Luke 2:8-14 8And shepherds in the same countryside were living outdoors and keeping a guard at night over their sheep. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were frightened with a great fear.
The events of Jesus’ birth continue with the story of the shepherds of Bethlehem. They were in the same area as Joseph and Mary. The area was rural and agricultural. There is no specific connection between the place where Jesus was born and laid, although the setting might fit the typical home of a shepherd with an area to keep the flock safe when not in pasture. These shepherds, however, lived outdoors out in the fields with their flock. It would have been a hassle to bring the sheep into the barn area each night, so they stayed out in the fields with them. But, nighttime is when the wild animals or even thieves may try to take or kill off the sheep. So, they watched over the sheep carefully to ensure their safety. That the flock was outside in pasture suggests that the grass was green and editable, so the time period could have been from April to November in that region. A winter birth around the traditional Christmas time would also not have been impossible but not as likely.
It was a typical night for these shepherds when an angel appeared to them. Few people in history have seen angels. Most appearances of an angel in the Bible are quite obvious to the ones who see them, especially in relation to the birth of the Messiah. Angels represent God’s presence and bring God’s messages to people. One of the clear messages of the Bible is that God’s holy presence is overwhelming, and therefore, it is often mediated by angels. When this angel appeared, the glory of God also appeared and surrounded the shepherds. The only response any human can give to God’s holy glory is fear and awe. Luke emphasizes this point in verse 9 by using the verb for being frightened followed by the noun fear which is emphasized even more with the adjective great. This was no dream or hallucination but a genuine physical and real-life encounter with God. The angel is not named, though Gabriel was the one to appear to Zechariah and Mary. The shepherds do not say anything in this story, so the angel does not need to show extra authority or answer any questions from them where he might identify himself like in the previous stories.
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