In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. (Luke 2:8-20 NASB)
I was just a kid when it happened, barely old enough to be out in the fields with the older shepherds. For the first time, my dad had said that I could stay with them all night. I was so excited! It was around the time of the Fall Feasts and we were tending the Temple flocks in the fields outside of Bethlehem. Later, people would try to say that the story I’m about to tell you took place in December, but that’s crazy because nobody would have had their sheep in the open fields that far into winter. It was too cold and a sudden storm could put them all in grave danger.
No shepherd could afford to take that risk even with ordinary sheep, and these sheep were different from all others. The priests bred them especially for use as sacrifices in the Temple. Because of this, they had to be perfect, not a spot or blemish anywhere on their bodies. These were lambs whose only purpose in being born was to die as an offering for the sins of the people. They were very valuable and watching them was important work.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas,
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