Heavenly Host

A quiet night was awakened by an angel who brought good news to the shepherds. Suddenly, the night sky was lit up with a heavenly host—a choir of angels declaring the glory of God and worshipping Him. A sound that before now had only been heard in heaven was on full display as lowly shepherds watched below. The heavenly host was not singing in a court of royals and aristocrats, or in the temple where the Pharisees and Sadducees preached. The angels appeared in glory before the surprised night watchers as they worked in a field. 

Imagine what stood before the shepherds. Imagine the amazing sound that interrupted the still, crisp air. The melodic voices rang out in perfect harmony, echoing across the field, and overpowering the whispers of the wind and the bleating sheep below. Heaven came down to earth to proclaim God’s goodness—the fulfillment of God’s promise—the beginning of a new era.

The angels heralded the arrival of the prophesied Messiah. They didn’t parade the news on the streets of town, with banners and trumpets as people cheered on. Instead, the good news first reached the ears of those who were awake and alert and tending their sheep.