The Shepherds’ Joy
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
8 That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9 All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10 But the angel said, “Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11 This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.” 13 Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: 14 “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” 15 After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. 17 When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. 18 Everyone listened and was surprised. 19 But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant. 20 As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.
Luke 2:8-20
Memory Verse
Luke 2:18
18 Everyone listened and was surprised.
Have you ever had the opportunity to be picked first for something? Maybe a sports team or a school job, or a musical tryout. How did it make you feel? Did you feel like you wanted to tell someone about it?
At the beginning of Luke 2, the shepherds were kind of like the last ones to be picked. They got the long and boring night shift job that nobody wanted to do: watch the stinky sheep. But God picked them for a special task the night Jesus was born.
Imagine what that night must have felt like for the shepherds! Angels appeared suddenly! A whole sky full of them! Then, the angels told them the good news of great joy, and the shepherds became the first people on the whole earth to hear about Jesus! Once the shock had worn off, they ran to Bethlehem.
I wonder what it was like to be the first. Did they crowd around the entrance of the stable, excited to get the best look? Did it feel strange at first? Maybe Mary and Joseph smiled and invited them in. Which shepherd joyfully told Mary and Joseph about their visit with the angels? After they left, who did they tell next?
How do you feel when you think about how God sent Jesus to be your Savior? Does it make you smile and feel special inside that God was thinking about you and picked you? That’s the best part of the Christmas story: God included us in his story. Let’s celebrate and experience the joy God gives us at Christmas!
Prayer
Thank you, God, that you chose the shepherds to be the first ones to go see Jesus. They were so excited to tell others. Thank you for the joy they felt and for the joy we feel when we are reminded of God’s love. Help us share the story with our family and friends so that they too may feel that same joy. Amen.Related Resources
Beth Fellinger
Beth Fellinger has been hanging out in ministry for 40 plus years as a pastor, as the Canadian Youth Director for Alpha, leader of the local region for Mothers Who Care, and also serving coffee and cinnamon buns to neighbours at the Ugly Couch Care (aka Turquoise Table). She and her husband Barry have two children, two in-law kids and 5 grandchildren. Nothing gives Beth greater joy than introducing people to Jesus.