“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:8–14).

Christmas is the greatest story of deliverance and redemption the world has ever known, yet there is one word which encapsulates what this beloved season is all about: “Hallelujah!”

Hallelujah is simply a combination of two Hebrew words, "hallel" (praise) and "jah" (God), which beautifully summarize the scene Luke 2:8-14 paints as a backdrop for the true meaning of Christmas.

For in the fields of Bethlehem where flocks of sheep roamed the countryside, God flipped the script by reversing human social status and chose those whom the world would consider forgotten outcasts to receive the first and greatest Christmas gift.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).

Think about the significance of that moment. The heavenly host of angels chose shepherds, the unclean of society, to be the first recipients of arguably the greatest news ever declared to mankind, that the promised Messiah had finally come to save His people.

Israel’s religious leaders, political officials, nor wealthy citizens were chosen for such an honor. Rather, God had a different plan and purpose altogether by proclaiming, “Hallelujah!” over those who would be primary recipients of Jesus’ love throughout His ministry.

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KEEPING WATCH:

The Christmas story is such a powerful testimony of humility personified. Truly, the Savior of the world could not have come through less meager means than a virgin girl, a lowly stable, and a feeding trough for a manger bed, yet God would not have it any other way.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Hence, that is why Jesus likely treasured the role of being a shepherd most of all because that responsibility required painstaking humility, meekness, attention to detail, and unconditional love to ensure the flock within His care was properly guarded and protected at all times.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11–15).

Jesus not only held shepherds in high regard for their modest living but elevated their position in the kingdom of heaven by demonstrating how God loves His people, just like a shepherd who considers every one of his sheep infinitely valuable and precious.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:4–7).

Make no mistake, it was by no coincidence the heavenly angels proclaimed the Good News of Jesus’ birth to a group of shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the countryside, for that is how our Father in heaven cares for us as well because we are easily led astray if not for His unending love and sovereign protection.

FEAR NOT:

It is interesting how when God chooses to reveal Himself to us, we must immediately reconcile whether our hope and trust is in Him or the things of this world.

In many ways, shepherds were fearless individuals because they were constantly being threatened by predators—forced to kill or be killed by their opponents. Even King David echoed how shepherding made him more formidable than a soldier when he justified to King Saul his qualifications to fight and defeat Goliath.

“And Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him’” (1 Samuel 17:33–35).

However, when an angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds that night in Bethlehem and the glory of the Lord shone around them, they were gripped with reverent fear because they knew God was in their midst.

At that moment, faith gripped their hearts and they made haste to the stable where Jesus lay to witness the miracle proclaimed in their midst and pay homage to the newborn King of Israel.

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger” (Luke 2:15–16).

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PRAISE & ADORATION:

One can only begin to imagine how glorious it must have sounded to hear a multitude of angels praising God and singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14).

What those shepherds witnessed the night Jesus was born is arguably one of the most miraculous scenes mankind has ever experienced. The heavens literally opened up and a choir of angels gave a group of lowly shepherds a small glimpse of eternity’s wonder and majesty.

The only other instances we can find in Scripture where the heavenly multitude are quoting as singing comes from the book of Revelation when John revealed the vision God laid before him.

“After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God’” (Revelation 19:1).
“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns’” (Revelation 19:6).

Again, the consistent theme of “Hallelujah!” or “Praise God!” was echoed from eternity through the heavenly hosts into the heart of mankind. What a beautiful picture of reverence to the King of Kings who reigns forever!

That is why every year, I listen to one song in particular, “Hallelujah!” by North Point Ministries, to center my heart and mind on what Christmas is all about. It is a unique song because it blends the favorite Christmas carol, “O’ Holy Night” with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

The combination of recanting the Christmas story with the proclamation of Revelation 19, bringing together the beginning and end of God’s redemptive story from the birth of Jesus to His second coming, is nothing short of remarkable, making it a timeless treasure.

If you haven't heard it before, I encourage you to listen and watch the attached video.

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BOTTOM-LINE:

The beauty of the Christmas story is that God stepped down from His heavenly throne and humbled Himself by taking on flesh and entering this world the same way each one of us do as an innocent child.

He chose to experience life to the fullest from our perspective so that He could understand and empathize with our trials. He did not isolate Himself from the temptations of this world, but endured the same struggles we do so He could minister to us from the valley of despair in which we often find ourselves living.

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16).

That is why Christianity is unique from every other religion the world has ever known, for we have a Savior who bore the weight of our sin and shame and endured the cross so we could be reconciled to God for eternity. No other religion offers that eternal assurance, which is why our only response should be “Hallelujah!” for what He has done for us by grace through faith.

Therefore, let us celebrate this Christmas season with newfound perspective and appreciation for the birth of our Savior, and may we never grow tired of singing His praises because He alone is worthy of glory and honor forevermore.