December 10
Peace in the Fields
Luke 2:8–14
“8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to 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. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
According to Luke 2, the shepherds would have been some of the first people to hear the good news of Jesus, the Messiah, being born. They also were some of the first people to receive an invitation to visit the baby King in person. What an honor! However, the shepherds were an odd choice for such a prestigious invitation. They weren’t necessarily the elite of society. They had no pedigree or popularity to speak of. They were rarely, if ever, on a list of VIP’s for anything, much less, the birth of a King! Yet, they get invited… first. It seems Jesus has a habit of inviting people who don’t belong, first. That’s good news for you and me. Why? Because of our sin, we not only don’t belong in a relationship with Jesus, we were actually enemies with God (Rom 5:10). However, God invites us to Himself, by the way of the Spirit to a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. That’s the invitation of a lifetime! Peace came first to shepherds and now He comes to us.