One of the funniest episodes of “Candid Camera,” is where Allen Funt and the Candid crew pulled a colossal hoax on some of the smartest college students in America. Having put together a supposed aptitude and career assessment survey that was taken by several hundred students at one of America’s Ivy League schools, the students were called in to have their results interpreted for them by an “expert,” but of course the “expert” was actually Allen Funt posing as the expert. A group of four young men were brought in to hear their results. Allen Funt began by building them up: “Gentlemen, I’m honored to be in your presence. You truly excelled in this aptitude survey. Gentlemen, out of all those who took this survey, you scored way above all the rest. Gentlemen, you above all the others who have taken the survey have shown a remarkable aptitude for becoming… Shepherds!” The reaction was hilarious: at first the guys weren’t sure they had heard the “expert” right. “Shepherds?,” they asked. “Did you say shepherds?” One of them asked, “Are there still people doing that stuff?” Another said, “I hate being around animals!” Another responded, “I’m allergic to wool!” Ultimately they figured out that something wasn’t quite right, and Funt had them look into the hidden camera and encouraged them to “Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!”
The truth is that shepherds are not held in very high esteem in our country. We’re not familiar with them at all, but our view of them is that for the most part they are guys who are uneducated, unsophisticated, and are probably pretty dirty, even stinky most of the time. The same low regard was also the view of the first century population. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. It’s interesting to note that all through the Bible the lowly, the unpopular folks are deemed special to God. Other than Mary and Joseph, the first people to see the baby Jesus were the unsophisticated, uneducated, and society-shunned shepherds of Bethlehem. While the world slept on that silent night, the Shepherds’ lives were forever changed, and their night was anything but silent.
This Christmas we should do what the shepherds did..
They Responded to the Message.
The angel brought “good news” (the Gospel) of “great joy” to the shepherds…but the “good news” wasn’t just for them. The “good news” was not when or where the Savior was born, but rather that the Savior is born. You must hear the word of God before anything else. He’ll speak, give you a word of revelation, illumination…but you must listen. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare your heart for His words. Confession of sin, clean hands, pure heart, etc. Be where His Word is spoken, taught, preached…and practiced.
The shepherds had to go see this Savior, be in His presence, experience this peace the angel talked about. So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
Their urgency was as ours should be. They let God determine their schedule. They put His work ahead of their own. They stopped what they were doing, and came straight to Bethlehem. They went “straight” & in “haste”. It doesn’t say they got other shepherds to tend, watch their flock. That required them to act on faith & go to where God led them. If they waited until morning, they missed it. Coming into town in the middle of the night was not on their “to do” list that day…but they came immediately.
Would YOU be as flexible as the shepherds were? If God shows you something He wants you to do, are you ready and willing to give it the highest priority? Would you be willing to bump something off your list in order to move what it is He wants done to the top of the list? The only part of the word you believe is the part that you do. They came to Jesus, and they came in haste.
They Focused on the Gift.
Their focus was where our should be also…on Jesus! Every year it seems to get harder and harder to keep the peripheral things surrounding Christmas from taking over and diverting out attention away from Jesus: What kind of Christmas tree will we get? Real or artificial? Green or flocked? Icicles or no icicles on the branches? Family traditions: Who buys for who? Who shops? Who wraps? What’s the menu for Christmas dinner? Even church traditions: Christmas program? Christmas caroling? Candlelight service? Nativity scene? But the shepherds got it right. They put their focus on Jesus, coming to where He was, “connecting” with Him.
They Reported the Good News.
They openly, publicly, and enthusiastically spoke about Jesus. The shepherds got it right. The Bible tells us they went and “made known THE SAYING which had been told them about this Child.” The “saying” from the angels was and still is profound…and the shepherds passed it along to all who would hear.
What did the angels/shepherds say?
- Jesus saves (v. 11). “…unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior…”
- Jesus is the Messiah (v. 11). “… which is Christ…”
- Jesus is God (v. 11). “… the Lord.”
Jesus was more than just a virgin-born baby…as remarkable as that fact is. Jesus is God with skin on! — He’s EMMANUEL, God with us. Notice what they DIDN’T REPORT. They didn’t tell any stories about frosty snowmen they saw that night…no winter wonderland talk either. Their report didn’t include any talk about special decorations on the cave…no boughs of holly or beautiful candles, lights. Their message wasn’t about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. They didn’t have sugar plums dancing in their heads. Their message wasn’t about silver bells or seeing shoppers rushing home with their treasures. They didn’t report anything about a little drummer boy…or jolly old St. Nick…or Father Winter…or a red-nosed reindeer.
Their report was what ours needs to be this Christmas. Joy has come to the world, the Lord is come. Their actions were what ours need to be. They went and told it on the mountain, over the fields, and everywhere! And their focus was where our focus needs to be this Christmas. We need to focus on Jesus.
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