These Were No Ordinary Shepherds
In the Christmas story we read that angels appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. In the past, I had never really given much thought to the significance of shepherds at the birth of Jesus. I’ve lived in Oklahoma or Texas for the majority of my life, and my in-laws are ranchers so agricultural references don’t really strike me as odd or incomprehensible.
Then, when I have considered the representation of the shepherds, it’s only been in the context of their humble occupations and place in society. I’ve understood their presence to symbolize that Jesus came for the undesired, outcast, unwanted, or marginalized. I’ve even written about when I learned of the possibility that the shepherds might have even been women. However, I previously hadn’t really considered that there might be even more significance and impact to these shepherds.
So why shepherds? Why THESE shepherds? Was there some significance to this? There absolutely was! Many scholars and theologians believe that these were no ordinary shepherds. It is believed that there was great significance and symbolism to some of these elements of the nativity story and specifically to the details surrounding these shepherds. We’ll discuss what many believe to be the symbolism and meaning behind each of these and why they are so significant and important to the nativity story.
The Shepherds
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:8-20 (NIV)
The significance of the location
The passage in Luke says that the shepherds were in a field nearby guarding their sheep when Jesus was born. The fact that the shepherds’ location was nearby to Bethlehem gives us insight into their identity and significance. According to Jewish tradition and context, it would have been forbidden to keep sheep that near Jerusalem and Bethlehem…UNLESS they were special sheep.
Many scholars and theologians believe that these shepherds were no ordinary shepherds. They were believed to be “Levitical shepherds, trained and tasked with the responsibility of tending and guarding the flocks used for sacrifices in the temple of Jerusalem.”[1]
This blog post excerpt poses and addresses the question of “Why shepherds at Bethlehem?”:
“Consider the possibility that these were not shepherds of ordinary sheep.
Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889) provides an intriguing answer to our question. He was Jewish by birth and training. Later, he became a follower of Jesus, studied and taught biblical theology in Scotland, and wrote The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Writing about these shepherds, Edersheim referenced the Jewish Mishnah.
The Mishnah is a collection of documents recording oral traditions governing the lives of Jewish people during the period of the Pharisees. As such, an understanding of the Mishnah gives us insight into how Jewish people lived during the time of Jesus.
One regulation in the Mishnah “expressly forbids the keeping of flocks throughout the land of Israel, except in the wildernesses – and the only flocks otherwise kept, would be those for the Temple-services” (Bab K. 7:7; 80a).
Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and their surrounding fields were not in the wilderness where ordinary flocks of sheep were kept. Therefore, according to the Jewish regulations, the flocks under the care of the shepherds near Bethlehem must have been “for the Temple-services.” These shepherds watched over sheep destined as sacrifices in the Temple at Jerusalem.”[2]
A new lamb, a new sacrifice
The significance and symbolism here is that the Bethlehem shepherds, the keepers of the sacrifices, were being introduced to the new sacrifice. He, Jesus, was the new lamb to be offered up for our sins. Jesus would be the new sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NLT)
“As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” John 1:36 (NLT)
“It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1:19 (NLT)
“In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:12 (NIV)
The significance of the swaddling cloths
“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12 (ESV)
I’ve also learned recently that the swaddling cloths would have been a significant symbol to the shepherds who visited Jesus. This is another detail I have often overlooked, in part because I remember swaddling my own babies in wraps or blankets. However, when we again consider Jewish tradition and context, we can see this aspect even deeper. Sacrificial lambs were also bound in swaddling cloths to protect them from injury since the law required that a sacrifice be blemish-free.
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old…” Exodus 12:5a (ESV)
Rabbi Sobel says:
“These shepherds were responsible for making sure that the newborn lambs did not contract defects, for only animals without spot or blemish could be used as a sacrifice in the temple. Baby lambs are very clumsy when they are born, so many scholars believe that these shepherds would swaddle their newborn lambs in order to prevent these future sacrificial lambs from becoming blemished by injuring themselves of jagged parts of the cave.”[3]
Jesus, too, would be without defect or blemish, completely righteous and free of sin.
“But with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:19 (NIV)
“He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.” 1 Peter 2:22 (NLT)
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)
“And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.” 1 John 3:5 (NLT)
“Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven” Hebrews 7:26 (CEV)
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)
“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
The revelation of this additional symbolism, amongst even more that I’ve learned, has truly impacted the way that I see and understand the Christmas Nativity Story now.
Take Some Practical Steps to Grasp the Symbolism of the Nativity Shepherds:
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First, remember that the presence of the shepherds indicates that Jesus came for you too.
Regardless of your gender, class, socioeconomic status, education, power, or worthiness, Jesus Christ came for ALL people. You too, can feel included in the manger scene. I think God meant for it to be an occasion where any and all could feel embraced and not out of place.
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Secondly, remember that God sent Jesus as a gift to us to be OUR sacrificial offering for our sin. Jesus was our sacrifice, the ultimate sacrificial blemish-free lamb who came to take away our sins.
“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” Romans 8:3 (NLT)
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NLT)
“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14 (NIV)
“He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” 1 John 2:2 (NLT)
“And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.” 1 John 3:5 (NLT)
“But with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:19 (NIV)
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Next, do as the shepherds did, and become a seeker of Jesus.
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2:15-16 (NIV)
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Lastly, also do as shepherds did and tell others about your experience with Jesus.
“After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.” Luke 2:17 (NLT)
What insight have you gained from the shepherds? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below.
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- “Chapter 6-Bethlehem.” The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began, by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel, W Publishing, 2019, pp. 35–39. ↑
- MacDonald, Dr. John B. “Why Shepherds at Bethlehem?” Living Theology | John B. MacDonald, 20 Dec. 2019, www.johnbmacdonald.com/blog/why-shepherds-at-bethlehem. ↑
- “Chapter 6-Bethlehem.” The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began, by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel, W Publishing, 2019, pp. 35–39. ↑
