What is the significance of the angelic visitation of the shepherds after the birth of Jesus Christ?
Upvote:1
In Psalm 23, David, the shepherd king, proclaims, "The Lord is my Shepherd." In doing so, David implicitly ascribes to God the title of "The Shepherd's Shepherd" or "The Shepherd of Shepherd's". Elsewhere, God is called the "King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords".
Thus, it was wholly fitting that when God, the Shepherd of Shepherds, became a Man and was born in the city of David, that a proclamation was made to shepherds. Who else would you tell of the birth of the Shepherd of shepherds, but shepherds?
Jesus was also called the Lamb of God by John the Baptist (John 1:29). So, it is also noteworthy that it was shepherds who received the proclamation that the Messiah, who would later be called the Lamb of God, had been born.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ESV
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16 ESV
Upvote:4
The following is highly speculative but (I think) not entirely unreasonable.
- Shepherds might be considered lower class and were likely grubbier than those in other occupations, especially given that these were night-shepherds in the fields (when all the "decent" folk would be sleeping at home).
- By announcing the message to isolated shepherds, the privilege of evangelizing was bestowed on the hearers. If the announcement had been made in a town, lots of people would have noticed. Alternatively, there might be an aspect of messianic secret (cf. Jesus's telling people not to talk about him healing them), perhaps to reduce the number of people interested because of miracles rather than the message the miracles are meant to provide a sign for. In addition, a degree of secrecy might have delayed Herod's infanticidal actions (people in authority would be unlikely to pay attention to the ravings of shepherds but if a whole town--including its respected elders--was talking about an angelic appearance, then even priests in Jerusalem might give the account some credibility).
- Such might be an homage to David and a foreshadowing of Jesus' own identification as the good shepherd.
More post
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what is the best form of civil government?
- 📝 At what point did Paul become a child of God, born of God?
- 📝 Are Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharistic allowed to break the host?
- 📝 What is the proper use of money in Luke 16:1-13?
- 📝 What specific thing in the Bible separates the Old Testament from the New Testament?
- 📝 What is the Catholic Church's Official Stance on ISIS?
- 📝 1 Thessalonians 1:4, how is the chronological order according to Calvinism?
- 📝 Who were the non-gentiles implied in Matthew 6: 32?
- 📝 Was there a time before the East-West schism where heretics outnumbered Catholics?
- 📝 Do Anglicans believe the decision on the 66 book canon was infallible?
- 📝 According to the Bible, is cremation an acceptable Christian practice?
- 📝 Is the validity of the ransom contingent on Jesus being God?
- 📝 Missing work of St. Augustine in Latin?
- 📝 What is the symbolism of the Peac**k?
- 📝 How did the Apostle Matthew die?
- 📝 What manuscripts did people use to create the NIV and KJV? Are the manuscripts used to fashion the NIV older than those used for the KJV?
- 📝 What did the Early Church (ante-Nicene period) believe about Gehenna and the Second Death?
- 📝 When and how can a pope revoke the decrees of an ecumenical council?
- 📝 If Mark's gospel presents Jesus as servant, why does John say he's unworthy to loose his shoes?
- 📝 How do those who hold to the filiquoe understand 1 Timothy 6:16?
- 📝 What are modern full-time Catholic proselyting missions like?
- 📝 What is the framework and concise definition of the New Perspective on Paul?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what is meant by the prophecy, "A bruised reed he will not break . . ."?
- 📝 What is the will of the Father according to the LDS vewpoint?
- 📝 Apparent discrepancy in Isaiah 66:3-4
- 📝 What is the basis for the Roman Catholic teaching regarding the Sin of Presumption?
- 📝 What is the distinction between Justification and Salvation? (Reformed point of view)
- 📝 How would young earth creationist explain Omicron Variants?
- 📝 How did Satan get into Eden?
- 📝 How was Abraham able to rescue Lot?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the significance of the angelic visitation of the shepherds after the birth of Jesus Christ?
- 📝 What is the significance of Noah, after the flood, getting drunk and cursing his son who saw him Naked?
- 📝 What is the significance of the three different gifts (gold, frankincense and myrrh) given to Jesus by the Magi after his birth?
- 📝 What is the significance of what Jesus ate after his resurrection?
- 📝 What significance do Catholics see in the fact that Adam and Eve 'knew each other' only after original sin?
- 📝 What is the significance of Jesus seeing Nathanael under the fig tree?
- 📝 What is the significance of "seventy times seven"?
- 📝 What is the significance of taking hold of the horns of the altar?
- 📝 What is the significance of water from Jesus' side?
- 📝 What is the significance of the inverted pentagram symbols on the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City?
- 📝 What do Protestants who deny transubstantiation do with the remainders of wine and bread after the Eucharist?
- 📝 What is the significance of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden?
- 📝 According to Protestant trinitarians, what is the significance of the father-son relationship between God and Christ?
- 📝 What is the theological significance of the label "Christian", according to evangelicals?
- 📝 What is the significance of the burning bush?
- 📝 According to Protestantism, what is the significance of Jesus and the Mount of Transfiguration?
- 📝 What is the basis for the belief that the wise men did not arrive in Bethlehem until several months after the birth of Jesus?
- 📝 What is the significance of Jesus' baptism for a theology of baptism?
- 📝 What is the interpretation of the bow in the cloud after the Flood?
- 📝 What is the significance of the three distinct aspects of the temptation of Eve in the garden?
- 📝 When Jesus gave Peter his name (rock) what is the significance that he then said upon a ‘different’ kind of rock he would build his church?
- 📝 What is the significance of a double cross?
- 📝 What is the significance of priest breaking the bread (Host) in a Catholic mass?
- 📝 What is the significance of changing the names of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah?
- 📝 What is the significance of position of fingers in Jesus' hand as shown in his images?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for the idea that salvation can still be obtained after death?
- 📝 What is the spiritual significance of swearing on a Bible among the various churches and denominations?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for saying that we won't have a second chance to be saved after we die?
- 📝 What is the significance of the four laws given to early Christians who were not ethnically Jews?
- 📝 What is the theological basis for readmitting a Protestant preacher to preaching after divorce?