APPROACH QUESTION:
What is the greatest news you have heard in your life?

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what do I learn about the shepherds?
1. They were living out in the fields nearby.
2. They were keeping watch over their flocks by night.
3. They were visited by an angel of the Lord who appeared to them.
4. The glory of the Lord shone around them.
5. They were terrified.

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what does the angel of the Lord do to appease their fright?
1. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid"
2. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
3. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
4. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
5. The angel is joined suddenly by a great company of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself of all the people the angel of the Lord could have appeared to, what is the significance of appearing to the shepherds?
Shepherds were usually the lowest of the low in their job classification dealing with dirt, danger, and death. This was a mundane night job that they were probably doing everyday faithfully and one day a breakthrough came in their lives with the greatest news announced to them from an angel of the Lord.

It is to these shepherds who had to clean their sheep, have to keep them safe from the wolves/lions who want to tear their sheep apart, keep them from going astray, and have to take them to find green pasture is to whom the angel of the Lord appears. Sheep are the most cuddly animals but they are dumb so they needed someone to take care of them. It is to these shepherds the angel appears with the greatest news. The last thing they expected was to be greeted by an angel of the Lord. 

It just shows that the Lord does not choose people we think would be chosen to meet the One who would one day become the King of kings, Lord or lords, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father. The shepherds were not dignitaries or high class people but smelly and low class and yet they were chosen to hear about the greatest news first. But, the significance of the shepherds being chosen is much more greater not only for them but for humanity. God knows what He is doing.

INTERPRETATION/APPLICATION:
I asked myself how can the angel of the Lord choosing shepherds, to give the great news, be beneficial not only for them but for all of humanity?

I believe the angel of the Lord wanted to introduce them to the One who would become the CEO of all shepherds. As shepherds, they knew how to take care of their sheep from an earthly perspective. Now the angel of the Lord wanted to introduce them to a Savior born in Bethlehem who is Christ, the Lord who would one day become a Shepherd Himself, not any Shepherd but the Good Shepherd.

When Christ grew up and became the Good Shepherd beginning His ministry at 30 years, I believe those shepherds who were watching over their flock that night could have remembered that night and said to themselves, ‘as shepherds we saw Him as a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger and now He has become a Shepherd too and we had the honor of seeing Him born.'

It is important to remember that those shepherds whom the angel of the Lord spoke to could have still been alive because when Jesus began His ministry, He was only 30. Shepherds in those days were young whether it was Moses or David as examples. Even if the shepherds were 40, they would be 70 years old when Jesus began His ministry.

One thing however they would realize is that Christ became not the shepherd of sheep like they were, but that He became their Good Shepherd and the shepherds were His flock who became His sheep.

Jesus said, “I AM the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10, NIV)

Jesus also said, “I AM the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)

It is exciting to know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds to tell them the glorious good news of a Good Shepherd that was born in Bethlehem.

I believe it was also to help the shepherds see that night how one day the Good Shepherd would lead His flock including themselves. Whatever they were going through, they were given the Good News of 'A Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord'

IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself the implications for my own life to realize that the shepherds were given the Good News first?
The implications are so profound not only to my life but to humanity knowing that Jesus Christ was born as the Savior to become my Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd of all for those who would turn to Him including those shepherds that wonderful night. He can be your Good Shepherd too! God giving His begotten Son to you and me  is the Christmas story.

As you think about Christmas, don't just get stuck with Jesus as a baby in the manager. Jesus is not a baby anymore but the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the Savior that the world needs. He is our Emmanuel who alone can bring light into this dark world covered in sin. He is the Word that became flesh for us and made His dwelling among us so He could become our Lamb of God to take away our sins by becoming our sacrifice to redeem us. I praise the Lord for that.

What Jesus did for me He can do for you too right now redeeming you and giving you new life. It does not matter what you have done or where you have been because Jesus saves you by His grace. It is a free gift of grace to bring freedom to you not dependent on your good deeds but solely upon Him.

For none of us are good but all have fallen short of the glory of God but God demonstrates His own love for us while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and purchased us with His precious Blood. (Romans 3 & 5)

You don't have to have doubts whether the Lord will accept you because He will accept you as you are in your sin when you turn to Him repenting of your sins and asking Him for forgiveness. He will then make you new as you acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior of your life. For that is why He came. (Romans 10).

He will be your Good Shepherd too as He has become mine. Come as you are and ask Jesus to be part of your life. You don't need special words and the best gift you can give Jesus for His birthday is yourself surrendering your life over to the One who came to save you and set you free! Praise the Lord! The shepherds were revealed that and now it is revealed to you that the 'I AM' is here for you.

Jesus also said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)

I ask you now dear friend how do you relate to the S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D.S this Christmas season?
Dear friend, no matter what your occupation is, where you have been, what you have done, what you are doing, you can come to the Good Shepherd as you are and allow Him to work in your life, bind up your wounds, and lead you.

As the shepherds were introduced to a Savior by the angels so can you just as you are! If you are all muddy and yucky with things that have happened, allow Jesus to clean you. He will clean you so well and cover you with His precious cleansing blood.

None of us can clean ourselves for if we could do that, there would not have been no reason for Christ to be born. Christ came to be born so one day He could be our Good Shepherd and deliver us from the wolf of Satan.

You are never out of His love and never out of His reach. He will hold you in His arms of love as a Good Shepherd holds a sheep. He will be your Mighty God and Everlasting Father! He will be your Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace!

The angels came to the shepherds for a reason. It is to introduce them to the One who came to be their Good Shepherd one day. Jesus wants to be your Good Shepherd too! Yes, He does friend! Yes, He does! Come and give your life to the Good Shepherd this Christmas season!

Yes, come as you are! When the presents are given and the presents are opened, the soul will still be malnourished without Christ the Lord entering and transforming it. But, with Christ the Lord everyday can be Christmas because Christ is born in your hearts everyday. You will not be walking this life alone but with the One who gave His life for you.

The Good Shepherd is only a call away. Jesus wants to be your Good Shepherd and lead you. Jesus sees you as His tender flock. He wants to lead you through green pastures and give you everything you need. Yes, He does! He wants to guide you in the best pathway for your life and watch your progress. No matter where you have been, Jesus looks for you and wants to bring you back to His fold.

When you are alone without Jesus in your life, you are so susceptible to the wolves of life whatever they maybe to come and pounce on you, trouncing you, wounding you, and even leaving you to die. You maybe be alive physically but the soul can be so malnourished because of the sin that is so prevalent, it will affect your life spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and mentally in a negative way.

But the Good Shepherd does not want that to happen to you or to me. Because of His agape love for you, Jesus was born to die. Jesus died on the cross to deliver you from Satan's clutches because He loves you so much. Jesus knew only His blood can clean you and make you clean.

 Jesus became the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.  If it ended there, there would be no hope but just as exciting Christmas season is, so is the season of Easter when Jesus came back to life to bring Salvation to humanity after giving His life on Good Friday.

Friend, the Lord desires that none should perish but all come to repentance. This Christmas season Jesus wants all to come realize that the baby Jesus is not a baby anymore but the Savior and Lord of the Universe who sought humanity to save them by His death and resurrection after His birth.

Friend, if you don't know Jesus or have lost your first love of Jesus, you can come back to Him this Christmas season. Yes, you can friend. Right now is the time. You don't have to wait. Now is the time of Salvation to receive the Good Shepherd or return to Him if you have known Him at one point but went astray. Yes, you can friend!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we become His sheep that He wants to take care of when we allow Him to. When a sheep gets lost, the shepherd goes out to look for the sheep.

Many of us can be lost in our own problems and our own sins. Because of those things we can go astray in life even entering dangerous situations but there is hope when that happens.

Yes, there is friend and it is in Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Jesus shared a story in Luke 15 about 100 sheep and even if one is lost, the  shepherd goes after that one and when that one is found there is great joy and rejoicing in heaven. Jesus wants to be your Good Shepherd this Christmas season. Yes, He does friend!

Friend, if you do not know Jesus or have been far from him, you can come back. Yes, you can! This Christmas season is for you. Jesus is the reason for the season. No matter where you have been or what you have done or what others have done to you, Jesus loves you so much that if you were the only one living He would have still been born to die for you and redeem you! Yes, friend Jesus wants to be your Good Shepherd and came to seek and find that which was lost.

If you are reading this and do not know Jesus as your Lord and Personal Savior or have known Him but the things of this life have crowded Him out, Jesus is still seeking you!

Friend, are you that lost sheep?

Have you gone your own way?

Have you lost the meaning of Christmas and why it is special?

Have you entered dangerous situations?

Jesus is the Answer and He is there for you! When a wolf attacks a sheep, the sheep is wounded but when the shepherd sees that happening, if he is the Good Shepherd, he does not stay away but comes to rescue the sheep and bind its wounds.

Jesus said, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to give life in all its fullness!" (John 10)

Oh yes, friend Jesus has come for you as you are as He came for me and so many other. In life, we are attacked by a wolf that comes like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour and wound. Satan is his name and attacking humanity is his game. Many have been attacked by Satan and have been wounded but the Good News is there is a Good Shepherd. Jesus is His name and He is there to bind up our wounds and lead us in the right path. He wants to do that for you! Oh yes He does!

The wounds can be the sins in our lives that only the Lord's cleansing precious blood can be the antidote for. When you come to Him, confess your sins repenting of them, and ask Jesus to be your God and Savior, He will because He died for your sin and came back to life to save you. Yes, friend Jesus is alive. We celebrate Christmas because Jesus was born as God-incarnate into this world to redeem humanity to redeem you and me!

The Word became flesh and dwelled among us and the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not extinguish it. (John 1)

"To all who received Him, He gave them the right to become the children of God, children not born of natural descent but by the will of God!" (John 1:12)

Psalm 147: 3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 23 says, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;  your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Jesus is for you and came for you! May you know Christ happily redeems intentionally souls today mightily as Savior!  He came to redeem you too! May this poem tell you the story of Christmas and keep Christ in your heart as you pray the prayer below too!

Many, years ago, prophesy told the coming of  no  ordinary child.

Entering Bethlehem, Mary & Joseph settled in a place that was wild.

Resting there, Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son.

Realizing from the Angels, a Savior was born, the Shepherds did run.

Yes, they hurried off and saw the baby lying in a manger away from danger.

Concerning what had been told about the Child, they spread the Word.

Hearing, all were amazed what shepherds said and none were bored.

Raising their voices, appeared with Angel company of Heavenly Host.

Indeed praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest (Most).

So overjoyed, Magi came from the East, seeing a beautiful star.

They found house, bowed down, worshipped Christ, after coming so far.

Magi, then presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and Myrrh.

And Mary, treasured up all that happened & pondered them in her heart.

Since Herod was evil, Magi took another route in their camel's cart.

"Savior's Holiness Emancipates People's Hearts Everyday Redeeming Daily Souls!(S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D.S)"How do you relate to the S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D.S this Christmas season?

Won’t you come to Him friend and help others come to Him? 

If you want to turn to the Good Shepherd, make this your prayer.

Prayer:
Jesus, you say,  'I AM the Good Shepherd!' God alone used 'I AM' when speaking with Moses. You use it now to make it known that you are Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, and Prince of Peace. Thank you for being born and all that you are to me.  I heard you are the Good Shepherd. I want to thank you most of all for being the Good Shepherd even for me. I need a Good Shepherd in my life to lead me and guide me. My sin has made me dirty on the inside and attacks of Satan have wounded me. I have gone astray and have done my own thing. Yet, you care for me and laid down your life for me on the cross to give me new life as you shed your blood for me to wash away all my sins. Your Blood became the transfusion for those wounded by Satan. Your blood heals all the wounded areas to give me a new life. I want that new life so I turn to you now as a sheep that has gone astray and ask for your forgiveness of all my sins, to come and save me Jesus. Deliver me Oh Good Shepherd! I know you can save me when I turn to you and ask you to be my Good Shepherd. I know you died for me and came back to life to save. Now I can hear your voice in my heart as I stay with you. I want you to stay with me Jesus in my heart and make my heart your home so I can always have you as my Good Shepherd with me knowing you are my God and my Savior. This way even when I am going the wrong way or fall in a ditch, you can pick me and set me in green pastures. I love you Jesus! Thank you for being with me. Thank you for loving us so much that you were born in a stable in Bethlehem so one day you could become our Good Shepherd. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior. I thank you for being the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for me the sheep and for coming back to life on the third day to save. Thank you for being the Lamb of God. Help me to share you with everyone. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior and changing me. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

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