Shepherds are a humble people. They spend a lot of time alone with their thoughts. During those lonely nights under a canopy of stars watching their flock, they have time to ponder life, and what is important. They have time to tell and listen to stories. In the town of Bethlehem, there were many stories regarding the history of this sacred place, the home of King David of old. He too was a shepherd. Stories of his life were shared over and over. The prophets had said that the Messiah would come from the line of King David, and be born in Bethlehem. The shepherds that Luke spoke of were good people, who knew the scriptural prophesies and were humble enough to believe them.

Luke 2

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

When an angel of the Lord came to them that sacred night, he was bathed in luminescence. He wore white, and shone from his head to his feet. This light was the glory of the Lord, He who had just been born. This was something new. No shepherd’s tale would have prepared them for this vision. They were understandably frightened, so the first thing the Angel did was to reassure them that they need not fear. The next thing was to tell them the nature of the news he brought. Remember that the town is filled with visitors that were there to be counted in preparation for being taxed by the Roman Emperor. Under Roman rule, the people had received much bad news, and more bad news was not welcomed. But the angel promised that this news would not only be good, but it would bring great joy to all people. “All people” refers to everyone who ever lived on the earth or would someday live on it. It includes those who do not follow Christ. It would be the greatest news ever spoken for all mankind.

“For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.” This was the news they had long awaited. The stories were all true; the angel had confirmed it! But the stories said that the baby would be a king, and yet the sign of authenticity was that the baby would be found in swaddling clothes while lying in a manger. That was an unexpected sign. Even the shepherd’s children had better surroundings then that. A king born in paupers circumstances; this would be something never seen before. But before they could move, the messenger was joined by a host of heaven, a multitude from beyond the veil. They testified of the truthfulness of the first angel’ proclamation by praising God for the events that were about to occur. Then they blessed the earth with peace, good will toward men. As we have seen, this blessing has not yet been fulfilled, but because of Christ’s birth, someday it will.

Just as fast as they appeared, the many angels were gone, and the shepherds were left with only one thing to do, go to Bethlehem and see the great thing that had been foretold to them. They confirmed what the angel had proclaimed on that magical night, and then they went their way, pondering what they had seen and heard.

Since that night of wonder and awe, the baby Jesus grew to an adult, fulfilled His mission, and returned in glory to His Father. We, an embodied portion of that heavenly host who sang praises on that monumental night, are left now here on earth to ponder the meaning of the angel’s message, “Fear not”. As we look around, we see fear at every turn. Fear in the eyes of the hopeless, the threatened, the poor, the lost, and the lonely. There is fear in the hearts of most everyone who is not firmly founded in the knowledge that was pronounced that night so long ago. The angel was speaking not only to the shepherds, but to all people. This mission that the manger child accomplished affects the life of every member of Adam’s lineage. Without it, we are a lost people, and would have every reason to fear. But when we understand what Christ has done for us, the fear is washed away.

Satan preys on fear. He wants us to think this life is all there is, for if that were so, then doing what pleases us would make sense. And losing this life would mean losing everything we have. But what the Savior gave us is a clear understanding that this life is a testing area. While we are taking the test, others are allowed to interrupt, disturb, and even torment us. For the Lord does not care what score we get on the test. Many strive diligently to be a “success” in life. But their means in these accomplishments are not Christ-like. He wants to know how we act while being in the test; for so it was with Christ. We must be as the Savior was in His earthly sojourn. He had no fear. He did not fear man, or the constant annoyance that Satan and his angels produced. He looked outwardly to the needs of others. He helped them to not fear. He gave them comfort, and a reason to live.

The purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the Christ child’s birth. In so doing, we can best reverence Christ by obeying His command:

John 13

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

This is the true meaning of Christmas, service. In doing service to others, you will find joy. And in that joy you will find peace. And in that peace, you will find that fear will not stay. It can not stay. It is replaced with faith, hope and charity. This is what the Lord has given. It is the greatest gift of all. No enemy can defeat you, no villain destroy you. This is the divine power of God. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. His son so loved the world that He suffered, bled, and died for it.

How do we give thanks for such a miraculous gift given so willingly to us? We serve our fellow man. We love our neighbor and our enemy as much as we love our brother. In doing so, their hearts may also turn to the Savior. As He hung on the cross, life almost spent, He prayed for those who had hung Him there. May we be as thus.