Lk 2:8,9   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

       

It's the middle of the night. The baby has been born, the Saviour has come – but nobody knows. That is about to change. An angel comes to shepherds on a hillside. Why shepherds? Well, we said yesterday this entry was about as anonymous and lowly as you can get and when you look at the bottom of the human barrel you find outcasts, for that's what these shepherds were, these men who lived out on the hillsides looking after the sheep that provided income for the owners.

 

There wasn't any talk of the glory of the Lord when the angel came to Zechariah or Mary, or even in Joseph's dream, but it is as if God can't hold back His wonderful glory anymore. This is a time for display. This is a time for letting a few select people know that God is here! There is no glory in the stable, he's in disguise, but out here on the hillside the angel comes with the glory he has in heaven – so the shepherds can see!

 

Guys, this is a heavenly visitation! Realise it! There are times, most times, when God seems to hold back His glory, but there are a few significant times when He lets it be seen. These are times when He wants the recipients of His presence to understand who it is they are encountering. Guys, this is God, realise it! Get ready.