Luke 2: 8-20
For all of us who have come in contact with and have been changed by the Gospel, we have a duty to share our salvation with the world in joyous declaration.
How wonderful is it that as the eternal Word of God, Christ Jesus, was born into the world it was not the rich and powerful, nor was it the wise, the wonderful, or the well-to-do, that the heavenly host appeared to on the night of our Savior’s birth? Rather, God in His love and by His perfect plan, had His messengers proclaim in glorious light, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14 ESV) to lowly shepherds at the time of His Special Revelation being made manifest in the flesh.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
Luke 2:8-14 ESV
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
They came proclaiming to the shepherds, “Peace”, but to whom is this peace for? It is for all who would find favor in the eyes of the Lord. It is, in the immediate context, proclaimed toward the shepherds, but why would God find favor and pleasure in these shepherds? Could it be that He merited favor to them because they were poor and lowly, or is it that they did not possess power or position? No. It is not by any virtue found in the shepherds that they received this message, rather it is solely by God’s good pleasure to make Himself known to all that he sends the angels to make this proclamation to those He chose, for all men to know that this message of goodwill towards mankind is offered to both the lowest and the highest of men.
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Luke 2:15-19 ESV
Joyous Response
The coming of the King requires proclamation. As the great preacher Charles Spurgeon points out:
“Good news is not to be kept to ourselves… Tell it, O you who know it in your own hearts by blessed experience!”
Just as the angels were sent first to proclaim to the shepherds, the Gospel response of proclamation is exemplified by the shepherds. Upon hearing of the Good News, they dropped what they had, much like twelve men will at their calling thirty-three years later, and they went to find the Savior.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Luke 2:20 ESV
As they returned from seeing God in the flesh, born as a child, they could not keep silent. Rejoicing and praising along with the proclamation of the Lord’s revelation is the only right response these shepherds had to the Advent of the Messiah. We should do likewise. It is unlikely that the shepherds knew all that would transpire in the life of the newborn they just visited, but their lives were changed nonetheless and God blessed their testimony by allowing it to be an important part of His revelation to us.
For all of us who have come in contact with and have been changed by the Gospel, we have a duty to share our salvation with the world in joyous declaration. You don’t have to be learned or trained; God’s use of the shepherds tells us that. God is not concerned with the ability and status of the messenger; He is concerned with the heart of the messenger. The above-mentioned quote by Spurgeon continues,
“…we should tell it, though it will sometimes be in feebleness of the flesh, God will still bless our testimony of what he has revealed to us.”
Just as Christ says He will, and how He guided His servant Moses and many others, God will give you what you need to proclaim the Gospel. In fact, he already has, he has given you new life. Now go and testify that you have come in contact with the Savior of the world.
Here at Coffee Table Theology, we have a saying:
“Coffee is a lot like the Gospel; it is meant to be shared, some find it bitter and off-putting, and others might add unnecessary ingredients, but the chosen few are blessed to receive it as it is and love its simple tone with its intricate layers.”
– Jordan Crane
I don’t know about you, but when I get to heaven I want to sit down with a cup of heaven’s finest black coffee and have these shepherds recount to me the night they first saw the savior with whom we have been reconciled to.
God help us and give us the faith and joy of your servants, the shepherds, on that night long ago.
Coffee Table Theology 
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