Last week during my scripture study I wondered why the shepherds in the field were one of the first groups to hear of Jesus’ birth. In fact, they’re the only group mentioned in the scriptures the angels went to to announce that Jesus was born. A few of the of the comments in Sunday school class addressed this question, and I thought they were interesting ideas.
- The shepherds were probably righteous people. The angels wouldn’t have made the announcement to those who weren’t.
- One person commented that they were “salt of the earth” people, close to nature and perhaps that’s one reason they were closer to God.
- The shepherd’s position was a humble trade, which may also mean that they were meek and lowly. The angels would announce Jesus’ birth to those who were meek. Jesus himself was born under humble circumstances, in a stable, but He rose to glory.
-The shepherds were chosen for symbolic reasons. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is also the lamb of God, who offered himself as a sacrifice for all of us. Some of those lambs under the care of these shepherds may have been given as sacrifice at the temple.
No comments:
Post a Comment