Press Release

Press Release

Luke 2:8-17, NLT

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

Setting the Scene

Generally, the importance of an announcement is judged by the audience to which it is made. Today, significant proclamations call for a televised press conference with a written press release. God broke every rule of effective media management at the birth of his Son: He chose poor timing (the middle of the night), an insignificant audience (shepherds), an odd location (hillside pasture), and an over-the-top spokes-angel. Those inexplicable contrasts give Jesus’ birth announcement a distinct ring of truth.

Happily, the angel’s announcement included a note of “fear not” that applies far beyond the immediate circumstance and flows from the fact that the Savior’s birth will bring “great joy” to “all people”—including us! As if unable to restrain themselves over the good news, the angelic choir breaks out with a song of confirmation and the hopeful word that the impact of the news will be “glory to God” and “peace” to people as a result of God’s favor. The shepherds, untroubled by their low social status, set their feet in motion. And having received the truth they had been told by acting on it themselves, they then told others and they joyfully thanked God.

Shepherds were at the bottom of their societal structure. They knew their unworthiness as recipients of the news and its meaning. They simply accepted the fact that they now had a Savior, the Lord. We place ourselves in their sandals when we realize we are equally unworthy, and yet God has offered to us the same good news of a Savior.

Getting Personal

How do you identify with the shepherds who heard the news?

What do the inexplicable contrasts and unexpected qualities of the night of Christ’s birth indicate about credibility of the account?

Luke tells us that those who heard the news secondhand from the shepherds “were amazed” (2:18, NIV). This response may or may not have been belief. The crucial lesson for us is not in the effect but in the effort. How often do you simply and joyfully let others know what you found when you acted on the news about Christ?

Talking to God

Ask God to make the wonder of his great good news fresh for you and to help you simply and joyfully let others know what you found when you acted on that good news.