And This Will Be a Sign Unto You?

The Shepherds and the Angelic Announcement

And there were out in the field shepherds, keeping watch over their flock by night, when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared before them, and they were greatly afraid. But the angel said to them, Fear not, for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling claws and lying in a manger.". Now the birth of Christ wasn't the sign.

A Savior has been born. It is what it is. The sign was that they would find the baby wrapped in swaddling claws and lying in a manger. Why was that significant? Well, first of all, the angel was saying you'll know the Savior when you see him.

He'll be the only baby lying in an animal's feed trough. But this was a sign to the shepherds in another way. See, a shepherd was a very marginalized occupation. People just didn't associate with shepherds.

They lived with their sheep. They were dirty. They smelled bad. Shepherds had a very low standing in society. But here was this Christ child who had been placed in a manger. He's sleeping where the animals sleep.

To a shepherd this would have meant he's one of us. We don't have to go tromping through someone's home where we wouldn't be welcome anyway. We can go right to the place where the Savior is sleeping and see the Messiah for ourselves.

Humble Witnesses and the Favor of God

As the Lord said in Isaiah 66, "...my favor is upon those who are humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at my word.". That pretty well identifies a group of meek shepherds to whom the angels appeared, doesn't it?

They went to the Savior and praised the Lord when they found him Just as the angels said, humble witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ when we understand the text.