A Lofty Gospel To Lowly Shepherds

December 19th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Luke 2:15-20 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Naturally, once the heavenly host disappeared into the night sky, the shepherds hurried off in obedience to the angel’s instructions to search for the Christ-child born in Bethlehem. Their journey is not described, and it is not revealed how long they searched once they arrived. Verse 16 simply says that they came to Mary and Joseph in a hurry and saw the baby Jesus in the manger. One might picture a scene where these shepherds look with one accord on the Christ-child with great awe, and then they come up for breath to tell those gathered about what had previously happened to them that brought them to that location at that hour. Verse 18 says, “all who heard” what the shepherds spoke, implies that more were gathered there than just Mary and Joseph. So the scene, since Jesus was born in a semi-public place, was one that had attracted a sizable audience. And why not? God no doubt gathered those He had previously chosen to witness not only the birth of the Christ but the testimony of the lowly shepherds about the Christ.

Those who heard the testimony of the shepherds are said to have “wondered,” for they were justifiably astonished and awed over the story the shepherds told. Mary, however, was not outwardly awed but inwardly amazed. Verse 19 says that she “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Perhaps Mary did not fully comprehend all that was happening or the implications of her Child’s birth (cf. 2:33-35, 50-51). While pondering such events, this young mother no older than 13 years of age needed time to sift through them in order to realize their full meaning. Surely she recalled the angelic visit she experienced nine months prior, and she would have known that her Child would sit on the throne of David, for as the Son of the Most High, He would reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom would have no end (1:32-33). Like John the Baptist, however, Mary would have had times of doubt (cf. Luke 7:18-23) as all believers do from time to time. Yet since she is most likely the source behind Luke’s gospel, Luke was able to record with accuracy her true inner feelings after giving birth.

Food For Thought
There is an unmistakable illustration of salvation in this narrative. First, the shepherds heard the gospel message, and second, they believed it! We are not told whether they were seeking a Messiah, but what is clear is that their hearts were prepared and ready for the good news when they did hear it. Note also how God verified His words to the shepherds, for all that the angel told them ended up being true. God the Father drew those shepherds to His Son (cf. John 6:44), and these lowly, humble men became the first evangelists, for they began to tell their story to those gathered. As they evangelized, note the wonder of the people who heard them tell their story. Many simply wonder at the message they hear, but unlike the shepherds who went away glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, many, if not most, who hear the message of Christ, never take what they hear beyond a momentary time of wondering about it. Yet some, like Mary, think deeply about the message of salvation after hearing it. They are the ones who eventually receive Christ, grow in Him, and continually strive to be like Him.