Angels We Have Heard on HighSample

At first, it seemed like an ordinary night. A band of shepherds gathered around a campfire, telling stories and singing songs. But a heavenly announcement changed this ordinary night into the most extraordinary one. Suddenly, the sky split open, and the blazing glory of an angel blinded the shepherd’s eyes and filled their hearts with terror.

Surrounded by the glory of the Lord, they saw an angel (probably Gabriel) announcing the good news of Christ’s birth. Then, an encore of hundreds of thousands of angels appeared and joined in their song of praise to God. It was an otherworldly glimpse into a heavenly worship concert! The scandalous part was that this announcement was revealed not to the religious elites but to a band of social outcasts: shepherds.

God has always had a soft spot for shepherds. Israel’s greatest king, David, was a shepherd, and Moses served his father-in-law as a shepherd for a time. Despite some big names in their ranks, shepherds were as close to the bottom of the social ladder as possible, and their work made them ceremonially unclean.

Yet, to these anonymous, and maybe devout, shepherds God revealed this world-changing news. These poor in spirit shepherds received the kingdom of heaven when they saw the glory of the Lord, the angelic choir, and the newborn King. The shepherds perfectly illustrate how we are to receive the good news of the kingdom. As soon as they heard it, they made haste to find the Child and make the news widely known.

That God would first share this news with shepherds is good news for you and me. God could have revealed Jesus’ birth to those who held power, like kings, queens, and religious scholars. But the good news of the gospel is that it was first shared with ordinary people—those who recognized their spiritual poverty.

Consider, too, the contrasts in this story. The night sky broke with blinding, glorious light. Terror-filled men confronted by exuberant and happy angels and simple shepherds transformed into evangelists. It was to a band of shepherds likely tending flocks of future sacrificial lambs that the announcement that the final perfect sacrificial Lamb of God had been born.

The angelic announcement shocked the shepherds and changed their lives forever. Let this familiar story fill your heart with awe and wonder this Advent. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the world's sins. This good news brings us the greatest joy, both now and forever.