And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:8-9
You have probably heard the story in Luke 2 hundreds of times. Shepherds, a dark and cold night, and suddenly – an angel. This past week while preparing for a new series with students I was struck by how this story was always part of a much bigger story.
Jesus’ birth had been prophesied since the Garden of Eden and the Jews had been looking for a Messiah for centuries. These shepherds had a moment in God’s grand story. They didn’t miss it.
John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, almost missed his when met by an angel. He questioned the angel with doubt and ultimately couldn’t speak until John was born.
How often does our response look like Zechariah and not like the shepherds. Look at the wonder around us! Look at the lives that are being changed and shaped daily. Let’s rejoice in the part that we have in this great story that is far above anything you and I could ever imagine.
Daniel Harding