This is the first in a 4-part series leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth
The Gospel writer Luke records the angel's message announcing Jesus' birth was delivered to an unexpected audience. Imagine an important announcement being delivered in the fields north of Yukon in the midst of the Clydesdales and cattle. Listen up, you farmers and ranchers, something world-changing is happening in a nearby town.
Of course, the announcement from angels almost always begins with "Do not be afraid." I don't blame them; I would be startled too. The message delivered to those humble shepherds must have hit close to home.
"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. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10b-12)
A Savior? Wow! In David's town? David started his career as a shepherd. These shepherds knew exactly where David was from. A Messiah (anointed one) like David? Sounds good to us.
A sign? Wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger? We know mangers, after all, we are shepherds accustomed to filling mangers with some feed for animals.
Those angels sure picked an unlikely bunch but delivered a message that was tailored to their audience—a shepherd like David who would be anointed (Messiah) as their Savior and Lord. Only Caesar claimed those titles in the world they lived in. This would be a game changer—even for humble shepherds.
As a bonus, my view is that these shepherds, on that day just like today in the Middle East, were likely young women, older women or older men. My guess is women—an audience who would certainly connect with a young mother who had given birth in humble surroundings and placed a baby in a manger.
What if one of these shepherds had also given birth in similar surroundings and could identify with this mother. It was an unlikely audience from our perspective but it was the right audience from God's perspective.