Angels and Shepherds: Being Joyful Witnesses of Jesus

Bible, Women & Bathrobes Ep 56, Voices of the Nativity part 8

Summary

Join Tamara K. Anderson and Karalee Anjewierden (Kari) as they explore the significance of the shepherds in the nativity story found in Luke 2:8-10. The episode delves into why the angels chose to announce the birth of Jesus to these humble shepherds and the deeper symbolic meaning behind their role as eyewitnesses to the Lamb of God. With warmth and insight, the hosts reflect on the joy and excitement surrounding this miraculous event, emphasizing the shepherds' trustworthy nature as they tended the temple flocks. Listeners are invited to consider their own witness of Christ and how they can share their experiences of faith with others. This heartfelt discussion celebrates the joy of Jesus' birth and the invitation for everyone to be part of His story.

Show Notes

Tamara K. Anderson and Kari Anjewierden delve into the profound story of the shepherds who witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ, as narrated in Luke 2:8-20. Their engaging conversation begins with reflective questions about the nature of witnessing such a monumental event, inviting listeners to imagine their responses and actions had they been present at the nativity. The discussion quickly turns to the significance of the shepherds themselves—why these humble figures were chosen to receive the angelic announcement of the Savior's birth. Tamara shares an insightful quote from Professor Todd Parker, emphasizing that these shepherds were specifically tasked with tending the firstborn lambs destined for temple sacrifice, thus linking their role to the identity of Christ as the Lamb of God. This symbolism enriches the narrative, illustrating the divine orchestration of events surrounding Jesus's birth.

As the conversation unfolds, the joy and excitement of the angels as they proclaim the good news to the shepherds is palpable. Tamara and Kari discuss the powerful message of joy that the angels bring, highlighting the significance of 'good tidings' in the context of the gospel. They reflect on the shepherds' immediate response—rushing to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus for themselves. The urgency of their journey underscores a theme of active faith and the importance of personal testimony. The hosts explore how the shepherds, traditionally seen as outcasts, are elevated to a position of honor through their divine calling, allowing them to share the joyous news of the Messiah’s arrival. This inclusion serves as a reminder of God's preference for the humble and the marginalized, reinforcing the idea that everyone has a role in the story of Christ.

In the latter part of the episode, the discussion shifts to Mary’s reaction to the shepherds’ proclamation and the wonder it inspires in her heart. Tamara and Kari emphasize the layered nature of witness in the nativity story, with each character contributing to the unfolding narrative of Christ’s life. The episode concludes with a heartfelt invitation for listeners to reflect on their own witness of Jesus Christ in their lives. By sharing personal experiences and testimonies, the hosts encourage a communal celebration of faith, inspiring their audience to recognize the joy of Christ’s presence and to boldly declare their belief in Him as they navigate their personal journeys. This rich exploration not only celebrates the nativity story but also connects it to contemporary faith experiences, inviting listeners to be active participants in the ongoing story of Jesus.

Takeaways

• The shepherds were specifically chosen to witness the birth of Christ, emphasizing their role as trustworthy witnesses.
• The angels' announcement to the shepherds highlights the joy and hope brought by Jesus' birth.
• Mary's reaction to the shepherds' testimony demonstrates her understanding of the significance of her son's birth.
• Witnessing Christ's birth was a fulfillment of centuries of prophecies about the Messiah.
• The podcast encourages listeners to boldly share their personal experiences with Jesus Christ.
• The joyful nature of the angels' message serves as a reminder of the celebration surrounding Christ's arrival.

Guests & Hosts

Tamara K. Anderson @tamarakanderson

Tamara, founder of Women Warriors of Light, is a dynamic speaker, award winning author, and a podcaster. She is driven by her Christian faith to inspire faith in Jesus Christ. Alongside her husband, Justin, she navigates the joys and challenges of parenting four children with autism, ADHD, and mental health hurdles. You can find out more about Tamara on her website: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/

Karalee Anjewierden @pocket.miracles

Karalee Anjewierden is an author, motivational speaker, and fulfilled mother of six. She has appeared on several podcasts and presented at various retreats and events. Karalee is an avid story seeker, passionate about connecting with people and places. She loves to travel and does so extensively, collecting new and wonderful stories, friends, and miracles she can share along the way. Find her online at www.pocketmiracles.com. She is also on Instagram and Facebook @karaleeanjewierden

Transcript 

Tamara K. Anderson

00:00:01.120 - 00:01:25.745

How would you have liked to have witnessed the Savior, perhaps his birth? What would you have said afterwards? What would you have done? Who would you have told?

Today we're going to talk all about the angels and the shepherds and also how what that means for us to witness Jesus Christ. So stay tuned.

Welcome to Bible Women in Bathrobes, the podcast where faith meets comfort.

Join us Tuesday morning as the gals from Women warriors of Flight and their guests don bathrobes and dive into the inspiring stories of women in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ. From Esther's bravery to the Sermon on the Mount, we explore it all with warmth, laughter, sisterhood and maybe even a few sleepy eyed moments.

Tune in live or at your leisure as we learn lessons from scripture which empower women today.

Hello and welcome to another episode of Bible Women in Bathrobes. I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson. And joining me today is one of our amazing women warriors of Light board members, Karalee Anjewierden.

And Kari, thanks for being here again.

Karalee Anjewierden

00:01:26.085 - 00:01:27.265

Thanks, Tamara.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:01:27.605 - 00:03:45.435

And guys, we are so excited. We are in Luke chapter two.

Last week we talked about Jesus being born, the journey towards Bethlehem, the symbolism in it, the purpose in it, and today we're picking it up in Luke chapter two, verse eight. And we will go through verse 20 today. So let's just hit the ground running here.

It says, and there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And I'm going to pause right there and we're going to talk about why the shepherds?

Why were the shepherds of everyone else that could have been there and witnessed why the shepherds? Right. And I thought I'd read an amazing quote to you. And this was done by a professor of ancient scripture, his name is Todd Parker. And he said this.

He said, I don't know if you have considered Jesus's birth in the light of his being the Lamb of God. To whom did the angels go to announce the birth of the Lamb of God?

Specific shepherds were assigned to tend flocks of sheep to be used in temple sacrifice. Only certified firstborn lambs could be used. The shepherds were the eyewitnesses of which lambs were first born.

So when the Lamb of God was born, where did the angels go? To the shepherds. Why? Because that was their job, to witness the birth of firstborn lambs. There you go. So these were no random shepherds.

These were temple shepherds, shepherds that tended the flocks that would be sacrificed on the altars at the Temple. The firstborn lambs. Very, very symbolic and pointing towards Jesus Christ. Any thoughts on this, Kari?

Karalee Anjewierden

00:03:46.575 - 00:05:50.805

You know, as you were talking, one of the thoughts that came to my mind was, these were men to be trusted. These were men that as they're coming to the temple and they're selling these lambs to be put on the altars, they were meant to be trusted.

I'm sure that. That the priests at the temple became very accustomed to seeing them and. And knowing which ones were going to actually have the best lambs to offer.

Not. Not that they weren't all trustworthy. But, you know, even in our own lives, sometimes there are people who are more trustworthy than others. But.

But it strikes me that these people in particular would have been very trustworthy because of the sacredness of what they did, what they were bringing to the people. And so you think about these people who would have been out tending their flocks, and they have this relationship with their sheep.

It's not just a commodity. This was like giving one of their children. So to have them come and now to declare, you know, the birth of. Of a savior.

I think it would have piqued my interest to say, okay, they seem like they should be reclusive because they're out among the flocks, but in reality, no. Who else better? Because they are to be trusted, and they are. These are like giving their children like our father gave his son.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:05:53.185 - 00:08:43.799

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. And so it's no surprise that the angels come to them and call on them to perform their duty, to witness. Right? So let's get on with the angels.

I love this part. I love that the angels get to witness. It says, and lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them.

And the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. Oh, so, so beautiful. How joyous. These angels are joyful. They are so, so, so excited. And I'm going to keep going.

Then we'll pause and read and talk about it. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. Oh, it's like they could not stop themselves. They were all so excited.

They Burst into songs so, so beautiful. I know that a music has always been an important part of my life.

And there's been many years, actually for over a decade, where I led a huge Christmas choir in two different communities we lived in. And I often would reflect, especially as we would sing the Hallelujah chorus at the end of every concert.

I would ask these, my beautiful singers, this is you performing at Jesus's birth.

And I wondered how many of us were there, how many of us peeked down from heaven and watched that glorious event that had been foretold for centuries and marveled and were so happy that Jesus was born. So joyful. Anyway, I, I love, love, love the story of angels.

It has particular meaning to me because I like to think that perhaps I was one of those angels joyfully not being able to stop my voice from singing praises and excitement and joy at his birth. Just get excited talking about that.

Karalee Anjewierden

00:08:43.887 - 00:08:44.915

I like that.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:08:46.335 - 00:08:49.063

All right, Kari, thoughts?

Karalee Anjewierden

00:08:49.119 - 00:11:46.125

Well, and as I was looking, I was trying to, to see good tidings. Good tidings. And as I was studying that is the gospel. Good tidings that. So it's a gospel of joy.

And these angels, I think, wanted to impress that upon these shepherds. It's a gospel of joy, of joy.

Sometimes I think we are here and, and life gets messy and it gets hard and it, we can get kind of burdened under some of those things and. But to think of our Lord and Savior and he's here and he's here to save us and that is joy. That is joyful. It made me think of.

My daughter is in Guam right now and she got to go to a birthday party of a one year old there.

She has a friend that's Marshallese and in their customers, they make a big deal out of this first birthday because so many, the mortality rate is so bad there that if a child makes it to the age of one, it's a celebration. And so I'd like to think, you know, she was telling me about the throngs of people. They just invite everybody and anybody.

And because my daughter was like, I can't come to that. I'm not Marshallese. And her friend said, oh no, no, it's a community event. It's a gathering.

It's, you know, a celebration for anyone who wants to come and celebrate the birth of this child. And the only gift that you bring is a dollar to, you know, to help the parents.

So it's a very small gift, but mostly the gift of yourself in coming to help celebrate. And I can Imagine that the angels. That would have been a similar experience. Right. It's such a joyful experience, such a celebration.

And they want the world to know. They want the world to know. And so I can only imagine the experience those shepherds would have had because like you said, good music, it.

It hits you right to the core.

And to hear angels singing about the glorious coming of a savior and what that meant for them, beyond the fact that they again, are the ones that are offering the sacrificial lambs their own children, so to speak, these that they know by name. I can't. Yeah. Wow. It's almost overwhelming to think about.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:11:46.785 - 00:13:51.055

It is. It really is. I know. As I was also looking at these verses, I kind of looked at how the angel announced the birth of Jesus Christ.

First he tells them it's from the city of David. We knew. We know from what was brought, prophesied that Jesus would be born in Davis, David's lineage.

So that checked that box and it says in the city of David, a savior. Savior is someone who has come to save beautiful. Which is Christ. Christ means the anointed one. And I love that anointed one.

The one who was anointed foredained to be our Savior. And then Lord. Lord is what they used all throughout the Old Testament, Lord Jehovah, it symbolizing.

He was the one that was foretold from the beginning. This is the one. This is the one that all these things have been pointing towards. And.

And so I love the way the words, the descriptor words that the angel announced the birth of the Savior with. How beautiful. Let's keep going. And it says in verse 15.

And it came to pass as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, shepherds said to one another, let us now go. I love that phrase, even unto Bethlehem. And see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

I'm going to pause there and we'll finish off with what Mary thought about all this. And just at the end here. But thoughts on the shepherds here being so excited and going to witness. Kari?

Karalee Anjewierden

00:13:52.835 - 00:16:19.645

I love what you shared on your last episode about the swaddling clothes and about the Savior being in the manger and how. How much of a sign that would have been for those shepherds as they come to witness for themselves. Because it's hard To.

It's hard to share something that you're not a witness to. And so they would have needed that witness.

And I'm sure it was not lost on them that here is this firstborn son in swaddling clothes in a manger in a space that you wouldn't normally expect a human baby to be placed. Right.

I can only imagine the joy and excitement that they felt because of that understanding that they would have had, that that was just a further witness for them that this truly was the Christ and that he truly was there.

They'd been waiting for centuries for him to come and probably never thought that would be in their lifetime and certainly never thought they would be a part of the story. Right. I, I just. The awe that must have been, you know, even as they ran to the manger. I love the series the Chosen.

But before they started the Chosen, Dallas Jenkins, I think is his last name. He. He did a little short called the Shepherd.

And it's so beautiful as this crippled shepherd wants so badly to go and be a part of that and the healing that comes as he goes to run. And he left his crutch behind. He could not. He had.

He couldn't get there fast enough. And I'm sure that that's, you know, they went with haste.

They couldn't get there fast enough to see and witness this beautiful thing that the angels had. Had shared with them.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:16:20.305 - 00:16:54.835

It is so beautiful. I love a couple things you said. First, Jesus's joy. Right. So, so exciting, so holy, so joyful that he's finally here. How wonderful.

And I think I look forward to his return with the same amount of excitement. Yeah. We got to go through some pretty not so fun prophecies before His Second coming. But that end goal glorious. Right.

And I don't know if angels are going to sing at His Second Coming, but I know I sure feel like it if I'm here.

Karalee Anjewierden

00:16:55.655 - 00:16:59.435

How would you stop them from singing? You know, I don't think you can.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:17:00.695 - 00:17:59.215

I know. And I also like how you said that they wanted. They weren't sure that they would be part of the story, and yet here they were.

And it just makes me kind of pause and think about how quickly they ran. It says they went with haste. Let's go now.

And the invitation for each of us to be a witness like the shepherds, to run with haste and to testify of Jesus Christ that he is part of our story.

And because he is part of our story and has been with us in hard times and in good times that we can witness him and do it with joy, do it with humble joy and gratitude. Right?

Karalee Anjewierden

00:18:00.315 - 00:18:01.455

Absolutely.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:18:04.765 - 00:19:07.755

Let's keep going. Oh, I'm a little teary here. Okay. Verse 18. And here we have another beautiful witness. Who? His mother, it says. And all they that heard it wondered.

So the people who heard the shepherd's story wondered, wow, listen to them. These are these honest, trustworthy shepherds that bring us the temple lambs.

And now they are witnessing Jesus is born, the Savior, the Messiah that has been prophesied has been born. So they wondered at all those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. My goodness. Wow, Kari, things that jump out at you on these verses.

Karalee Anjewierden

00:19:09.615 - 00:21:14.703

I love that Mary, even in such a circumstance, in a young. At a young age, this is not lost on her what is unfolding. And.

And if she had ever had a doubt in her mind that what was told her was not true, she can't deny it at this point, right? Anyone, any woman who has been a mother, who has held that baby in your arms for the first time, it's undeniable. They come from heaven.

They come so pure, and they come so. I don't even know the words for it, but it's so beautiful just to hold a newborn baby.

Can you imagine holding the Son of God and knowing that you were his mother and you were responsible for him while he was here and that she wasn't left alone? Maybe they were left alone while the baby came, but. But that God brought people to witness and to know and to share that message.

Because as the mother, she would have wanted to shout that from the rooftops. She didn't have to. Somebody else got to do that for her.

And I'm sure just the gratitude, again, that would have been in her heart to be a part of this story, to know that God trusted her so much, to be the one that would get to watch him grow up and to teach him. And it's just beautiful.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:21:14.839 - 00:23:12.297

Anyway, it is beautiful. I am thankful that these shepherds were able to go and witness and add another layer of witnesses to Mary, to Joseph.

Both of them had had angels come and tell them, you know, this is to be the Son of God. And then we had Elizabeth and Zacharias witness that not only was their son the forerunner, but that Mary was carrying Jesus Christ, their Savior.

And now we have this additional layer of witnesses on the Night of His birth. The angels, the shepherds, the specific shepherds, who they were. And I'm thankful that that layer of witnesses keeps going, as we'll see in the.

In the coming weeks, but also that we, too, as I was talking about, can be witnesses of Him. How beautiful. How beautiful this is.

That we can each gain our own witness of the Savior and then go with haste like the shepherds, and tell people our experience with Jesus, how He has met us in our hard points, how he has strengthened us when we didn't feel we could go on, how he has been with us in her greatest joys as well. So I think that's. My takeaway, is to boldly declare my witness that I know he lives. And I'm thankful we get to talk about his birth. It's. It's just the beginning, right? Yes. Final takeaways.

Karalee Anjewierden

00:23:12.401 - 00:24:51.615

Glorious beginning. I. I love that. I love specifically that. That we can be those witnesses also of his grace, of his mercy, of his love, of. Of all those things.

Witness of his trust in us. He's placed us each here in. In our own stories, and we can be those witnesses for him, that even in the difficult times, he's there. He's. He's there.

As we talked last time about miracles, he's. He's in every day of our lives. And how beautiful that we can witness that.

That we can shout that from the rooftops and like you said, boldly declare that. That he's there. He's with us. I. It just. Yeah, it puts me in awe that. He.

Loves me so much to give me the opportunities that I have. My life isn't perfect, but with him, life is beautiful. It has meaning. And. And no matter what I'm going through, I know he's with me.

And that means everything to me.

Tamara K. Anderson

00:24:52.075 - 00:26:14.455

Thank you. I love what you've shared. Oh, my friends, thank you.

Thank you for joining us this morning as we've dove into the angels singing their praises and the shepherds bearing their witness.

And I invite you, as we enter this holiday season, to be another witness of Jesus Christ, to testify of him to someone you love in a moment when they may need it. And if you needed our words to remind you of Jesus, then soak these up and remember that he loves you and he's with you. Have a blessed day.

Thanks for tuning in to Bible Women and Bathrobes, hosted by Women warriors of Light. We've loved exploring the stories of remarkable women or the teachings of the Savior. Today with you.

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Just a friendly reminder. All opinions we share are entirely personal as we are trying to decipher and apply Bible teachings just like you are.

Until next time, stay faithful and may your journey be blessed and illuminated by God's love.

 Key words:

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