Good tidings of great joy, given to but few and those among the humblest of earth, but destined to spread to all people. James Talmage
Luke 2
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of theLord 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.
16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Why did God choose the shepherds to deliver the message that Jesus Christ was born? The Shepherds, the lowly state of a very simple people. They are the people who watched over the symbolic lamb for which Jesus Christ was compared. For Jesus would be the Lamb without Blemish. The one to be sacrificed for the sins and blemishes of all of us. Yet Jesus, cares for all of the flock, even those like me. You know, the ones who’s blemishes are large and wide and ugly. That is what the Shepherds did. They cared for all of the sheep. Even with great earnestness.
Years later, one of Jesus’s greatest parables was about these shepherds.
Matthew 18
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
The Shepherds. They immediately went to Bethlehem. They found the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph. And then they made abroad the saying that was announced to them by the Angel. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. How about you. Join with me and let us announce to the world that Jesus is Savior of the world. He is the only one that can save us from our sins. He lives today.