Revealed to Shepherds

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Luke 2:8-21
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Revealed to Shepherds
The Lord chooses to announce the great wonder of the birth of Jesus to lowly shepherds. Even as there will come wise men from the east, the first to know about the gift of a Savior are these lowly and ordinary shepherds. The announcement is like no other, but it is like one that will come. The heavens were torn open, and the angel sings the Gloria in Excelsis to the shepherds abiding in their fields by night. The whole host of heaven joins in singing this announcement. Thus as the church sings the Gloria in Excelsis in the Divine Service, we too, have a little Christmas each Sunday we join our voices to the angel choirs. Even as each Sunday is a little Easter, we know that it is also a celebration of the incarnation of our God. When angels announce a great wonder, you go and see what this is all about. So the shepherds went to the manger and beheld the Christ. Even so, the Lord chooses to have that announcement made again and again also to lowly you and me. So this will be a sign for you: you will find your God in his Word preached and his Sacraments. These gifts given to behold the incarnation of our God and see what this is all about. Thanks be to God that he has revealed these great things to the lowly and made you holy by them.