8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ~ Luke 2:8-12
The very first people to hear the good news of the long-awaited Messiah were shepherds. Not kings. Not rabbis. Not the teachers, prophets. None that you would expect to be the first to greet the King of kings and LORD of lords. The Great I Am. God Himself. So, this begs the question, why were the shepherds the first to hear?
Jesus, the LORD, is the Good Shepherd, and we, the Church, are His sheep. God told the shepherds first because they represent the head of the Church. Leaders of the Church are shepherds under Christ, the Good Shepherd. The shepherds being the first to hear about and see Jesus isn’t random or strange. It’s setting the stage for the leaders of the Church to take their rightful place and shepherd the flock of Christ.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Follow The Good Shepherd.