The Shepherds of Advent, December 8, 2013

The Shepherds of Advent

Second Sunday in Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 2:1-20

December 8, 2013

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

The Shepherds of Advent  This morning we’re going to look at the Shepherds of Advent. But before we start, I must share this joke with you. It has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the sermon, but I couldn’t resist.  Two shepherds were leaning on their crooks at the end of a long day and the first asks the second, "So, how’s it going?" The second one sighed and shook his head, "Not so good, I can’t pay my bills, my health isn’t good, my kids don’t respect me, and my wife is leaving me." The first shepherd replied, "Well, don’t lose any sheep over it."

Now that I have that out of the way, I’d like to look at the Shepherds of Advent from three different perspectives - The shepherds of the scriptures, Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and finally when Jesus commissioned each of us to be shepherds on his behalf.

Shepherds of the Scriptures

The shepherds we heard about in our morning scripture were the first persons to see the baby Jesus after he was born. However, they didn’t hear about Jesus with a phone call, or see it in the local newspaper. Instead, an angel of the Lord appeared to them as they were out in the fields with their flocks. Understandably, the shepherds were terrified at such an event. But the angel immediately put them at ease by saying, “‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

This assurance from the angel calmed them down, and the angel went on to tell them that they could find the baby Messiah in Bethlehem. And so the shepherds went as fast as they could and saw Jesus.

Amazing Announcement  Why do you suppose the angels chose to reveal the birth of the long awaited Messiah to a group of lowly shepherds? Although shepherds were an important part of the nation’s economy, they were not considered the movers and shakers of Israel. Basically, they were rough, uneducated men who knew nothing else except how to tend sheep. It would have made more sense perhaps for the angel to tell the priests and rabbis. After all, they were the ones who were learned in the scriptures, who prayed daily in the Temple or Synagogue, and who gave to the Temple treasury. And of course, King Herod certainly expected to be notified immediately if the long-awaited Messiah arrived so that he could arrange a baby shower in his honor.

Perhaps the angel bypassed the scribes, priests, rabbis and the King because they were far too busy to recognize any angelic announcement. However, the shepherds were living under the stars and knew each one by name. They probably had all of their sheep safely in the sheepfold and were lying on their backs quietly watching the stars. And one of them might have said, “Look, there’s a shooting star!” Thus when an angel appeared to illuminate the darkness, he got the shepherds attention immediately. Looking Back Announcing the birth of the Messiah to shepherds makes sense in another way since in the Bible, Moses, Jacob and of course David, were all shepherds. In addition, many writers of scriptures speak of their relationship with God in terms of sheep and a shepherd. Ezekiel records that God was going to unite the two kingdoms so that “they shall have one shepherd.” [37:24] And in speaking of the coming Messiah, Isaiah says that “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” [40:1] In Psalm 23, we read, “The Lord is my shepherd.” This means that he is not a shepherd, he’s not the shepherd, he is my shepherd.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

The next Shepherd of Advent was Jesus himself. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I know my own and my own know me. My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” [John 10 NRSV selected]

It was logical for Jesus to assume the role as shepherd. After all, he was of the house of David, the Shepherd King. And just as a shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep, so Jesus laid down his life for us. He emphasized this point in his parable of the Lost Sheep [Matthew 18:12-14].

In that parable, he said that if a shepherd had 100 sheep and one of them wanders off, he will immediately leave the 99 and diligently seek to find the one who is lost. In like manner, when we stray, Jesus will do everything he can to find us and bring us back into his flock.

Another important responsibility of a shepherd was to protect his sheep from wild beasts and robbers. He did this with his staff, a short wooden club with a knob on the end studded with nails. At night, the shepherd would enclose his sheep in a temporary sheepfold. Often this was simply a briar bush enclosure, with a small opening for the sheep to enter. When his sheep were safely inside, the shepherd would lay down and sleep across the opening of the sheepfold. Thus no animal could go in or out without awakening the shepherd. The shepherd literally was the door of the sheepfold. Jesus said, “Very Truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. I know my own and my own know me.. And I lay down my life for the sheep. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” {John 10 selected NRSV]

Sometimes, several shepherds herded their sheep into the same sheepfold. In the morning, one of the shepherds would simply stand outside and call. His sheep knew his voice and immediately came out to follow their shepherd to pasture and water. In like manner, when Jesus calls us, we know his voice and are to follow where he leads us.

Our Calling to be Shepherds

We are Commissioned to be Shepherds  Now we come to our role as shepherds. It’s really quite simple. The shepherds that went to see the baby Jesus are no longer living. The shepherd Jesus has ascended into heaven. That only leaves us to carry out the functions of a shepherd. Peter writes that we have been called by God to “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them...” [1 Peter 5:2 NIV]

This echoes the sentiment expressed by Jesus after his resurrection. He appeared to his disciples on the Sea of Galilee, ate supper with them, and then had the following conversation with Peter.

‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ¹⁶A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ ¹⁷He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. [John 21:15-18 NRSV]

Feed my Lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. These are the three marching orders given to us after Jesus was resurrected. It means that we are called to be faithful shepherds to our flock - the people who are under our care or under our aura of influence. Who are the members of our flock?

To begin with, we are to be shepherds to our family - to care for them and protect them in every way. As we gather together as families this Christmas season, we are to role models for Christ.

We are to be shepherds to one another, rejoicing and weeping together. Comforting and encouraging each other.

And we are to be shepherds in every circumstance in life - with family, church, school, work and recreation. Even at shopping malls and grocery stores we can, by our words and behavior, lead people to Christ. Shepherding includes feeding the hungry, protecting the innocent, leading the lost back home, visiting the lonely, comforting the sorrowful, and teaching the Word.

When the shepherds left the baby Jesus, Luke says that “they made known what had been told them about this child..”  In like manner, we are to make known to others what has been told to us about Jesus.

Shepherds Lead  Remember, a shepherd never stood behind his flock to drive them to safety. Rather he walked ahead of his flock to lead them to pasture and still water. In like manner, we cannot push people into belief but rather lead them to Christ. This means that we join the shepherds of Jesus’ birth to become the shepherds of Jesus’ resurrection. It means that we who have heard the message of the angel are to tell and live that message to all around us for we are now the shepherds of Advent.

He Knows the Shepherd  Some years ago a famous actor was giving an after dinner speech. He asked his audience if there was any famous writing that they would like him to recite. There was a silence. Eventually an old vicar raised his hand and said: "Psalm 23 please." The actor agreed, on one condition: that the clergyman should also recite the Psalm after he had finished. The clergyman reluctantly agreed. The actor recited the 23rd Psalm and received a tumultuous applause. The clergyman then recited Psalm 23 and there was not a dry eye in the place. At the end, the actor stood up and said: "Do you know the difference between my version of the 23rd Psalm and his? I know the psalm but this man knows the Shepherd". Amen.

Isaiah 11:1-10 NRSV

A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,

   and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

   the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

   the spirit of counsel and might,

   the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

   or decide by what his ears hear;

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

   and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

   and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

   and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,

   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

   and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze,

   their young shall lie down together;

   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.

They will not hurt or destroy

   on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

   as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Luke 2:1-20 [NRSV]

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The story of the candy cane Years ago, a candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that could be used as a symbol for Christ, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He began with stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize firmness of the promises of God. He made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the name of Jesus. The shape at the same time represented the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which he reaches to lift out fallen lambs who have gone astray. He used three small red stripes to show the stripes of the beating Jesus received. A large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross. This became known as a Candy Cane - representing he wonder of Jesus and his great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate force in the universe today.

Shepherd’s Duties  Although we tend to romanticize the shepherds and the part they played in the story of our Savior’s birth, their job actually was rather rigorous, especially for those who moved around from place to place. Such men were known as nomad shepherds. They owned their flocks, dwelt in tents and spent weeks and weeks in the high pastures with their sheep. Their job was to make sure their sheep had sufficient food and water, to heal them when they were sick, to rescue them when they were lost, and to protect them from wolves and robbers.  Since sheep are very helpless, the shepherd even had to lead them to food and water. But not just to any water. Sheep are frightened of running water, for if they fell in, their wool soaks up the water and they drown. The shepherd must either find still water or dam up a portion of a creek to create a quiet pool of water. This need is reflected in Psalm 23 where we read, “He leads me beside still water.” [23:2]

Lost  If sheep become lost, they cannot find their way back to the flock. In such cases, the shepherd must go and find them. He carries a rod or crook, the end of which was curved as a hook. With it, he rescued those who fell into holes and crevices. Throughout the year, shepherds would tend their sheep for weeks at a time up in the hills that surrounded the Jordan River or down on the plains that bordered the Mediterranean Sea.

Importance of Sheep  Sheep represented the chief wealth and livelihood of many families in Israel. This was partly due to the fact that much of Palestine was rocky and hilly and good for little else than raising sheep. Sheep were raised for their meat, milk and fleece. The skins were used as tent coverings, and at times sheep were even a medium of exchange. In addition sheep were used extensively as sacrifices of burnt offerings in the temple.

The Angel Appeared The announcement was made by an angel who appeared to the shepherds during the night. The shepherds were tending their sheep a short distance from Bethlehem. And most of them were asleep except for the shepherd keeping watch over their flocks. But suddenly, without warning, the intense, blinding light of the angel shone around them so brightly, it turned their darkness into daylight in an instant. They were terrified at the sight. I think we would be too if it happened to us.

Do Not Be Afraid  However, the angel knew how frightened they felt so the first words out of his mouth were, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” [Luke 2:10]

Then Luke writes: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” [Luke 2:13-14 NIV]

Spreading the News  Imagine how these shepherds must have felt! Although they were uneducated, they had heard of the prophecies of Isaiah that told of the coming of the Messiah. To hear that the prophecies of old had now been fulfilled was mind boggling to them. Once they had gotten over their fright, they hurried as fast as they could to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus, the long awaited Messiah, lying in the manger. They then returned home, telling others what the angels had told them and that they had seen the Christ child with their own eyes. And they glorified and praised God for all they had heard and seen.