Weekly Devo: The Journey to Bethlehem - The PowerLESS

Read Luke 2:8-20. Listen to the message and service here. 

In most cases, the birth of a baby is followed by announcements to the VIPs first. Baby showers and gender reveal parties gather the most important people: family and friends. On special occasions, those at the top of the list matter most, and we too prioritize them over others.

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been on a journey—a journey to Bethlehem. Today, we will take a deeper look at the background of both Bethlehem and the locals who live in and around the region.

Though we missed the first Sunday, Mary and Joseph were on a journey that required courage in their calling. They found that God provided everything they needed, including a place for the baby to be born. It was a borrowed space in the back room of a home or in a stable connected to the house. The location was not ideal.

While we must dispel a few myths, the story is nonetheless true and important. For instance, we need to understand that there was no innkeeper who prevented them from having a place for the baby. It was most likely in a home, and hospitality at that time would have meant they would not have been left out in the cold, even if the circumstances were less than ideal.

The scene that we often depict isn’t an exact representation, but that does not diminish the truth of the Gospel.

A star shone in the sky, pointing the way to the manger. We know that Herod the Great was a villain. Like Satan, he wanted to destroy us. His jealousy drove him to think that there was a king who would take his place. Herod was filled with rage because of his rejection of God’s love and rebellion against the greatest story ever told! We noted that the powerful resisted this Gospel message.

Even our culture today has turned Christmas into a commercialization that taps into our deepest desires: greed, want, and materialism. All contribute to circumstantial happiness—a shallow understanding of real joy! Yet, the story includes the lowly. The Bible tells us that the VIP announcement of baby Jesus was given to the lowly—those with no influence or power. The shepherds received the announcement first. The shepherds recorded that angels celebrated and told the powerless first. It is the lowly who were lifted. The shepherds were told to go and see the wonderful news that the Savior, Christ the Lord, was born. In the most humble of ways, Jesus was placed in the most vulnerable means—a manger. 

No Christmas story or major scene is complete without the shepherds. Why are they so central to the story? Why were they told first?

Let’s explore:

A. The Invitation Goes to the Lowly!

We see that the shepherds are like us! They are not the most powerful but the least! It is God who scripted this incredible story. The invitations were sent to those who do not usually receive VIP invitations.

B. The News Was Given to Those Seemingly Less Worthy!

We might raise concerns about having “dirty” people come to visit the newborn. In nurseries for babies, cleanliness is expected. The best Mary could provide was a hay-filled manger with a small piece of linen. We know that Jesus had no place to lay His head!

C. The Humble Birth Was Met with Astonishment!

The messengers were unskilled shepherds, an honored profession, yet it involved dirty work. They lived with their sheep, known for being dirty animals. Their value lay in the wool they provided, but that wool needed to be cleaned!

It is the humble—not the proud—who were invited by the impressive order of the Angelic Choir!

It is true that God lifts up the humble! This was true for David, the shepherd boy many years prior. This tiny town is where David, the King of Israel, is from! Remember him? He was the one chosen from the least of the sons of Jesse. He was just a shepherd—nothing impressive. Yet, he was chosen by God to be the King! He was a man after God’s own heart!

The story in Bethlehem is not complete without the shepherd! The angels orchestrated the greatest of all announcements to the descendants of King David. (I have to wonder if David was present in the planning of this part of the story. Did he meet with the Angel Choir and suggest that this announcement be given to the lowly shepherds?)

This was a journey of humility and honor for the shepherds! They were given the responsibility to go and witness the Christ child, then carry the message to others! The lowly were often ignored, yet they were chosen to deliver the news! Though they didn’t shout, “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” they were similarly announcing this good news to many in the streets of London, Boston, and New York, delivering the newspaper—lowly in status.

I was a paper carrier. It was a route of over 100 customers, and I loved it. After school, I would load all the newspapers in my saddlebag and make the rounds. I was that messenger! It wasn’t glamorous or respected, but it was necessary. (My family had the route for over 20 years! After this route, we all worked at the Monroe Evening News printing press.)

These shepherds were likely descendants of David! Professions often pass down through families in this town. Even after being exiled, this was likely their profession. Many of the patriarchs were of lowly status!

There are two reasons why the shepherds are central to the story! Of course, Jesus was the star attraction, yet the shepherds and sheep were important to the bigger story of Christmas.

Last week, I mentioned that we cannot look at the manger without seeing the cross that Jesus would die upon for our sins! The Lamb is a sacrifice because shepherds did not kill their sheep—this was their livelihood. They sheared the wool, not the animal. It would make no sense to kill their livelihood. Yet, this was the sacrifice needed to pay the penalty of sin! The most vulnerable (as was Jesus) became the most precious gift!

We cannot miss the message of this simple manger. The shepherd's visit was important because they came to worship the Great Shepherd! Jesus is our Shepherd!

The shepherds know that they are to protect and care for the sheep! They risk their lives to safeguard their livestock. They would leave the masses to go after the one lost and lonely sheep (who often strays from the herd).

The metaphor is obvious! The Great Shepherd, Jesus, leaves the 99 to seek the one. The sheep know their shepherd! (Like my son Jon’s K-9 with the Sheriff's Department. The K-9 knows his handler.)

The shepherd has but one defense: his rod and staff. Lily performs the dual function of directing the sheep (keeping them in line) and warding off predators! The hook is used to reach down and pick up the weak and those in danger or in a ditch. The shepherd’s rod and hook are the all-in-one tool (like a multi-tool or scout’s knife). It is the only tool needed!

No one is left out! We too are included in the manger scene! Let me also explain the key to understanding this passage of text. This is where we now find ourselves!

What is the best candy to give on Christmas Day?

Two billion candy canes are manufactured in the USA. Most of them are given during Christmastime. The story of the candy cane is a great reminder for all of us today. 

It’s important to recognize that this is a gift for all eternity that was given to us through Jesus. This highlights how precious this gift is! It was Jesus who gave His all in a borrowed manger and a borrowed tomb so that we might have life and life more abundantly. God’s continued work of grace in our lives is available to us, poured out for us in this most vulnerable child who became the precious Lamb of God.

Is He your Great Shepherd? Will you allow His death to be in vain? In other words, will you pass up this precious gift delivered to us?

As R.C. Sproul tells us, “The most prominent people in biblical times were called by God from the realm of the culturally insignificant.”

Who are the powerless around you? As we wrap up today and reflect upon the town of Bethlehem and the lowly shepherds, let us realize how they responded to the announcement of the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Did they just sit there, or did they go and tell? We too are called to come and worship and then go into the town.

The text reveals that “All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.” (Luke 2:18)