And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Jerusalem and Bethlehem, B. C. They were humble men; in fact, shepherds were looked down upon by many people. So swaddling is an important part of baby care and swaddling clothes are simply blankets or wraps to keep the baby snug and secure. That is an important distinction for church leaders to consider. The interpretive decision to group "pastors and teachers" together is based on a misunderstanding of . This late 15th-century Flemish miniature shows the annunciation to the shepherds. For the Good Shepherd to lay down his life for the sheep has a daytime significance, a night-time significance and an end of lifetime significance. The Politics of the Shepherds' Sign—Luke 2:8-20 (Alastair ... Because of their humble origins, the Christmas shepherds cannot help but rejoice and tell everyone . The shepherds had a choice, to believe and obey or stay where they were out in the cold away from God's presence. Read the blue text. The type of sheep the shepherds would have been raising were 'fat tailed' (or broad tailed) sheep. Biblical Magi - WikipediaShepherds Visit Jesus | Teach Us the Bible Significantly, the angel did not visit the most prestigious people in society; at the behest of God, the angel made this important announcement to humble shepherds. Shepherds have to make sure not one sheep gets lost because when they do they will be in danger. It is up to us to believe and receive His gift. (Luke 2:8-20) Most of us are very familiar with these scriptures, as it is tradition in many families to read this story at Christmastime every year to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not . Once again, angels are prominent in this story. Now the shepherds have a choice. So the shepherds stay with them to see that the newborn lambs are dried off and kept warm during that first cold night. He is also the Great Shepherd of the sheep who lays His life for the sheep (John 10:11), leaves the ninety-nine . Christmas is a time for celebration, for feasting and for relationships. 2:1-12. a 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem [It lies five miles south by west of Jerusalem, a little to the east of the road to Hebron. How can a preacher offer good news (with the emphasis on "new") when the story is so central to the Christian faith and is so familiar not only to faithful Christians but also … Continue reading "Commentary on Luke 2:8-20" First, shepherds had the capacity to be humbled and amazed that God chose them to hear the news. Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, has done crazier things than even the craziest shepherd of his day. A single angel appeared to them at first, and once again, they were terrified at first. This implies that they were the first to hear the announcement of the birth of Jesus. SIGNIFICANCE of Visit The gospel ends with words that echo the end of the account of the shepherds' visit: Luke 24:52-53 The shepherds - not the religious elite, the politically savvy, or the rulers of the people - become the metaphor for the kind of people Jesus came to save. Guest Post. Shepherds vs. Magi: Dynamics of Privilege within the ... The Greek word translated as 'Good' in our translations is the word 'kalos', which has the double meaning of attractive and skilled. The Wise Men and the Shepherds - Bible Hubangels - What is the significance of the angelic ...The Significance of Shepherds and Sheep in the Bible ... Let's read about the shepherds' visit to Jesus in Luke 2:8-21: 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And it says, the sheep know his voice (10:4) and he knows their names (10:3). 2. Christmas Stars: Significance of Christmas Star, Christmas ... This revelation to the shepherds acquires additional meaning as we remember that shepherds, as a class, were under the Rabbinic ban, because of their necessary isolation from religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance well-nigh impossible. There were probably not three magi . There is another sheep at her feet, and Joseph is depicted with a shepherd's staff. Christ Jesus, however, is not just our Passover Lamb. See also True Christian Religion 277: "The manger in a stable means spiritual nourishment for the understanding.". Jesus is offering a life beyond scarcity, worry, stress, and even death. Read the blue text. The shepherds see the baby Jesus. 4.) 10 Then the Angel said unto them, 'Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, that shall . SHEPHERDS IN THE FIELDS - Luke 2:8 Proves Jesus Was Born ... It is important that God orchestrated it that way and that God's people chose to record and remember… Rich and poor. Quite unlike what it was really like that night. 2. One of the important benefits of Luke's notation is that it suggests the general time of Jesus' birth: the spring of the year. Luke 2:8-20 lays out the story for us. It occupies part of the summit and sides of a narrow limestone ridge which shoots out eastward from . The Significance of Shepherds in Nativity - A Sheep-Like Faith There the apostolic shepherds are charged as witnesses of the resurrection, who will make widely known the fulfilled sign concerning the Son (24:45-49; cf. The angels sing while they visit the shepherds because they are announcing God and giving him the glory he is due. Luke 2:8-20 : The Shepherds Visit Jesus in Bethlehem Study . It is sometimes argued by modern American Christians (who are used to having a single "pastor-teacher" figure up in front of their church) that pastors and teachers are the same. 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. In their trusting response to the angel's news, they offer us a . A life abounding with significance, security, and satisfaction. The newborn Jesus laid in a manger. Luke 2:8-20 lays out the story for us. These four books tell us about the arrival of the Messiah who is Jesus the Christ. 10 But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Just as in Isaiah 6, when the angels sang in the presence of the Lord, so, too, they are singing at the presence of Jesus (Immanuel, meaning God with us). A sweet, tranquil scene surrounds the babe in the manger. Read the green text. By announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds, God was demonstrating His love . The New Testament begins with the four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. By Margaret Feinberg. Visit Bible Gateway; Blog / The Significance of Shepherds and Sheep in the Bible. The story essentially tells of the homage of these "Magi" to the one who was born king of the Jews. Angels visit the Shepherds • Shepherds are people who take care of flocks of sheep. 3. 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for . The prophet Ezekiel spoke of a day when the Sovereign Lord would remove the shepherds of Israel—the leadership—and hold them accountable for not caring for his people. They often had lambs in the autumn and winter, rather than in . Annunciation to the shepherds. Shepherds with flocks of sheep could not enter crop fields during the spring or summer, lest . This was where lambs were raised for use in temple ministry as well as for Passover. It was Bethlehem just as prophesied and the city where the Levitical shepherds were doing their jobs for the temple preparing the sacrificial lambs. 3. Imagine how unworthy they must have felt, but how honored. Luke 15:2-7. But it is also a time for a mild engagement in iconoclasm, as we peel back the layers of accreted tradition and recover the origins of the Christmas gospel. Posted in Christmas, Holidays and Seasonal, LDS, Lesson Helps, Primary and Nursery, Printables, Relief Society Activity Ideas, Religious and Spiritual Tagged a sign for the shepherds, abiding in the field, angel gabriel, jesus christ is the good shepherd, shepherds of the nativity, swaddling a lamb, swaddling clothes, temple shepherds • God sent an angel to talk to the shepherds. "There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field and keeping watch by night over their flock. Read Matthew 2:1-12 (The Magi Visit Jesus) Have the kids find this story in their Bibles. The very next passage in the gospel after the report of the birth of Jesus records the visit of the wise men to Bethlehem. The significance of the star can be found in the story related to the birth of Jesus Christ. Before my in-depth study, shepherds and sheep were merely token characters in a handful of biblical stories—part of the landscape, the lifestyle. The gospel ends with words that echo the end of the account of the shepherds' visit: Luke 24:52-53 Each GOSPEL writer was writing to a different audience— Shaped stories to be more relatable and relevant. Jesus was born in a stable in the midst of poverty, and of all the possibilities, simple shepherds were the first to find him. Let's see why the shepherds play such a prominent role on that first Christmas. Reading of Dec. 25, 2017: Luke 2:15-20 (Mass at dawn) One day, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus decided to take a census of all the people living in the territories over which he ruled. Sheep were the first creatures to witness a sky filled with angels as their shepherds heard the good news of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:8 . A:The visit of the magi ("wise men") can only be found in Matthew's Gospel and, according to John Shelby Spong (Born of a Woman: A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus), the universal assumption . Luke 2:8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. We can form some idea of their joy if we think of what the Lord's coming means to all those whom we love. There was, however, another reason why Jesus' birth was announced first to the shepherds. That's the Shepherd's Provision. It is of great significance that both poor (shepherds) and rich (Magi) were invited into the story of Jesus' birth. If you're preparing a lesson on this story, these Shepherds Visit Jesus activities listed below might be helpful. By announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds, God was demonstrating His love for every one of us, no matter who we are. 2:17). • That night there were shepherds watching over their sheep. The lowly men went quickly and shared what they . This is the group that God chose to speak to in the field. The shepherds saw it and were frightened at its strange brightness; but an angel came to them and said: "Do . This is the final lesson in a 3 part series about the birth of Christ. The life of an ancient shepherd was a difficult one at best. The annunciation to the shepherds is an episode in the Nativity of Jesus described in the Bible in Luke 2, in which angels tell a group of shepherds about the birth of Jesus. The newborn Jesus laid in a manger. They were humble men; in fact, shepherds were looked down upon by many people. Luke's Gospel is the gospel of the poor and lowly. Also, we need to remember shepherding was a family tradition. She is dressed in a traditional bonnet and dress with a little quilt slung across her skirt—a sheep in her arms. He promises us his continual presence. So when we hear all the Christmas songs and see all the nativity scenes and read all the birth stories about Jesus that . November 20, 2009 by Felicia Mollohan. Ask for volunteers to read the passage, or if you prefer you can read it to the children. The Bible says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! On the night of Jesus' birth there were humble shepherds watching their sheep in the fields nearby Bethlehem. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. He is the shepherd and we are his sheep. With the annual repetitions the familiarity of the story of the shepherds can cause us to take it for granted, to overlook just how amazing this incident is. And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1). The conclusion of Luke's gospel also recalls the story of the shepherds. Guest Post. Therefore, might it be that the shepherd narrative points to the mission of the newborn babe? "There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field and keeping watch by night over their flock. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. The angel of the Lord brought the news of good tidings to them which made them to become afraid, but the angel said, "Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news The root of αγραυλουντες (agraulountes), the original Greek word translated "living out in the fields" (Luke 2:8), is αγρος (agros), which refers to a field cultivated for agriculture.So the shepherds were living in crop fields. Notice the shepherdess in this set. myrrh (mur) A plant used for spice, medicine or cosmetic purposes. One wintry night a new star came to visit the other stars. The shepherds were the first to be notified of Jesus' birth and are an important part of the nativity story. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Note: There's also a future prophetic type of each of these three gifts. The Significance of Shepherds and Sheep in the Bible. The significance of the Lamb of God being born would not be lost on the shepherds. Three Christmas myths: on shepherds, swaddling and support. Before my in-depth study, shepherds and sheep were merely token characters in a handful of biblical stories—part of the landscape, the lifestyle. 1. Of these four books, just one takes us through the scene of Jesus' birth. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Darkness During Daytime God Saves The Needy. You will recall that Passover lambs had to be one-year-old and without spot or blemish. The History behind the Shepherds and Angels in the Christmas Story. A host of angels suddenly appeared to these shepherds and told them of the Messiah's birth. The shepherds heard and were impacted by the gospel—this group of people who were unpopular in society, seen as a criminal, and without a religious bone in their bodies. A Christmas sermon: In this passage, we discover the heart of God and the meaning of the birth of this child. The Shepherd on the search tradition is probably one of the closest christian alternatives to elf on the shelf. It is noteworthy, however, that God did in fact announce Jesus' birth through miraculous means. The Shepherd On The Search. Significantly, the angel did not visit the most prestigious people in society; at the behest of God, the angel made this important announcement to humble shepherds. That first new-born lamb, to protect it from blemish (as it was required to be by the Law), was wrapped in swaddling cloth and placed in a food trough apart from the other . By Margaret Feinberg. The Tower of the Flock, or, what some call Shepherd's Field, was no ordinary place. "8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Poor and Dirty Shepherds. The shepherds were visited by an angel of the Lord and were the first to see and worship the Lamb of God. The Shepherds represent one side of our human nature. 1. The Shepherds Visit (Luke 2:8-26) On the night of the birth of Jesus, the shepherds visited. At that time, many people think that sheep farmers were generally seen as having low or little value by other people. On the very night of Jesus' birth, an angel appeared to a group of shepherds and announced the birth of a "Savior." The angel also provided directions so that the shepherds could visit Jesus. August 14, 2019. Christmas Lessons for Children #3 The Wise Men. Where Luke has shepherds visit the baby, a symbol of Jesus's importance for ordinary folk, Matthew has magi (wise men) from the east bring Jesus royal gifts. The account is short and straightforward; but it does include a reference to an Old Testament prophecy which will be important in the interpretation. Why is that significant? How wonderful that God chose the lowest of the low to see the most important birth of all time. There is a tradition that the shepherds, who in the hillside were not too far from Jerusalem, provided the "lambs without blemish" for the temple sacrifice at Passover. "The angel said to them, 'Don't be afraid, for . Luke says that it was the plainest sort of people, the shepherds, who first greeted that coming. We humans experience a need for images that are "adventures of the imagination," "the tempting and tantalizing hints of something half-human in nature," and the intuited "significance of seasons and special places." The answer might be more significant than you think. The conclusion of Luke's gospel also recalls the story of the shepherds. 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. Where were the shepherds? But Jesus Christ came for all people — rich and poor, male and female, uneducated and educated. Characteristics of a good shepherd. It is a common subject of Christian art and of Christmas . There the apostolic shepherds are charged as witnesses of the resurrection, who will make widely known the fulfilled sign concerning the Son (24:45-49; cf. According to Luke's gospel, the angelic annunciation of the birth of the Savior of the world came not to important dignitaries or kings, but to shepherds tending their flocks in the middle of the night. We know he is always with us. Biblical account. In his gospel, Luke records the visitation of the angels to shepherds immediately after the birth of Jesus Christ. Visit Bible Gateway; Blog / The Significance of Shepherds and Sheep in the Bible. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold and went in search of the one lost lamb (Luke 15:2-17). When we watch loved ones and others we know learn and grow, it is not always easy. By announcing Jesus' birth to the shepherds, God was demonstrating His love . (Luke 2:15-17) They hurry to Bethlehem. Poor and Dirty Shepherds. EASTERN WISE-MEN, OR MAGI, VISIT JESUS, THE NEW-BORN KING. One Gospel tells of one kind of people who saw a star in the East and followed it; and another Gospel tells the same story of quite an opposite kind of people. But what was the significance of the shepherds at the Nativity? At that time, a man named Joseph was living in the town of Nazareth in Galilee, which was an area that the Romans controlled. While the recipients of the message were certainly important to God's plan, equally so were the sheep they watched. According to Luke 2, it was shepherds, not wise men, who visited the infant Jesus in the manger. The Messianic Jewish 19 th century scholar, Alfred Edershiem, highlights this in his . Nothing in Scripture is written as an aside; everything has significance. The Significance of Shepherds and Sheep in the Bible. Experiencing the Birth of Christ With The Shepherds. 2. Shepherds hear the angels' message. The telling of the Christmas story can be such a familiar and common experience that we miss the significance of it. Read the green text. One of Jesus' most famous parables is about a lamb that strayed so far it became lost. Like the . Read the red text. Jesus was a prophet during His incarnation (spoke God's words and did His works), now He is our High Priest in Heaven interceding for us (Hebrews 2:14-5:6) and He will one day rule and reign on earth as King (His second advent, Acts 1:11). One of the difficulties of preaching on Luke's version of the nativity of Christ is that it is so darn well known. Luke 2:7-20 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Shepherds have to make sure the sheep are safe and have enough pasture to graze on. Praise is what the angels do. It is nose-on-your-face obvious that God has a special place for the poor in the eternal story. Simon Peter encouraged elders to "be shepherds of God's . August 14, 2019. Matthew says that the wise men of the time were the first to appreciate the coming of Christ. The shepherds, tending their sheep in the field, have become famous to the Nativity Story. a MATT. Like the . Use this free lesson in your children's church to teach children the biblical story of Christmas. Luke 2:7-20 7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Wise men from the east. And it is heartwarming to know we are all welcome into God's presence. "The angel said to them, 'Don't be afraid, for . • This is what the angel told the shepherds: "Do not be afraid. A Shepherd provides three important things for us: significance, security, and satisfaction. Shepherds hear the angels' message. It could be modified to use in Sunday School or any children's ministry setting. It comes with a plush shepherd and a hardcover story book. 2. The shepherds see the baby Jesus. However, I would be careful not to think of this as the majority view (or even the majority view amongst scholars.) Why were shepherds, of all the people, invited to see Christ following His birth? In John 10:11, Jesus described himself as "the good shepherd.". The qualities that made Jesus the Good Shepherd are the same qualities that still characterize a worthy pastor/elder. 2:17). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who offers the good life, now and forever, in Himself. Shepherds have to make sure not one sheep gets lost because when they do they will be in danger. He is also the Great Shepherd of the sheep who lays His life for the sheep (John 10:11), leaves the ninety-nine . The most common speculation of why God chose shepherds is that it was God's way to include the least worthy of the society. Even King David was once a shepherd from Betlehem. We have that same choice, but we must choose God; He will never force Himself into our life. The shepherds visit the baby Jesus. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. We see in the Christmas story, God made the way. Most model nativities feature this classic display: Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the wise men, and the shepherds. And this is comforting and reassuring to the troubled believer. Jesus told stories about shepherds because they did crazy things to find their lost sheep ( Matthew 18:12-14 ; Luke 15:1-7 ). Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:7-20. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Since the shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed to atone for people's sins each spring during Passover , they would have understood the importance of the Messiah's arrival . But Jesus Christ came for all people — rich and poor, male and female, uneducated and educated. Read the red text. I've often wondered, and perhaps you In that spirit (and Spirit) I offer three Christmas . Shepherds have to make sure the sheep are safe and have enough pasture to graze on. Then the shepherds became the first missionaries of the gospel! It was so radiant that its rays shone upon the gray hills and made them light as day. You've probably heard about the Pharisees. De Verbo 7: "The manger in which the baby Lord was found by the shepherds means spiritual nourishment, because horses which feed from a manger mean matters of the intellect.". 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