Reveal Day 10 Strong Joy: Digging Deeper

1) Why did angels first tell shepherds and why did they care? (verse 8)
Shepherds were normal everyday average people except for the reality that they were second rate citizens. Many looked down on shepherds as being the lowest class in society. There was nothing special about them. They had no marketable skills, they made little to no money, were loners, and likely smelled pretty bad! Their only job was watching over a flock of sheep. Yet, these are the exact reasons why God chose them to receive His spectacular announcement! Jesus came for everyone, the lowly and humble shepherds as well as the rich rulers and religious leaders of the time. Choosing lowly shepherds as the first people to receive this exciting news was God’s way of saying “this Savior King that has been born is for everyone!” Additionally, and to answer the second part of our question, these men had the “awe” necessary to be humbled and amazed by what they saw and experienced. Think about what may have happened if the angels had announced Jesus’ birth to the religious leaders? It would have only puffed up their already over-inflated egos. Based on history, and what we know of the Pharisees, it’s fair to assume they would have withheld and/or twisted the announcement to be about themselves. Whereas, these shepherds knew this was much bigger than they alone were worthy of hearing and seeing! How could they not care deeply about this message?! All of Israel was waiting for the long-ago-promised King of Israel for hundreds of years. Not to mention, the sky was suddenly filled with angels and bright light reflecting God’s glory! It seems like anyone who had that experience would care enough to share it with uncontainable excitement!

2) Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem, the city of David? (verse 11)
2 Samuel 7:12-13 tells us a descendant of David would establish his kingdom forever. Bethlehem is where David, the shepherd boy turned king was from, so it makes sense that Jesus would be born in David’s hometown. The location of Jesus’ birth is yet another confirmation of the prophecy that the Messiah would come from David’s line. Joseph, Mary’s husband, was a descendant of David. Isaiah 9:7 also prophecies the Messiah would come from David. Micah 5:2-3 says of Bethlehem, “you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me.” This quote from Christianity.com says it perfectly, “God chooses something small, quiet, and out of the way, then does something there that changes the course of history and eternity.”

3) What is joy? (verse 10)
Imagine for a minute, you are living in Israel. You have grown up hearing amazing stories of all God has done; the very same God you and your family worship. You know all the claims made by prophets telling of One who will come and rule forever. In spite of all these things, suppose that what you know of life and have experienced thus far has you questioning the validity of these claims. Your people have also been conquered by outside nations, sold into slavery and introduced to foreign gods. The religious leaders teach you must be perfect to please God by keeping up with an exhausting, and impossible, list of standards to live within. I can only imagine it would be hard to remain hopeful and look with anticipation for this long-awaited King. Then, one night you are on a hill in the dark, doing the same ordinary job you’ve always done. Suddenly, without warning, the sky becomes as light as day; you see angels and hear heavenly singing. Once the shock and fear subside, and the news that this long-awaited King has finally been born and is near enough for you to go see for yourself sinks in, you begin to feel something new and unexpected. That feeling is joy!