Advent: The Good Shepherd

The third week of advent is arriving, and as such, we are looking at joy and at shepherds. On the surface, it is an amazing and unusual thing that God chose to announce the birth of the Messiah, the fulfillment of centuries of prophecy, the coming of salvation, the history defining moment, first, to a group of nobodies, because, according to society at the time, that’s who shepherds were. Shepherds were dirty, smelly, working class, nobodies. While their job was important, and people relied on them, they weren’t appreciated or thought much of, a lot like a lot of jobs today (construction worker, trash-man, tradesmen, etc…) Why then, did the God of the universe choose this lowly group of individuals to proclaim His message of salvation and joy to? Why did He entrust them to then spread that message?

You see, God almost always chooses the people and places and things that seemingly make no sense to accomplish His goals.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

The Christmas story is full of this, from a choosing a small, insignificant town for Jesus to be born in, to choosing a stable and a manger in this town to be His “hospital room,” to choosing an unmarried young girl to be His mother, to choosing to have Him come as a helpless human baby, to announcing His birth, first and foremost to shepherds. God chose the most unlikely path to bring about Christmas.

Shepherds hold greater meaning, though, than just being an unlikely group. Throughout the Bible, God has a special place for shepherds. He refers to King David, the man after God’s own heart, as a shepherd, and He even refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11
“The Lord is my shepherd…” – Psalm 23:1A

When we look at shepherds through the eyes of God, we don’t see smelly low-class individuals, but we see those who love and protect and care for those in their care, who are ferocious in fighting off anyone or anything that seeks to harm their sheep, who are knowledgeable and skilled, who are essential. Without a shepherd, many sheep would be totally lost. A shepherd is a guardian and guide.

What’s even more amazing is that, roughly 600 years before the birth of Jesus, it was prophesied that he would come as a shepherd who would gather and protect His sheep.

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” – Ezekiel 34:11-16

We see this fulfilled in John 10:14-16 when Jesus declares that He is the Good Shepherd, that He is the shepherd of Israel, and of all His children who He gathers together, and that He is God.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” – John 10:14-16

The baby Jesus, the Lamb of God, was born in a lowly manger, and His birth, the birth of the Good Shepherd was proclaimed to shepherds. God is both lowly and magnificent. He becomes all things to all people to make known His love and proclaim His message of great joy to the nations. The Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, came at Christmas in order that He may gather all people to Himself.

Merry Christmas!