A Fresh Look at Jesus

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Why Shepherds?

Have you ever wondered Why shepherds? Why did the angels who announced the birth of Jesus go out in the fields around Bethlehem and sing to shepherds, of all people? Why not carpenters, or construction workers--better yet a group of traveling merchants staying at a caravan inn--people who could carry the news to all the world! Why shepherds?

There's a very good reason, and I'll share it with you, as we take a fresh look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Knowing where things happened in the Bible stories can do a lot to help us understand why they happened. In the life of Jesus, knowing where He did certain things helps us better grasp the meaning and purpose of His mission to earth.

The answer to the question Why shepherds becomes clear when we think about where this annoncement was made. These were not just any shepherds. They were Bethlehem shepherds. To understand the significance of that, you have to know some of the stories from the Old Testament.

Do you remember the story about the prophet Samuel going to Bethlehem on a special mission, during the reign of King Saul? God sent him to Bethlehem to set up a new dynasty in Israel--to anoint a new king who would take over the rulership of His people from King Saul, who had rebelled against God.

In other words, Samuel went to Bethlehem to set up a new, spiritual kingdom that would overthrow the status quo and bring righteousness to Israel.

Very similar, isn't it, to the mission of Jesus, Who was coming to set up a new, spiritual kingdom that would eventually supercede the kingdom of Herod and the Romans!

Remember the Old Testament story. Samuel looked over Jesse's family--examined seven of his sons--but the Spirit of the Lord didn't point to any of these older brothers as the one to lead God's people in righteousness. So Samuel had to ask, "Isn't there another one?"

Yes, of course there was another one, David, but he was out in the fields of Bethlehem, tending sheep. They sent messengers for him, and brought him into town, and Samuel saw immediately that this was the one God had chosen. He produced a horn of oil and annointed David to be king.

When the new king, Jesus, came to earth, the messengers once again went out to the fields, to those tending sheep, to bring them into Bethlehem.

In the way that God announced the birth of His Son Jesus, was hidden a message about His mission. Once again, Jesus, even as a baby, was doing the gutsy thing--proclaiming what He had come for--calling attention to Himself, right under Herod's nose.

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Why Egypt?

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, (Matt 2:13-14,NKJV)

Why Egypt? Why would God send His Son to a country that had been one of Israel's worst enemies? We've been looking at the places Jesus visited in His earthly ministry, to see what they can teach us about His character, and His mission. Join me as we take a fresh look at Jesus.

The journey to Egypt from Bethlehem could not have been an easy one for a young family. The road passes through searing desert wastes, and was often threatened by marauding bands of Bedouin raiders. For most of biblical history, Egypt was no friend of God's people. Israel's location, right on Egypt's major trade routes, led to almost constant conflict between the two countries.

But there had also been some positive interaction through the years. When Abraham encountered drought in Canaan, he sought and found refuge in Egypt. Later, Joseph became a chief ruler in Egypt and was instrumental in saving his family's life during a famine. But then the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews, and God had to send plagues to get Pharaoh to let His people go.

So, there was a precedent for God's people going to Egypt in a time of crisis, and being protected there. And the name Joseph even figured prominently in that history.

In the time of Jesus, there was a large Jewish settlement around Alexandria in Egypt, so Joseph and Mary and Jesus would have found a ready welcome there. The country itself was under direct Roman rule, so they were safe from Herod's murderous soldiers as well.

The return trip from Egypt would become a sort of reenactment of national history. In other words, when Christ would come back it would make a parallel to the time when God brought the ancient Israelites out of Egypt. It would make a good symbol of God's plan to establish a new kingdom with a new king.

This symbolism ties in to another Old Testament story that most people would never think of as a parallel to the gospel story, and we'll look at that story--the story of Jeroboam--next time.

In all of the events of Jesus' life that we've looked at so far, one thing stands out very clearly: He was sent to earth on a mission--a mission that would require a great deal of courage to fulfill. And He never shrank from that immense responsibility. Even as a tiny child.

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Jeroboam and Jesus

Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. (1 Kings 11:29-30 NKJV)

Would you believe that this little-known Old Testament story has can teach us something important about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ? You'll see why, as we take a fresh look at Jesus.

The story we're looking at comes from the Old Testament, during the reign of Solomon, the son of King David. Jeroboam was one of Solomon's chief officers, and one day as he left Jerusalem Ahijah, a prophet of the Lord, stopped him. Next thing Jeroboam knew, Ahijah was undressing--taking off his outer garment. And then the prophet tore the brand new garment into twelve pieces and handed ten of them to Jeroboam.

As usual with prophets, there was a message in the actions. God was displeased with how Solomon was running the kingdom--enslaving God's people--and He was ready to divide the kingdom and start up a new order of things with Jeroboam as the head. Jeroboam would become the ruler of the northern part of the promised land.

Of course, when Solomon got word of what Ahijah had done, Jeroboam became personna non grata in Israel. So, Jeroboam quickly headed south, for Egypt.

There had recently been a change of government in Egypt. Solomon had tried to cement positive relationships with the country by marrying Pharaoh's daughter, but that pharaoh had since been overthrown, and the new pharaoh welcomed Jeroboam with open arms and gave him shelter. The new pharaoh no doubt had plans for conquest of Israel.

Jeroboam stayed in Egypt until he heard that Solomon was dead, then he headed north, and laid claim to the ten tribes that God had promised him through Ahijah. In so doing, he liberated God's people from the enslaving hand of Solomon's son Rehoboam and established a new kingdom in the northern part of Israel.

Unfortunately, Jeroboam let the power go to his head and eventually rebelled against God. He didn't establish a righteous kingdom.

But when God sent His Son Jesus to live in Egypt, to wait for the death of Herod, and then sent Him back, to live in the northern part of Canaan, it sent a clear message. Jesus came to earth with a mission like Jeroboam's--to set God's people free from the oppressive rule of the Romans who had enslaved them. More importantly, to set people free from enslavement to Satan.

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What About All Those Innocent Babies?

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. (Matt. 2:16 NKJV)

Was Jesus to blame for the death of all those innocent babies? Let's consider that question as we take a fresh look at Jesus.

We've been looking at the birth of Jesus, and particularly at the events surrounding it--events that served to call the attention of Herod the Great to what was going on. I've even gone so far as to suggest that the place for Jesus' birth, and the ways in which it was announced, were both very much "in your face" moves to Herod. That Jesus showed courage, even as a newborn, by coming to earth and planting himself right under Herod's nose.

Why did God do things that way? If the arrival of Jesus had been handled with less fanfare, Herod would never have had to know. The man was almost on his deathbed, anyhow, so why couldn't God have brought off the birth of His Son without antagonizing the old king?

It's clear that Jesus' heavenly Father knew how Herod would respond to this challenge, because God sent an angel to warn Joseph, to clear out of the area, and go to Egypt, pronto!

Now, do you see the situation that has been set up, here? It almost seems as if God the Father, and Jesus in particular, are to blame for what happened to all those innocent babies. After all, if God could warn Joseph to leave, couldn't He have warned the other parents to take a vaccation, too?

Have you ever been in a situation where it was clear that you needed to intervene--someone desperately needed help--but as you looked at it, you realized that you might only make matters worse (at least for a time) by getting involved?

What should you do in a situation like that?

That's the kind of problem God has faced for thousands of years with our earth. We need a lot of help down here, but He knows that every time He intervenes, it invokes the wrath of Satan, who stirs things up and seemingly makes things worse.

Neither God the Father, nor Jesus were to blame for the choices Herod made. Herod had the freedom to choose, just as you and I do, how to respond to Jesus' claims on His territory. I'm sure it was not easy for God to watch the children die. It hasn't been easy for Him to watch any of the war that has gone on here on earth ever since Adam and Eve sinned.

But He came to do something about the situation, anyhow. And He'll come back one day to set it all right. The same Jesus who challenged Herod's evil kingdom, will finally overthrow Satan's reign of terror on earth.

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All materials on this page are copyrighted by Kenneth R. Wade. Permission to use them can usually be had just for letting me know you'd like to. I enjoy hearing from people who've visited and are interested in what they see.