Mary, Joseph and Shepherds at the Mangerby CBPepper
2:8Luke 2:8
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
On the hills and plains around Bethlehem where David had once tended his flock, shepherds were abiding in the field by night keeping watch over their sheep. They were humble, lowly, ordinary working men, yet they were longing for the promised Saviour, talking of prophecy and praying for His coming, and their watchfulness made them fit to receive the glad tidings. Angels from heaven visited them with great brightness and glory that lit the whole plain, announced that Christ the Lord was born in David's city, and praised God for a Redeemer who would bring peace and everlasting life through His death. God did not reveal the birth to the proud priests, rulers and learned men in Jerusalem, who were indifferent and looking for a temporal prince to make them great, but sent bright messengers from His own throne to the shepherds because there were none among men to herald the advent. The shepherds hastened to Bethlehem, found, believed and worshiped the newborn King and spread the tidings abroad while the leaders despised their report and began the rejection of Christ, and their ordinary night work becoming the setting for heaven's visit shows that heaven is still near humble, faithful workers in lowly occupations.
Setting and Surroundings
The same country and region around Bethlehem is the setting, with shepherds staying and abiding out in the field on the hills and plains about the town and on the hills of Palestine. They were out in the fields near Bethlehem, keeping their flocks there when the heavenly visit came. The scene is the countryside at night, with the shepherds keeping watch over and guarding their flock. The angels' announcement of the Saviour's birth came to them there in the fields.
These were the very fields where the boy David had led and tended his flock. The shepherds keeping watch by night spent the silent hours in that historic place.
Christ's birth belonging to this setting took place in humble surroundings, with His glory veiled and with no outward display or earthly attraction to draw men to Him except heavenly truth. There was no worldly grandeur, for He was born in a stable, yet His coming was honored by angels and heavenly glory.
Shepherds Chosen to Hear
The shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night were humble, lowly, despised, ordinary working people, yet they were good men chosen to receive the glad tidings and testimony of the advent of Christ. The announcement of the Messiah's birth was entrusted to them because there were none among men to herald it, and the good news thus reached the lowly as well as the highest. They were among the few who longed to behold the Messiah, while the nation as a whole remained indifferent and unprepared to receive Him.
They spent the silent night hours contemplating the prophecy of the coming Messiah and longing for the Redeemer, giving heed to the light they had received. As they watched they talked together of the promised Saviour and prayed earnestly, even praying for the coming of the King to David's throne. This watchfulness and readiness made them fit to receive the angel's message and to share it and make it known.
By contrast the nation, the learned Jews who professed to expound prophecy, the priests, rulers, and powerful and honored people in Jerusalem remained unaware of His coming, indifferent, unprepared, in darkness and unable to receive the tidings. They had no heart to receive it and to welcome it, felt no need of greater piety, had separated themselves far from God by wicked works so that angels could not communicate the tidings to them, and were not looking for Him. They were not ready to welcome Jesus because they expected a temporal prince and mighty king who would make them rich and great, and were too proud to think of the Messiah as a helpless child.
Heralding the advent was the honored privilege of men, but since none among men would do it, God did not reveal Christ's birth to the proud leaders. Instead He sent bright messengers from His own throne of light to teach the shepherds, giving the announcement to lowly shepherds rather than to priests and rulers.
Angelic Announcement in Glory
Angels from heaven visited the shepherds in the field and announced the birth of the Saviour, declaring that Christ the Lord had been born in the city of David and telling them where He could be found. The night watch was broken by great brightness and glory from myriads of angels gathered in the heavens, whose heavenly radiance and light illuminated the entire plain and heavens. The sudden brilliance alarmed and frightened the shepherds so that they did not at first discern the host, until the leading angel revealed himself to quiet their fears with good tidings and their eyes became accustomed to bear the radiance. God's light and glory accompanied the testimony of the messengers to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.
The heavenly host praised and glorified God while heralding Jesus as the Son of God come to a fallen world to accomplish redemption and redeem fallen humanity. They proclaimed that through His death He would bring peace, happiness and everlasting life. Though His birth took place in a stable with no worldly grandeur, outward display or earthly attraction, His coming was honored by God, angels worshiped Him, and the worlds watched His reception on earth as He was proclaimed the world's Redeemer on the plains of Bethlehem. The appearance of the angel host to the shepherds keeping their flocks by night on the hills of Bethlehem was a sign and wonder in the heavens, a song from heaven given to attest Christ's mission and mark His coming. It proved that all heaven recognized His advent.
God revealed Christ to the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem in the way He could best reach them, for He works in every place after the manner by which He can best reach the people there. He gave them advance intimation of the lowly estate of Jesus, so they expected no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King and none of the world's honored men in attendance, but Jesus cradled in a manger with uneducated peasant parents as His only guardians. His coming to the shepherds was therefore different from His coming to the Magi through a wonderful star, a warning the wise men had not received when they came expecting earthly royalty. The birth was proclaimed to the shepherds abiding in the field by night on the plains of Bethlehem by a mighty heavenly angel, the same angel who later descended to the tomb at the resurrection, rolled away the stone, and called the Son of God forth.
The shepherds saw the angels and heard their proclamation face to face, while the wise men of the East saw the heavens illuminated at that time from a distance but did not hear the announcement or see the angels face to face. The angels appeared enshrouded in light that illuminated the heavens, and the glory surrounding the angel host was also seen by the wise men. After the angels returned to heaven a bright luminous star appeared and lingered in the heavens, which was a distant cluster of flaming angels appearing like a star and given as a sign of Christ's birth. The wise men saw what looked like a new star in the sky and took it as a possible sign that the Messiah had come.
Responses and Rejection
After the glory disappeared the shepherds hastened to Bethlehem and found the Saviour exactly as the messengers had testified, having been told where He could be found. They received the glad tidings joyfully, believed, welcomed Him, and worshiped Him as the newborn King come as an infant to poor parents. They were filled with amazement, love and gratitude that God in infinite mercy sent His Son for the salvation of men, and they spread the joyful tidings abroad.
Their report of the angels' visit was brought to Jerusalem, but the priests, elders and rabbis treated it as unworthy of notice and showed contempt for it. They would not stoop to be instructed by those they termed ignorant shepherds, heathen and uncircumcised Gentiles, saying God could not have passed them by to speak to such. They would not go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so, though they might have found Jesus themselves and led the wise men to His birthplace. Instead they led the people to regard interest in Jesus as fanatical excitement, and their refusal to investigate or heed the testimony marked the beginning of their rejection.
If the reports of the shepherds and the wise men were credited, the priests and rabbis would be disproved as exponents of the truth of God, so pride, stubbornness and envy closed the door against the light. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis, growing from pride and stubbornness into settled hatred, while God was opening the door to the Gentiles and the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves. When Satan heard the angelic announcement on the plains lit by the glory of the multitude of heavenly angels, he too was troubled, recognizing Christ as a threat to his kingdom, and began planning to destroy Christ, the Prince of life.
Meaning for Daily Life
The watching of flocks on the hills of Bethlehem through the night became the setting for a visit from heaven, when angels came to shepherds at their ordinary work. Heaven is no farther from people now than it was then, and is near even in the midst of ordinary work, for ordinary working people keeping watch in the fields were close to heaven's care when heaven's message was brought to them. Angels still attend those who go about their daily work at God's command, and stand beside humble, faithful workers for God, visiting them and caring for them. They observe how such workers speak and work and follow their employment and conduct themselves, as larger responsibilities are considered.
The story of Bethlehem shows God's sympathy for people in the humblest walks of life, and its humble setting teaches that useful work and lowly occupations can be lived for God and honored by heaven. God can work through His messengers and shed light and glory on His people. The shepherds keeping watch over their flocks were humble, despised people, yet at Christ's birth the angels brought the news of the Redeemer to them rather than to the priests and rulers, showing that the good news reached the lowly as well as the highest. The heralding of the birth to the shepherds, together with God's direction of Joseph to preserve the life of the infant Saviour, shows the special honor God gave to Joseph and Mary in entrusting the Saviour to their responsible charge and care.
The appearing of the angel host to the shepherds keeping their flocks by night was a sign and wonder in heaven given to mark Christ's coming and shows that all heaven recognized His advent. That heavenly honor at His first coming shows His second coming will not lack glory but will come with greater triumph. Clouds like those that enshrouded the angel host can recall the proclamation of the birth of the world's Redeemer to the shepherds in the fields at night.
On the hills and plains around Bethlehem where David had once tended his flock, shepherds were abiding in the field by night keeping watch over their sheep.
They were humble, lowly, ordinary working men, yet they were longing for the promised Saviour, talking of prophecy and praying for His coming, and their watchfulness made them fit to receive the glad tidings.
Angels from heaven visited them with great brightness and glory that lit the whole plain, announced that Christ the Lord was born in David's city, and praised God for a Redeemer who would bring peace and everlasting life through His death.
God did not reveal the birth to the proud priests, rulers and learned men in Jerusalem, who were indifferent and looking for a temporal prince to make them great, but sent bright messengers from His own throne to the shepherds because there were none among men to herald the advent.
The shepherds hastened to Bethlehem, found, believed and worshiped the newborn King and spread the tidings abroad while the leaders despised their report and began the rejection of Christ, and their ordinary night work becoming the setting for heaven's visit shows that heaven is still near humble, faithful workers in lowly occupations.
Setting and Surroundings
The same country and region around Bethlehem is the setting, with shepherds staying and abiding out in the field on the hills and plains about the town and on the hills of Palestine. They were out in the fields near Bethlehem, keeping their flocks there when the heavenly visit came. The scene is the countryside at night, with the shepherds keeping watch over and guarding their flock. The angels' announcement of the Saviour's birth came to them there in the fields.
These were the very fields where the boy David had led and tended his flock. The shepherds keeping watch by night spent the silent hours in that historic place.
Christ's birth belonging to this setting took place in humble surroundings, with His glory veiled and with no outward display or earthly attraction to draw men to Him except heavenly truth. There was no worldly grandeur, for He was born in a stable, yet His coming was honored by angels and heavenly glory.
Shepherds Chosen to Hear
The shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night were humble, lowly, despised, ordinary working people, yet they were good men chosen to receive the glad tidings and testimony of the advent of Christ. The announcement of the Messiah's birth was entrusted to them because there were none among men to herald it, and the good news thus reached the lowly as well as the highest. They were among the few who longed to behold the Messiah, while the nation as a whole remained indifferent and unprepared to receive Him.
They spent the silent night hours contemplating the prophecy of the coming Messiah and longing for the Redeemer, giving heed to the light they had received. As they watched they talked together of the promised Saviour and prayed earnestly, even praying for the coming of the King to David's throne. This watchfulness and readiness made them fit to receive the angel's message and to share it and make it known.
By contrast the nation, the learned Jews who professed to expound prophecy, the priests, rulers, and powerful and honored people in Jerusalem remained unaware of His coming, indifferent, unprepared, in darkness and unable to receive the tidings. They had no heart to receive it and to welcome it, felt no need of greater piety, had separated themselves far from God by wicked works so that angels could not communicate the tidings to them, and were not looking for Him. They were not ready to welcome Jesus because they expected a temporal prince and mighty king who would make them rich and great, and were too proud to think of the Messiah as a helpless child.
Heralding the advent was the honored privilege of men, but since none among men would do it, God did not reveal Christ's birth to the proud leaders. Instead He sent bright messengers from His own throne of light to teach the shepherds, giving the announcement to lowly shepherds rather than to priests and rulers.
Angelic Announcement in Glory
Angels from heaven visited the shepherds in the field and announced the birth of the Saviour, declaring that Christ the Lord had been born in the city of David and telling them where He could be found. The night watch was broken by great brightness and glory from myriads of angels gathered in the heavens, whose heavenly radiance and light illuminated the entire plain and heavens. The sudden brilliance alarmed and frightened the shepherds so that they did not at first discern the host, until the leading angel revealed himself to quiet their fears with good tidings and their eyes became accustomed to bear the radiance. God's light and glory accompanied the testimony of the messengers to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.
The heavenly host praised and glorified God while heralding Jesus as the Son of God come to a fallen world to accomplish redemption and redeem fallen humanity. They proclaimed that through His death He would bring peace, happiness and everlasting life. Though His birth took place in a stable with no worldly grandeur, outward display or earthly attraction, His coming was honored by God, angels worshiped Him, and the worlds watched His reception on earth as He was proclaimed the world's Redeemer on the plains of Bethlehem. The appearance of the angel host to the shepherds keeping their flocks by night on the hills of Bethlehem was a sign and wonder in the heavens, a song from heaven given to attest Christ's mission and mark His coming. It proved that all heaven recognized His advent.
God revealed Christ to the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem in the way He could best reach them, for He works in every place after the manner by which He can best reach the people there. He gave them advance intimation of the lowly estate of Jesus, so they expected no royal guard stationed to protect the newborn King and none of the world's honored men in attendance, but Jesus cradled in a manger with uneducated peasant parents as His only guardians. His coming to the shepherds was therefore different from His coming to the Magi through a wonderful star, a warning the wise men had not received when they came expecting earthly royalty. The birth was proclaimed to the shepherds abiding in the field by night on the plains of Bethlehem by a mighty heavenly angel, the same angel who later descended to the tomb at the resurrection, rolled away the stone, and called the Son of God forth.
The shepherds saw the angels and heard their proclamation face to face, while the wise men of the East saw the heavens illuminated at that time from a distance but did not hear the announcement or see the angels face to face. The angels appeared enshrouded in light that illuminated the heavens, and the glory surrounding the angel host was also seen by the wise men. After the angels returned to heaven a bright luminous star appeared and lingered in the heavens, which was a distant cluster of flaming angels appearing like a star and given as a sign of Christ's birth. The wise men saw what looked like a new star in the sky and took it as a possible sign that the Messiah had come.
Responses and Rejection
After the glory disappeared the shepherds hastened to Bethlehem and found the Saviour exactly as the messengers had testified, having been told where He could be found. They received the glad tidings joyfully, believed, welcomed Him, and worshiped Him as the newborn King come as an infant to poor parents. They were filled with amazement, love and gratitude that God in infinite mercy sent His Son for the salvation of men, and they spread the joyful tidings abroad.
Their report of the angels' visit was brought to Jerusalem, but the priests, elders and rabbis treated it as unworthy of notice and showed contempt for it. They would not stoop to be instructed by those they termed ignorant shepherds, heathen and uncircumcised Gentiles, saying God could not have passed them by to speak to such. They would not go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so, though they might have found Jesus themselves and led the wise men to His birthplace. Instead they led the people to regard interest in Jesus as fanatical excitement, and their refusal to investigate or heed the testimony marked the beginning of their rejection.
If the reports of the shepherds and the wise men were credited, the priests and rabbis would be disproved as exponents of the truth of God, so pride, stubbornness and envy closed the door against the light. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis, growing from pride and stubbornness into settled hatred, while God was opening the door to the Gentiles and the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves. When Satan heard the angelic announcement on the plains lit by the glory of the multitude of heavenly angels, he too was troubled, recognizing Christ as a threat to his kingdom, and began planning to destroy Christ, the Prince of life.
Meaning for Daily Life
The watching of flocks on the hills of Bethlehem through the night became the setting for a visit from heaven, when angels came to shepherds at their ordinary work. Heaven is no farther from people now than it was then, and is near even in the midst of ordinary work, for ordinary working people keeping watch in the fields were close to heaven's care when heaven's message was brought to them. Angels still attend those who go about their daily work at God's command, and stand beside humble, faithful workers for God, visiting them and caring for them. They observe how such workers speak and work and follow their employment and conduct themselves, as larger responsibilities are considered.
The story of Bethlehem shows God's sympathy for people in the humblest walks of life, and its humble setting teaches that useful work and lowly occupations can be lived for God and honored by heaven. God can work through His messengers and shed light and glory on His people. The shepherds keeping watch over their flocks were humble, despised people, yet at Christ's birth the angels brought the news of the Redeemer to them rather than to the priests and rulers, showing that the good news reached the lowly as well as the highest. The heralding of the birth to the shepherds, together with God's direction of Joseph to preserve the life of the infant Saviour, shows the special honor God gave to Joseph and Mary in entrusting the Saviour to their responsible charge and care.
The appearing of the angel host to the shepherds keeping their flocks by night was a sign and wonder in heaven given to mark Christ's coming and shows that all heaven recognized His advent. That heavenly honor at His first coming shows His second coming will not lack glory but will come with greater triumph. Clouds like those that enshrouded the angel host can recall the proclamation of the birth of the world's Redeemer to the shepherds in the fields at night.