Topic: Remember Christ’s Blood – Discover the Book by Dr John Barnett 18 December 2022
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Shepherds: Humble People
When God gets to tell the story of salvation, the Coming of the King, the birth of the Lamb of God—what details does He carefully include for us? Here’s one that has shaped my whole outlook on life, on worship, on Bible study, and most of all—on prayer. God really loves and responds to humility.
Who came first to the birthplace of the King? The humblest, lowliest, and most unworthy in man’s eyes of all the inhabitants living around Bethlehem—the shepherds.
Join me today in a stable with men of the least likely profession to see a King—and yet the most honored of all Christ’s greeters and seekers.
Humble shepherds who found Baby Jesus in a stable remind us that the Inn of Bethlehem was full. That there was no room in the inn was symbolic of what was to happen to Jesus.
The only place where there was room for him was on a cross. He sought an entry to the over-crowded hearts of men; he could not find it; and still his search—and his rejection—go on. Yet Luke gets us to look from the inn with no room, to the shepherds with room in their lives for Christ’s coming. They made room.
First century shepherds lived in a world that made it hard, to make a living. They struggled and scraped along at minimum wages.
The Shepherds of the Christmas story gives us such a profound lesson. They show us how God delights in using for His glory the humble. God calls some of the most distant, defiled and outcast of all–and through them produces great glory for Himself.
Before we read the story, here is what I want you to see from Luke’s inspired words. Let me show you what we are going to see in their lives, then go through the Scriptures and see it—then after we’ve seen the qualities of these humble seekers, go back and reflect on what we’ve seen. So before we dig into the Word, here are the characteristics of these incredible humble shepherds of Christmas:
The Humble are Undistracted–the Shepherds listen to God: remember that God reveals Himself to those who seek Him with ALL their hearts.
The Humble are Undelayed–the Shepherds come at once to God: remember that because they heard and responded—they were first to see Jesus.
The Humble are Unashamed–the Shepherds come like they are to God: remember how they come in wonder, in fear, in uncertainty, in hope.
The Humble are Undaunted–the Shepherds come no matter what stands in the way of God: remember that they had enough excuses that they could have never made it. What would we wear? Who would watch the sheep? What if we can’t find Him? What if they won’t let us in?
The Humble are Unswerved–the Shepherds go against the tide of culture and the crowd, to get to God: remember that they were un-welcomed in public. They smelled.
Have you decided to be among those seeing Jesus this Christmas time? You can if you will come humbly like these shepherds? These shepherds represent the best of all God’s Word about the rewards that come to those who seek and find the Lord. Will you experience the glad tidings of the Gospel? Will you experience great joy?
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