We pick up our nativity story with the Shepherds and the Angels.
Remember I said, Bethlehem was a sheepherder's town? So here are these shepherds with their sheep in the middle of a field. And by field, I mean it is the outskirts of town, because animals were disgusting and people didn't want to be near them, they just wanted to eat them and sacrifice them.
Speaking of, shepherds were disgusting. Not only by their society's view of them on the hierarchy, but because they actually stank. They spent all their time with their sheep, and maybe with a couple other shepherds, in the dirty fields, in any weather. They did not have time to take baths, and they probably couldn't afford even the public baths in the town square, that is to say if such a small town had a public bath. They jumped in the river if it wasn't too cold to freeze them. Shepherds were disgusting people, yet look at who God chooses to go greet baby Jesus and worship Him.
The angel appears to them. We do not know which angel this is. But thats not what is important. It doesn't even matter what "type" of angel it was (cherubim, seraphim, etc). But we do know that the glory of the Lord shone around them. And it freaked these shepherds out.
A shining glory. I'm going to take this two ways.
It could have been a shining light that displayed God's glory. K, so these shepherds are out side of town because they smell, which is a good thing because these angels are like a flood light to a world without electricity. (Then again, God could've shielded Bethlehem for noticing this magnificent light, the same way I believe he shielded historians and archaeologists from noticing Nazareth until 400 years later) God and His greatness created the sun and all of its brightness and heat-ness, so these angels could have had the blinding light of the sun in their eyes. That's scary!
Or, the glory that they are shining with is like an "aura" where it is unseen, but an emotion and goodness shines around them.
Either way, it was a scary experience for these poor shepherds and this clip from The Two Towers, is the way I think of it.
Also, shepherds were defenders. They protected their sheep, so I'm sure they knew how to wield a weapon. If they didn't immediately know that it was angels around them, yeah, they might've attacked.
But I love that after Legolas and Gimli realize that it is Gandalf and not Saruman before them, they bow down to him. Yes, they were scared at first. Yes, they tried attacking, but when the glory had dimmed down, they bowed down.
The angel has to tell them to not be afraid and that they are to tell them something awesome. They tell the shepherds that Christ has been born in the town they are near. And Christ translates to Messiah, so the angel it telling them that this Messiah they have waited 400 years for, now has come.
They give the shepherds a clue on how to find the Messiah. And I'm sure the shepherds weren't expecting the angels to say that the Messiah would be a baby lying in an animal trough.
Now the other angels join this one and start singing. HOLY COW! How awesome would that have been to hear a choir of angels? I know I will hear them in the future when I am in Heaven, but to hear it on earth with earthly ears, when you are used to the sound of bleating sheep. It would've brought me to tears.
One of the most famous lines in Christmas songs in here, and it in itself it the gospel: peace on earth to men on whom his favor rests.
peace is not just a time of no war, peace is that overwhelming comfort.
remember we went over favor a few days ago - grace, charm, acceptance, goodwill, desire, to stoop in kindness to an inferior, and to be shown consideration.
God gives an overwhelming comfort to mankind because He forgives you, He is attracted to you, He has good intentions for you, He desires you, and He comes down on our level.
Then the angels leave. The shepherds say, "Awesome! Let's go into Bethlehem and see the Messiah!" I'd be that shepherd still sitting on the ground like, "Guys! Did you see the angels?" It takes me time to get over such awesome stuff, then I'd be excited to see Jesus.
They get to the barn and when they realize it's all true, I can imagine them running and skipping through the streets saying, "Come to the barn!! The Messiah has come! He's a baby, but it's HIM!" They probably woke up all the neighbors and the travelers staying at the inn, but it says all were amazed at what they had said. Then they returned to praise God for the fulfillment of His promise.
I'd like to think that if these people were woken up and were amazed, that it was more than just the shepherds who returned to praise God. That barn was probably packed with the entire little town of Bethlehem to see their savior.
Here ends our nativity scene. We'll pick up tomorrow with verse 21.
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