to find Christ. It doesn't matter what we leave behind, for coming to Him calls us to the work of proclaiming, along with the shepherds, that we too know the Christ child and to invite others to learn what we know. I testify that I know the Christ child and my life will never be the same because of it. And for that, I am profoundly grateful. In His name, Jesus Christ, amen.