His Ambassador Blog

Quite possibly some of the most overlooked characters of the Christmas story, the shepherds were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus. Quite wonderfully, the news of His birth being shared with the shepherds is a beautiful representation of who Jesus is, why He came, and who He came for. 

The Bible gives us many names or titles for Jesus. But two that standout the most are ‘The Lamb of God’ and ‘The Good Shepherd.’ 

Jesus was sent into this world to be the sacrificial lamb of God. Most of us recall that in bible times it was needed for the Israelites to bring a sacrifice to the altar to be cleansed from their sins. This was a requirement which symbolized a sinner being temporarily cleansed and forgiven of their sin. These sacrifices were not enough so God planned to send His one and only Son, Jesus, to eternally atone for the sins of those that would accept His gift of salvation. Jesus was the symbol of sacrifice which allows us to be forgiven and washed clean of our sins. John describes Jesus as, ‘The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.’ 

Jesus also refers to Himself as ‘The Good Shepherd’ in John chapter 10. Furthermore, the Lord is called our Shepherd in the famous Psalm 23. The Shepherd is one who cares for the sheep and protects them with his own life. What an interesting parallel for the Lord to make. He identifies Himself with some of the lowest people. In the times of Jesus’ birth and way before that, shepherds were often looked at as dirty, poor, and less than, despite well-known biblical figures such as David, Joseph, and Moses all starting as shepherds. Many considered them outcasts and untrustworthy. Almost nobody liked them. But it is quite amazing that Jesus, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings names Himself with them. 

Around the time that Jesus is born there were some shepherds in a field close to Bethlehem. They sure saw a sight when a host of angels appeared to them in the middle of the night and started singing. They probably thought that they were going crazy. But the shepherds were the first to hear the news of the Savior’s birth, despite what everyone thought of them. This goes to show the people who Jesus came to save: those of lowly and meek estate, the poor in spirit, and the outcast.

 Not only did Jesus come to save them but He came to relate to them. One of my favorite names of Jesus is ‘Emmanuel’ which means ‘God with us.’ Jesus wasn’t just here on earth, he was not just around people, but he was with us. He understood us because He became flesh and blood. He related to us. He understands pain, sadness, anger, joy, and all the other feelings we have. Identifying Himself with the shepherds is another representation of Jesus identifying Himself with sinners, which is all of us. It’s amazing that we have a personal Savior who has a relationship with each of us in a unique and beautiful way. 

So, if Jesus came for these outcasts, these men of low estate, certainly He came for you and me. Because the shepherds were humble they recognized their need for a Savior. They understood that Jesus wouldn’t treat them like outcasts or look down on them for their occupation. It is important for us to humble ourselves and recognize that we are all in need of a Shepherd. In the Bible Jesus is looking at a group of people, He began to feel compassion towards them and then described them as sheep without a shepherd. Sheep are natural followers, and they are not always very bright. We’re in need of someone to guide us and I pray that this Christmas, if you have not already, that you will put your sins on the Lamb of God and submit to Him as your shepherd.