INTRODUCTION

There’s a reason that most people who see an actual angel react with sheer terror:  angels are scary.  We tend to soften them up and try to tame them.  Ring a bell and an angel gets his wings!  But in reality, angels are scary, and they’re supposed to be.  Angels are guardians and protectors.  They’re the heavenly army that doesn’t mess around.  Consequently, they’re a good choice to serve as messengers from God when the message is of utmost importance because—who wouldn’t take a scary angel seriously?!  Hence, angels show up a lot in the Christmas story with very important messages:  to Elizabeth and Zechariah, to Mary and Joseph, and now to the shepherds in the dead of night. 

The terror and fear of the shepherds is met by the overwhelming joy of the angelic messenger:  I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.  To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord!  This message is so joyful that it requires the whole army, a multitude of angels, to sing praise to God.  Of course, the shepherds take the angel seriously!  They run to Bethlehem in response to this angelic message.  Then they leave the creche singing their own praises to God.

Scripture: Luke 2:2-38

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, 
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”  

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.