They Made It Widely Known  

 “They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.”—Luke 2:16–17 (NLT) 

By Danny Saavedra

Have you ever witnessed something amazing? For most of us, our first instinct is to tell someone about it. We call or text our friends, we post it on social media, or we tell our coworkers or classmates. Why? Because we want others to share in our joy. It’s why we take pictures at special occasions and milestone moments. It’s why we make scrapbooks and albums or write blogs. 

In the Gospel of Luke, we read about one of the most amazing, supernatural events to ever take place. And who was there to witness it? A bunch of humble shepherds! Just try to imagine in your mind what these men saw with their eyes. Fair warning: Whatever you’re imagining, it doesn’t even come close to the infinitely awe-inspiring scene that took place on the night of Jesus’ birth! 

Here’s what we know: An angel of the Lord appeared and declared the Messiah had arrived, and then suddenly an army of angels—likely numbering in the high thousands—fills the sky and proceeds to proclaim the glory of God! They sang, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14 NLT).

The collective creativity and skill of Hollywood is incapable of capturing the majesty of this moment! One minute, these shepherds are resting in the fields with their flock as they did every other night, and the next . . . they’re watching one of the most indescribably epic moments in history!

Right about now you may be thinking This was the best, most amazing and awe-inspiring thing these men would ever witness. Nothing could ever top what they saw, right? Well, think again! The true wonder and glory comes next . . . 

Luke 2:15–16 (NLT) says, “‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.” God in the flesh, the Creator of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords . . . right before their eyes. They got to meet the Messiah, to worship at the feet of the Wonderful Counselor. They may have even gotten to hold in their arms the One who holds the universe together. There is literally nothing in history that can compare to this moment when God became man. 

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

These men were probably so excited to go and tell the world they had met the Savior. “He has arrived, guys! Our Messiah has come. The angels came and told us where to go, and I got to hold the Lord in my arms. I was in the presence of God!” But I want you to think about this for one minute: These men got to see Jesus with their eyes, but we have Jesus living in our hearts! While they may have held Him, we get to be held by Him. 

Today, everyone shares everything—photos, emotions, golden nuggets of wisdom, and our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat feeds. Like the shepherds, we have something amazing to share. We have the gospel, the message of hope and salvation. We also have our own testimonies of how Christ has changed our hearts, filled our lives, and given us purpose and peace . . . 

So, let’s go out and tell everyone about this amazing news with the same excitement and joy as we do a great photo on Instagram! Take some time today to share what Jesus is doing in your life.