The Promised Shepherd

Background Story: Luke was a follower of Jesus who “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” and wrote the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. (Luke 1:1-4)

Read Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

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. 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.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Big Idea: We can trust God to fulfill His promises.

In verse 4, it says, “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.” And in that little town prophesied in Micah 5:2, Jesus was born. Proclaiming His birth, the angels went first to the hills of Bethlehem to simple shepherds and declared, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

David was on those hills tending his father’s sheep in 1 Samuel 16 when the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint him as king of Israel. Those are the same hills that David said in 1 Samuel 17 where God had rescued him “from the claws of the lion and the bear.” Those are the same hills where David played his harp alone in worship to the God of Heaven (Psalm 23). And on these hills fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 23, God announced the arrival of the true Shepherd “a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.”

When our hearts are drawn to worry… remember that God is faithful and always keeps His promises. Not only did He bring our Messiah from the line of David as promised, but He announced it on the hills where David’s kingship began. God is all-knowing, timeless, and at work fulfilling His promises from generation to generation. He never fails! When our hearts return to worry over the circumstances of life, we can declare with full assurance, “all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

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