The well-known song ‘the shepherds lay by night’ is not quite right. The much-loved characters in the Christmas story are not as small and sweet as the lyrics would have you believe. Because when you look after a flock of sheep near Bethlehem, you have to be made of different stuff. Strong, alert and above all not afraid. It is quite possible that a hungry predator will stalk the sheep from the dark. Or that robbers want to make off with your animals. As a shepherd, you are responsible. Even if that means that you have to fight to protect the sheep. So it is a risky job.

And as beloved as the ‘shepherds’ are now, they were absolutely not in the time and culture of this story. People from that time mentioned them in the same breath as criminals. The description in the literature of Jewish scholars does not say much good: shepherds are rough and unreliable, not suitable to act as witnesses in a court case. In short, they are despised and dangle at the bottom of society. These are the last people you would go to to bring Good News. They are not good enough for the good news of Jesus, are they?

The shepherds in this story are somewhere in the fields outside Bethlehem when they are suddenly surrounded by a heavenly light. Suddenly someone stands in their midst and they are terrified! No wonder! It is an angel, a messenger from heaven. The angel says: “You do not have to be afraid. Because I bring you good news! This good news is for all the people. Today the Messiah was born in Bethlehem! He is the Savior!”

This is totally unexpected. This is not good news… this is great news! The Messiah is not just anyone, the people (including the shepherds) have been waiting for him for so long. He is supposed to have been set apart by God to do special things, to save the people from destruction. He will become a King who gives people a new life. If you have to go somewhere with this news, you go to important religious leaders, right? Or one of the rulers? But the angel has apparently been given a different assignment. The angel has been sent to rough shepherds, to men who are not considered important by society. They are the first to hear this good news!

The angel continues: “This will be a sign for you that what I say is true: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And then suddenly many more angels are there, joyfully praising God and saying: “Peace on earth to those who belong to God!”

As quickly as the angels came, they are gone again. It is dark again and the shepherds are alone with their sheep. I can imagine that your heart is on fire. What a sight! And what an honor that messengers from God come to them! And that God first announces the good news to them.

The shepherds leave their beloved sheep behind and hurriedly set off. To Bethlehem, to go and see what the angel had said. And there they see it. They find Joseph and Mary, and in a feeding trough for animals lies the Messiah. Small and vulnerable, wrapped in cloths. Baby Jesus. This is the Savior, the new King who comes to bring new life. Just as the angel had said! They go into the city of Bethlehem and tell everyone they meet about the little baby and what the angel had said about it. They have to know this! Mary, the mother of Jesus, is surprised but remembers everything that has happened. And the shepherds go back to their sheep in joy.

How special. The shepherds, spit out by society, have a place with God in this wonderful story. Their social status does not matter to God. He wants to bring them the good news first and invite them to go to that special baby. He wants to use them to tell this good news further. For Jesus, the shepherds are not too small. They belong! They are good enough for Jesus. He wants to give them a new life.

That does not only apply to the shepherds. Perhaps you are in a similar situation as the shepherds, and you feel like you are at the bottom of society and do not feel special. Or do you feel that God does not have an eye for someone like you. Then this story may encourage you.

You are good enough for Jesus! You are not too small to hear this good news. Jesus came for you too. That makes Christmas, the birth of Jesus, not only a celebration for the shepherds, the wise men or Joseph and Mary, but also for you! He wants to give you a new life!

Being a shepherd also comes back later in the life of Jesus. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). The people who belong to Him are His sheep. Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” That Jesus gives his life for his ‘flock’ can be read here in the story of Good Friday and Easter. Do you want to experience the Christmas story from the shepherds’ perspective even further? Then here are a few more tips for you:

Read the story in the Bible.

Listen to the song ‘Heavenly Hosts’ by For King + Country

Watch the story with the video below