This is a season of longing, where we find ourselves waiting for a moment to come- or a moment to pass – and then, in a whisper, it always does. It might be as simple as that anticipation of waiting for the moment to be able to open the presents that are in front of us and see if we have gotten what we wished for. It may be about seeing people that we have not seen in a long time, and today is the day we get to hug them after a season of being separated from loved ones. Whoever we are, or whatever we are going through this season, our hearts can easily understand the anticipation and longing that comes on this day.

Christmas is a season of anticipation, where our heart can easily understand something of the longing and desperation that would have marked life for the people of God, where they waited not for a thing, nor a place or even a moment – but the arrival of one long foretold – Emmanuel. As a nation, they awaited the fulfilment of a Divine declaration that would come to them and be their saviour – the messiah. Imagine the moment that longing was fulfilled coming upon you without you even realising. This moment dawned upon the Shepherds when hope was fulfilled and became a reality. They had been waiting for a moment, but one they never thought would come, nor one they thought would be revealed to them.

On this Christmas morn, when we celebrate the baby’s birth, there are three things: 1, the unexpected nature of God’s plan; 2, the Joy and peace that Jesus brings; 3, the transformation that comes from encountering him.

The Unexpected Nature of God’s Plan (Luke 2:8-9)

A journey was made to fulfil the needs of the Roman government at the time as Mary and Joseph set out to Bethlehem to be registered for the national census. This journey must have been difficult for them, considering the terrain they would have travelled and how late Mary would have been in pregnancy. It must have felt like such a burden. Yet, even in that simple moment, the Lord was at work as Mary and Joseph moved to a simple town at the hands of the Roman occupiers to fulfil the words of a prophet from long ago – a Saviour would be born in Bethlehem. God is always at work, and the nature of his work can never be expected. Where we look to Capitals for leaders to lead and kings to be born, the unexpected nature of God’s plan sees fulfilment come in a town marked by its insignificance – Bethlehem. Bethlehem is always the reminder that God is sovereign and works in a way that the world can never comprehend.

There, the world’s saviour would be born, and there he would be announced – not to the rulers of the people nor those of royal bloodline. Not even to the religious leaders would God choose to reveal that all they had been longing for was about to begin; no, it would be to Shepherd out in the field by night. Shepherds are the most ordinary of people and, in this case, probably the lowest rung of the social ladder. These were not classy people who would have been invited to your dinner party or latest gathering; they were the rough and ready of their day – men who would have been in the fields for days with the animals in their care. Men who had not washed nor cleaned themselves to be ready and proper for the coming of the king. They were people’s-people, they were expected, they were you and me. Men who their society and culture would have overlooked are the first to hear about the birth of Emmanuel, God with us. This is how God works in a way the world cannot look to. This will be how God works in the world through the humble, lowly, unexpected and unseen – people like you and me – turning the world upside down and revealing from the beginning what the nature of his Kingdom would be.

An Announcement is Made

Thus, the Glory of the Lord shines around these unexpected witnesses to the wonder of God’s work in the world as the heavens open up in the most normal of situations and begin to sing of what the Lord has done:

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for everyone.”

Words of fulfilment are spoken amid the Glory of Heaven, and the most regular scenes are interrupted by the wonder of what God is about to do in the world. The contrast here between the majesty of the announcement and the simplicity of its audience is the perfect picture of what God is doing in the world and through whom he will do it—people like me and you. God will meet us where we are and can use us no matter who we are, how ordinary we might feel or how overlooked we consider ourselves – the Lord sees us. The Lord will use us in his Kingdom to know the fulfilment of his hope in a world that desperately needs it. Yet, in the shepherd, we are reminded that God will do what he sets out to do but will always do it in ways that confront the world and that are unexpected. We must look for him in the surprising moments of our lives.

The Joy and Peace Jesus Brings (Luke 2:10-14)

The Sheperds in the field by night where the most normal of people, and yet the angel’s message them as one of great joy is no normal message – it is a world changing message— not just for them, but for all people:

“Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Imagine the weight of these words landing on the ears of these ordinary shepherds who were simply going about their normal routine. They did not choose to be interrupted by the Messenger of Heaven and the choir of Angels, yet God chose them. Why? Because this wasn’t just good news for the elite or the religious leaders; it was news for everyone – more than that, it is goodness for the Humble and Lowly of heart. This is thee moment of great Joy because this is thee moment of Immaneul – God with us. Thus, The joy here is unmatched because it marks the moment Human longing an Hope are fulfilled, by an infant lying in a manger.

The angels’ song proclaims: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” This peace isn’t just the absence of conflict; we might say that it is not simply a Belfast Good Friday Peace it’s the kind of peace that restores what is broken, a peace that will remove the curse of sin, a peace that will destroy death, and one day restore us fully for what we where made for—our relationship with God. The Peace of Christ is a peace for our own hearts, and the brokenness of the world. Jesus brings a peace that calms fears, strengthens weary souls, and reminds us that even in life’s uncertainties, he is always Emmanuel, God is with us who says comes to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.

Today, as we celebrate Christmas, let’s remember that this joy and peace aren’t fleeting feelings but the reality of what it means to know and follow Jesus.

The Transformation of Meeting Jesus (Luke 2:15-20)

As the Chorus of heaven fades away, and the Glory of God disappears into memory, you might wonder if the Shpeherds would think that they had lost their Minds. Yet, to the sing of the message and the news of teh Lords work, they Shepherds heard and responded. And the shepherds’ response to the angels’ message is striking. They didn’t hesitate; they hurried to Bethlehem, leaving behind their fields and sheep to see this incredible thing God had done – an incredible thing that was unincredible in the eyes of the world, a baby wrapped in cloth lying in a manger. What confirmed this great announcement of God? When they arrived, they found it exactly as they were told—a baby lying in a manger. God had called them to see, they had went and say and it was a moment changed everything for them. They weren’t wealthy or influential, yet they became the first to witness the fulfilment of God’s promises in the birth of Jesus.

What’s even more remarkable is what they did next, as they returned to the fields and the normality of their existence they did not go back the same because they had meet the messiah. They would not have fully understood it but they knew it was something special and they couldn’t keep this news to themselves. They left the stable and told everyone they met about what they had seen and heard. Luke tells us that, “All who heard it were amazed.” Think about that for a moment, how these ordinary and mundane, rough and ready men had been changed; These shepherds where the overlooked and unremarkable in their society and culture, they where not trained to speak, yet after meeting the Christ chid they became the first messengers of the gospel

Meeting Jesus transforms lives, and that transformation leads to action. Just as the shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God, tell people of what they had encoutered there in the manger, even if the people may have thought them mad! As the Shepherd did, so we too are called towards: to share this message of hope-fufilled and joy-realised in Christ with those around us. This is not something just for us to keep, it is something that we must share. We are part of the story now.

Conclusion

The shepherds’ story reminds us that the fulfilment of hope often comes in the most unexpected ways. God didn’t announce the birth of Jesus to the powerful or the privileged; He chose ordinary men to receive extraordinary news. He chose ordinary people because that is the means of the Kingdom and the reality of Grace. This Christmas, as we celebrate the Saviour’s birth, let us reflect on what this means for us. Like the shepherds, we are invited to meet Jesus, let Him transform us, and then, in the power of the Spirit, share His message of joy and peace with the world around us.

As we leave today, may we carry the wonder of the shepherds—the boldness to glorify and praise God in all we do and the willingness to tell others about the hope we have in Christ. Just as the shepherds left the manger with joy in their hearts and a message on their lips, so too may we leave here today, ready to share the good news that a Saviour has been born—for us, for all.