[Pastor Ralph]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

[Elwood C O'Dell]

In all the surrounding circumstances regarding the birth of Christ, God was making the statement that Christ came as the savior for all mankind, even those of the lowest or lowliest of all situations. Shepherds were at or near the bottom of humanity’s level. So much so that people didn’t trust most of them nor did most want to have business dealings with them. Even their words were considered useless and not admissible in a court of law. God was making the statement that he, as Christ, gave up all the glories of heaven and came and dwelt among men on their level.

[Roxanne]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

[Roxanne]

[quote name='Pastor Ralph' date='Oct 10 2007, 10:31 AM' post='30092']
Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?BECAUSE GOD CHOSE THEM ,THEY WERE POOR AND YOU REALLY COULDN'T PUT MUCH STOCK WHAT THEY SAID... BECAUSE THE LORD WANTED TO BE BORN THAT WAY..TO SHOW HE HAD NOTHING ..BUT WOULD GIVE EVERYTHING FOR PEOPLE EVEN HIS LIFE...... TO BE A SERVANT TO HELP PEOPLE OUT ..WHICH HE DID

[Loisb]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

1. The message of Jesus was supposed to reach everyone from the poorest to the riches. I also think that since the Shepherds traveled they could spread the news to others. He also wanted everyone to know that he came for the poor also.

2. Jesus was sent as a servant and these humble beings showed the people that He was sent for the poor.

3. God wanted to show that Jesus was a God to be honored, but because of his humble birth, he showed that he was for all people.

[Dar]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people?

Shepherds who kept watch would not have been able to enter into the temple to receive cleansing, so they were considered unclean. Who are the first to hear? the unclean, that is us.

The flock they were watching could have been those destined for sacrifice. The angel brought "Good News" first to the shepherds, the Jew, but also for ME, the Gentile! "Good News for the World"-- A Savior is born! The Savior of the world, who is destined to be sacrificed.

We are like sheep gone astray and in need of a Shepherd, today is born the Chief Shepherd, destined to bring life, to bring cleansing to my soul. That is "GOOD NEWS"

Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

I have to think about all this prosperity teaching going on in our churches today, and I wonder how it fits in with our Savior being born in a manger??

I think we are missing the boat if we are looking to the riches of this world, and call it God's blessings. God does bless us, He has me and my family, with more than I could ever hope for, but! that is not my goal in life, to get what I can get and call it God's blessings.

God did have a reason for His Son to be born in a manger, He could have made room for Him in the Inn, but Jesus came as a suffering servant, and He was willing to do so. He set an example of what a true servant is, there is a cost to being a servant of God. Jesus set the example, true worship comes from the heart, a heart that is not looking to please its wants and desires, but to please the God Almighty, set our hearts on Him!

[mags]

The shepherds received the message of Jesus' birth for 3 main reasons that I can see. 1. The shephers were considered the lowest and weren't respected and that is who Jesus came to reach - to preach the Good News to the poor. God shows no favouritism. 2. Throughout history God had used shephers as great heroes. 3. Jesus would become known as a shepherd to the people.

Jesus being born in a stable, in a manger, shows us His humility. He made Himself nothing - taking the nature of a servant. He took the lowest place, born amoung the poorest in order to relate to them - a sign!!!

Jesus has a heart for the poor, therefore so should we.

[UncleBlake]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

Well people do not need a physician. In keeping with what seems to be one of the main themes of Jesus' messege, Shepherds needed Jesus' birth just as much as everyone else. It was also Prophecy, but God wants His people, Jew and Gentile alike to know that He loves them no matter what. No matter what offense has been comitted, Jesus came to obliterate it, and to bring each and everyone to the Father. I think Jesus was born in a stable, with the manger for His bed, to signify the stripping away or the kenoo, to make Hiself accessable to all of Mankind.

[Shaz6]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

The message came to the shepherds because they were the lowest of the low and Jesus came to save them. Jesus was born in a manger because he made himself nothing , he didn't flaunt his right as king he came to save the poor so he was born among the poorest of the poor.

[love.serve.know]

One thing that comes to mind is John 10: 1-18 where Jesus identifies Himself as the "good shepherd". His life showed how this menial job could be done with honor.

Humility is one attribute that Christ had and the He values in His disciples. He set the example by starting out in humble circumstances and throughout His life on earth He was always humble in spite of the fact that He created the whole earth and everyone and everything in it and He is King of kings. I think that if Christ had been born in a palace, poor people would not have been able to identify with Him or to think that He cared about them. He showed His great love by experiencing life as everyone else experienced it.

[sjb]

God thinks and plans on a greater, more glorious level than mankind. We need to remember that the Jews of the time were anticipating the advent of a magnificient Messiah--a grand and impressive warrior king in the likeness of his ancestor David. I think the word I'm looking for here is "paradigm." They had read and studied the Prophets, and that is the picture they had come up with. God had something different in mind. If Jesus had been born into luxury, he would have had to be brought low to succeed in God's intentions for Him. The Baby possessed nothing. He was an empty vessel. And people had to "think outside the box" to recognize Him for who He was. Who better to send the angels to than the simple, uneducated shepherds. They would be more apt to the wonder of the whole exquisite scheme and to spread the news. I keep thinking that those shepherds could be likened to some of the more "extreme" rednecks who live in my area. They are easily convinced of things not of this world. They think outside the box because they ain't never had a box. But those educated neighbors of the extreme rednecks take every tall tale with a grain of salt. (They have a box) Now, God had really stirred up something, and things were bound to get dicey! He had brought the Savior to the lowest of the low first who-- of all people in the world because of their reputation--no one else would believe. No wonder Jesus got to grow and mature with relatively little notoriety until He began to preach.

I keep digging myself a deeper hole, trying to answer this question. God sent His Son as Savior into the world. Those who saw had to believe. The simple shepherds with no paradigm could believe immediately. Those who already had preconceived notions of what the Savior would be had to shatter that box first.

[masika]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?
I believe these were shepherds who supplied lambs for the Temple sacrifices that were performed for the forgiveness of sin. Here the angels invited these shepherds to greet the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world forever.
Jesus was born in a stable with a manger for a bed, because the surrounding was dark and dirty, signifying that we should not limit God by our expectation. He is at work wherever He is needed in our darkened and dirty world.

[JustJeff]

I truly believe that God works best through those who know, or are quickly willing to learn, that they need Him to survive. Rarely, by His word, does this apply to the rich and famous. Rather, it is the least of us who grab Him when He extends His arm to us.
In reading the book of Acts it is noted in chapters 2 and 4 that the church grew mightily when all of the possessions of the congregation were pooled together and given equally to all in need. Similarly, during the conversion of Rome, it was the church to whom the poor came for assistance, as the government did not have social services. The results were revival.
By coming as He did, our humble Servant came like those, the poor and the needy. Not only did this demonstrate His nature and character but, He gave us the example of humility that is needed to be accepted of Him. So too did Jesus bring to Him those He came to save, as He states in Luke 4:18-19.

[ljc]

The Bible says that the smartest people are sometimes those who fail to follow the star. The shepherds were so ill thought of in that day, that God chose them to see the Savior. Their look at Jesus gave them, the lowests of humans, the hope that they could be a child of God and they shared the word with the others around them who might have also been left out had the angels appeared to people living in luxury and holding a position of power. When I think of the common elements that were present at the birth site, I think that maybe God wanted us to know that it is not material things that make a difference.
The baby Jesus made his mark on all the world by having nothing...........................but the love of us to see him through tough times. There is less to worry about when one does not accumulate extra baggage. Perhaps we get too encumbered with all the things we have to take care of and forget the most important thing is caring about each other as God commanded us to do. God certainly takes pains to show us these simple things in the Bible. We like Mary need to ponder them in our hearts.

[RAJU]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

Shepherds , at that time, were treated , as the undercasts, and untouchabales , of society , and were , at the lowest rung of the respectability ladder in society in mediteraanean and Roman culture - By identifying to them or relating to them first , Christ and God showed how much they value human beings , since all have sinned and come short of the Golry of God - manmade divisions and hirarchy's are only for this world - but for God , everyone is equal

[les]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

the birth of Jesus was announced in blazing glory by the heavenly hosts: the witnesses to this event were the shepherds and the announcement proclaimed the birth of a savior that was born to them . the shepherds were the lowest class of people during this time having a very bad reputation but God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things to make known His purpose to seek and save the lost to save us from our sins. the shepherds checked to see if the angels message was true and once they confirmed it was so they spread the good news Jesus being born in the most poor accomodations fit only for animals should make us consider that when He came it was with no royal privelages which would have been His right befitting His real status but as a servant and a sacrificial lamb to save us trom our sins when God proposes to do something He holds noyhing back. the gift of himself is a gift that witholds nothing He chose to humble himself to attain for us salvation

[Craig]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

The announcement of the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds was an intentional statement by God that the Messiah was for all people regardless of socio-economic status. The stable and the manger serve as a symbol of servanthood. Jesus said that He came to serve and to be a randsom for many -- not to be served.

The point God is making is that servanthood is the priority and all men and women have value and are somebody. Jesus Christ came to this world to minister and to serve men and women of all walks of life. He made himself a randsom for many. These same priorities applies to us as followers of Jesus Christ. As Jesus was a servant, we are to be servants. We are to show no favoritism to anyone, but love our neighbors as ourselves and be a blessing to those around us. We need to make ourselves a randsom for many.

[lindajellis57]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?

Shepherds were outcasts, poor, lonely and I believe in most cases humble people. They traveled around a good bit, so the message of the Messiah's birth would spread.

Jesus gave up everything that was his in heaven to become human on earth. The manager represents humility, servitude. He came into this world as poor as poor could get.

God is showing himself willing to be human. He sacrifices himself in Jesus.

[Lisa Rupert]

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?
The message of Jesus' birth was shown to the shepherds because they were the symbol of who Jesus was sorting, the ones of whom Christ became, Jesus chose to be born poor because his mission was to serve the poor so he made himself the poorest of the poor. By man on this earth the shepherd was considered one of the lowest of people. Jesus' commission was to teach the good news to the poor. I also believe that Jesus was a shepherd to the people, he would lead them and guide them and protect them, just as the shepherd lead, provided guidance and protected the sheep, so was Jesus who also came as a servant to his people.

[June]

Perhaps they were in most need of a Savior,as they only dealt with the dumbest of animals.Maybe as a warning that some of his sheep were to be a sacrifice.
Jesus came to serve, so He was placed in the lowest of places. I believe that God wants us to see that no matter how lowly the background we are from we can still be GREAT in stature.
Nothing is impossible through Him that strengthens us!!!!!