THE SHEPHERD'S SONG

LaMar reveals what happened when the angelic army sang praise to God at Jesus' birth. When the shepherds heard it, how did they respond, and what does this mean for you today?

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TRANSCRIPT

I listened to the song I wrote a few years ago called "Christmas Time." It reminds me of what happened on the first Christmas--young and old, angels and humans all singing. Spirit songs broke out at the coming of the heavenly Song into our somber and silent world that special night.

Two of the five songs sung two thousand years ago bless me. They are the song of the angel armies and the shepherds. The Bethlehem herdsmen were watching over the sheep that would be sacrificed in the temple a few miles away. When suddenly, the angel from God’s presence appeared to them. They were absolutely terrified and overwhelmed by the brilliance he carried from God's throne.

Soon after the angel tells them that the Messiah is born and where to find Him, the sky splits apart, and an incalculable number of celestial luminaries appear and begin to sing at the top of their voices.

Scholars say the "holy messengers" marched out of the heavens in military formation, singing a song they had prepared from the other side. These "mighty ones," as the Bible calls them, were created to sing praise to God. How majestic these masculine messenger's songs must have been.

The events of the birth of Jesus were a busy time for the angels. Different ranks of angels were involved in giving birth announcements to the baby's father, mother, and family members. But why was the announcement of Jesus' birth given to the shepherds?

Shepherds were considered young low-class rebels, often stealing from homes as they moved with their flocks through the countryside. They didn't have the cultural status to warrant a heavenly visitation like this. They could not appreciate such a glorious musical presentation from heaven. So why were they chosen as the audience of this song sung by thousands and thousands of angels?

One answer is that Jesus did not come to the righteous and religious, to the winners and the wealthy, but to the simple and the sinner. They received this birth announcement by special delivery from heaven because the Messiah had come to the average person, seeking and saving those lost. Another reason might be that the shepherds, the guardians of the sacrificial lambs, were notified that the sacrificial Lamb had come.

The shepherds ran to Bethlehem to find the Christ child as fast as possible. There was the newborn snuggled in warm, cozy rags. Though there might have been nothing special about this baby’s appearance, there was a spiritual witness in their hearts because when they returned in the middle of the night, they sang at the top of their lungs just like that angel army did.

But wait a minute, the shepherds are not singers! Yes, I know! That's what is so impactful. After seeing Jesus, the hope of the world, they began to "praise and glorify God."

The word ‘praising’ here is a musical term meaning they sang praises in God's honor. These non-musical outdoorsmen returned to their late-night work, singing spontaneously after encountering the Christ Child.

Song often breaks out when we have a visitation from Jesus. Music and singing are an essential part of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, whether we are musically gifted or not.

The angelic song the shepherds heard changed everything. The song from heaven became a song on earth. The evangelists of heaven birthed evangelists on earth who were the first to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. The roaming shepherds became the first itinerant preachers and worshiper leaders.

Genuine encounters with Jesus naturally lead to singing praise. I encourage you to respond to the visitation of Jesus in your life with gratitude and praise. The shepherds remind us that encountering Jesus leads to worship, transformation, and testimony that impacts others. They challenge us to carry the joy of His presence into our everyday lives, glorifying God in all we do.

Have a very merry and melodic Christmas.