A Host of Angels
After the single angel delivered the good tidings to the astonished shepherds, something even more magnificent happened. Luke 2:13 (KJV) records it: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying..."
Imagine the scene: The night sky, dark and silent, is suddenly flooded with light, and the silence is shattered by the sound of an entire army of angels—a "heavenly host"—not fighting a battle, but singing a song of praise!
And what was the song? Luke 2:14 (KJV): "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
The Announcement to the Shepherds
After the quiet intimacy of the birth, the story bursts into light and sound. The first announcement of Christ’s arrival didn't go to the priests in the Temple, the Roman governor, or the wealthy in the city. It went to the shepherds out in the field.
These were common, working-class men, often marginalized and viewed as spiritually suspect because their job made it hard to keep all the ceremonial laws. Yet, God chose them.
The angel appeared and told them (Luke 2:10-12, KJV): "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Why the shepherds?
The Paradox of the Manger
Yesterday, we reflected on the fact that Christ was laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn. Today, let’s focus on the manger itself.
A manger, as we know, is a feeding trough for livestock. It's rough, crude, and smells like hay and manure. It is the absolute antithesis of a throne or a royal crib. Yet, this rough-hewn box became the first sanctuary of the King of Kings.
This is the ultimate paradox of Christmas. It challenges everything the world teaches us about power, glory, and significance.
Paul writes beautifully about this principle in 2 Corinthians 8:9 (KJV): "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."
No Room in the Inn
Today, we arrive in Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph. We know how tired they must have been after that long, inconvenient journey. They needed rest, comfort, and, most importantly, a clean, safe place for the Messiah to be born.
But as the story goes, they found nothing.
Luke 2:7 (KJV) tells us the simple, shocking truth: "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."
I find that phrase, "no room for them in the inn," powerful because it wasn’t just a logistical problem; it was a profound spiritual statement.
The Journey of Obedience
Today, we come to a pivotal moment in the Christmas story: the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This wasn't a choice made by Mary and Joseph; it was a mandate issued by Caesar Augustus for a census, requiring everyone to return to their ancestral home.
Luke 2:4 (KJV) states: "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)."
This was not a comfortable or convenient trip. It was a long, difficult, and likely dangerous journey of about 80-90 miles, especially for Mary, who was heavily pregnant. Yet, they went. They went simply because the law required it. They went out of obedience.