If you think Zechariah and Mary were afraid when one angel spoke with them, imagine how these shepherds felt when an entire company of them arrived! But the angels weren't there to terrorize some unassuming farmboys - no, they brought "good news of great joy...for all the people" (2:10). Look at vv11-14 to see just what this news was...
Regardless, let's look at the response of these bewildered shepherds:
- Check it out (v15). Consider two responses the shepherds did not have. On the one hand, they weren't like, "oh, sounds cool y'all. Have a good time with that...peace." On the other hand, they weren't like, "Really, ok we totally believe you - in fact we believe you so much that we'll just chill here. Best news I've ever heard...ever." So they were neither apathetic nor completely trusting. They wanted to see for themselves. What is our response to good news?
- Hurry (v16). When they did decide to explore what the angels had told them, they wasted no time! If a celebrity showed up at your school would you just sit back or would you run to check it out? If a great friend had been our sick or in the hospital and is back would you take your time or do all you could to see them yourself?
- Spread the Word (v17). We're good at this. If the shepherds had iphones no doubt they'd be on twitter and facebook from the stable! This is a natural for us these days: when good news comes our way, spread it around.
- Praise God (v20). This is the final act that is often missed. When we experience good news do we take it for granted or do we give thanks? If you take the time to set up a surprise for a friend you would hope they would be appreciative. If you perform well at a band concert or in sports or in a play, you love getting told you did a great job. In the same way, God is honored when we thank Him for orchestrating the good in our lives. Have you told Him "great job" lately?
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