Christmas Morning — Luke 2:1-20
“The First Evangelists Smelled Like Sheep”

“After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel said to them about the child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.” (Luke 2:17-18, NLT)

King David started out as a shepherd and God said of David, “He is a man after my own heart.” Working shepherds are outdoors 24/7 in all kinds of weather to take care of sheep who don’t have the smarts to survive without help. Shepherds often risked their own lives to protect their sheep. Shepherds were near the bottom of the pay scale.  Obviously, they didn’t do this job for money. Because their job required handling sheep constantly they smelled like sheep. Therefore they weren’t usually welcome in high society.

These are the ones God gave the first invitation to come see His newborn Son. They get a personal invitation from an angel. Then a concert by a heavenly choir. Most people today would respond by saying.  “My, that sure was nice of them to do that.” No. These were rugged outdoorsmen. Men of action. They said let’s go on the hunt now. They were rewarded by finding everything just like the angel said.

They couldn’t contain the joy, they started shouting glory. Lights came on all the way down the street. People stepped out their doors; stuck their heads out the windows to see what was going on. The shepherds told everyone they met everything. Everything the angel told them; everything they found. Their joy was infectious!

The first evangelists of the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah smelled like sheep!

Lord, please give us more divine invitations to go see. Give us the joy of discovering you fulfill your promises. Fill us so full of the joy of your salvation that we can’t help but tell others what we have experienced with you.

– Pastor Stephen C. Floyd, First Church of the Nazarene, Falls City