“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” – Luke 2:8
I love that we find the shepherds entering into the Christmas story, doing what they normally do 365 days throughout the year. They were taking care of what had been entrusted to them to do. Looking after their flock of sheep. It was an occupation that called for their 24-hour attention – kind of like parenting. We find them at night – keeping watch. Although I have no personal experience with being a shepherd, I can imagine, at night, when predators are at a higher likelihood to be on the prowl, they would have had to be on high alert.
Keeping watch over what had been entrusted to them to care for.
All around the field country, along the slopes of the city of Bethlehem were many flocks of sheep. And Jewish scholars believe that these particular shepherds were entrusted to raise the sheep that would be the sacrificial lambs in the Temple, in Jerusalem, just 5 miles away. The shepherd’s job was to pick out the sheep born without blemish… the purest ones of the flock and they would bring them to the Tower of the Sheep - a place called Migdal Eder - in the field country on the outskirts of Bethlehem, on the southeast side of the city by the road that led to Jerusalem. When the sheep were born, in order to keep them from falling over, or harming themselves by thrashing around, they would wrap them in strips of cloth from priestly garments to protect them – and to ensure that they remained without blemish. Swaddling them like a baby they would lay them on the manger floor.
Unblemished, spotless, 1 year old male rams were commonly used for sin offerings and unblemished spotless female ewes were used for peace offerings. They were brought to the Temple and sacrificed on the altar to make atonement for the people, so they could be in right standing with God.
While God is about to entrust them with Good News that will forever change their job and the trajectory of humanity. It isn’t lost on me, that the angels show up to find the shepherds busy doing the job that was entrusted to them alone.
We each have access to hold the Scriptures in our hands, that tell us what comes to pass some 33 years after the shepherds have this encounter. The perfect Lamb of God – Jesus Christ – would be the final sacrificial Lamb that would need to be sacrificed in atonement for all people’s sins. This is the Good News that is given for all. For all who believe and receive this gift – we’ve been deposited with the Truth. Entrusted to carry it along with us in our day-to-day living, with a mission of instruction as our purpose for living. To go out into all the world, sharing the good news and making disciples. (ref. Matthew 28:18-20)
“Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.” – 2 Timothy 1:14
We’ve been entrusted to faithfully proclaim the Good News of Jesus – with our lives and our words. And what time of year could be easier to tell others of our Saviour, than at Christmas?
So may God show us the opportunities to share the reason for our hope and experience the joy that follows.
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