FOR THE WEEK DECEMBER 22-26, 2025 “ P R E PA R E T H E WAY: THE SHEPHERD’S SURPRISE” Luke 2:8-20
SERMON BY
Rev. Lara “Willis” Greene
“PREPARE THE WAY: THE SHEPHERD’S SURPRISE” SERMON REFLECTION
The Christmas story takes on deeper meaning when we understand why God chose shepherds to receive the first announcement of Jesus’ birth. These weren’t the romanticized figures of Christmas pageants, but rather society’s most marginalized people.
for shepherds who would never dare approach a palace but could relate to humble circumstances. This choice demonstrated from Jesus’s very first moments that salvation wasn’t reserved for the elite, powerful, or religiously pure, but for everyone.
Shepherds occupied the lowest rung of the social ladder - below even other Jews in the Roman Empire. They were viewed as dishonest, untrustworthy, and so disreputable they couldn’t testify in court. Their work made them religiously unclean, unable to participate in festivals and holy days, making them both social and religious outcasts.
The shepherds’ response teaches us about faith in action. They didn’t analyze or rationalize what they’d experienced - they went with haste to Bethlehem. After encountering Jesus, they became the first evangelists, returning to their fields while glorifying and praising God. These men who couldn’t testify in court became the first to bear witness to the best news the world had ever heard. Their story challenges us to identify people in our lives who feel like outsiders to faith and share the good news that Jesus came for them too.
Yet, God deliberately chose these forgotten people to hear the most important birth announcement in human history. When the angel appeared, the message was personal: good news of great joy for all people, including them. The sign given - a baby in a manger - was perfect
“Faith for the Week” devotions are produced in a partnership with Centenary UMC Sunday sermon transcripts and SermonShots.com. FAITH FOR THE WEEK | 2 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| monday |
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE FORGETTABLE Have you ever felt invisible? Like you don’t matter to anyone important? In first-century Palestine, shepherds knew this feeling intimately. They lived on society’s margins - considered dishonest, untrustworthy, and so disreputable they couldn’t even testify in court. Their work made them religiously unclean, barring them from festivals and holy days. They were truly the forgotten ones. Yet when God chose to announce the most important birth in human history, He didn’t send angels to kings or priests. He sent them to shepherds. This wasn’t an oversight or divine mistake - it was intentional. God’s first birth announcement went to those who felt most forgotten because He wanted them to know they weren’t forgotten at all. Perhaps you’ve felt like a shepherd - overlooked,
Luke 2:10-12 “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’”
undervalued, or pushed to the margins. Maybe you’ve wondered if God really sees you or cares about your struggles. The Christmas story begins with a powerful reminder: God sees the forgotten. He values the overlooked. He chooses the unlikely. When we feel invisible to the world, we can remember that we’re visible to God. When others dismiss us, God calls us by name. The same God who noticed anonymous shepherds on a hillside notices you today. You matter to Him not because of your status, achievements, or reputation, but simply because you’re His beloved child. This Christmas season, let the shepherds’ story remind you that God’s love isn’t reserved for the impressive or influential. It’s for everyone - especially those who feel forgotten.
When have you felt forgotten or overlooked, and how might knowing that God intentionally chose the ‘forgotten’ shepherds change how you see your own worth in His eyes?
“They were, as one writer describes them. They were the fellowship of the forgettable.”
prayer
Dear God, thank You for seeing me when I feel invisible and valuing me when others overlook me. Help me remember that Your love isn’t based on my status or achievements, but on Your unchanging character. When I feel forgotten, remind me of the shepherds and Your intentional choice to include the marginalized in Your greatest story. Amen.
FAITH FOR THE WEEK | 3 | CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST
| tuesday |
GOOD NEWS FOR ALL PEOPLE The angel’s message to the shepherds contained a phrase that would have shocked them: “good news of great joy for all people.” In their world of rigid social hierarchies, good news typically flowed downward from the powerful to the powerless. Kings received good news; shepherds received orders. The wealthy celebrated; the poor served.
Today, we still struggle with the “all people” part of this message. We create mental lists of who deserves God’s love and who doesn’t. We assume certain people are too far gone, too different, or too damaged for God’s grace. But the shepherds remind us that God’s definition of “all” is bigger than ours.
But this announcement shattered those expectations. The angel didn’t say the good news was for some people, important people, or worthy people. It was for all people including smelly, outcast shepherds who spent their nights in fields watching sheep.
Perhaps you know someone who feels excluded from God’s love - maybe because of their past, their lifestyle, or their doubts. The Christmas story begins with a powerful truth: the good news really is for all people. No one is too far from God’s reach, too broken for His healing, or too lost for His love.
This inclusivity wasn’t accidental. From Jesus’ very first moments, God demonstrated that salvation wouldn’t follow human patterns of exclusion. It wouldn’t be reserved for the religiously pure, socially acceptable, or economically successful. The gospel would be radically inclusive, reaching every corner of human experience.
Luke 2:10 “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’”
This Christmas, let’s embrace the radical inclusivity of the gospel and share it with confidence, knowing that God’s “all” truly means all.
Who in your life might feel excluded from God’s love, and how can you help them understand that the ‘good news for all people’ truly includes them?
“The angel says to them, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people. To you is born this day in the city of David. A savior to you. To you, dear smelly shepherds.”
prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that Your good news is truly for all people, not just those who Heavenly Father, I confess that fear often paralyzes me. I look at the enormity of needs seem worthy or acceptable. Help me see others through Your eyes of love and inclusion. around me and feel that what I have to offer is too small. Help me to trust that You can Give me courage to share Your radical grace with those who feel excluded or forgotten. use my limited resources for Your unlimited purposes. Give me courage to step out in faith Break down the barriers I’ve created in my own heart about who deserves Your love. Amen. today. Amen.
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| wednesday |
A SIGN JUST FOR YOU The angel gave the shepherds a specific sign: “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” This wasn’t just directions to find Jesus - it was a sign designed especially for them. A baby in a manger spoke their language. They understood humble beginnings, simple surroundings, and making do with what was available. If the angel had announced a king in a palace, the shepherds would never have dared to look. They knew palace guards wouldn’t let people like them through the gates. But a baby in a feeding trough? That was accessible. That was for them. God meets us where we are, not where we think we should be. He speaks our language, understands our circumstances, and makes Himself accessible to us. The same God who gave shepherds a sign they could understand gives you signs you can recognize too.
Maybe you’ve felt like God’s love is for other people - those who have their lives together, who understand theology, or who seem naturally spiritual. But just as God gave the shepherds a sign that fit their world, He reveals Himself to you in ways that make sense in your life. God doesn’t require you to clean up your act before approaching Him. He doesn’t demand that you figure everything out first. Like the shepherds, you can come as you are, from wherever you are, and find Him accessible and welcoming. The manger wasn’t just Jesus’ first bed - it was God’s way of saying, “I’m not too high and mighty for you. I’m not unreachable or unapproachable. I’ve come down to your level so you can come to Me.”
Luke 2:12 “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
How has God made Himself accessible to you in your current circumstances, and what ‘signs’ has He given you that speak to your specific situation or background?
“This was a sign designed especially for the shepherds. This was more than X marks the spot.”
prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for making Yourself accessible to me. Just as You gave the shepherds a sign they could understand and approach, help me recognize how You’re revealing Yourself in my everyday life. Thank You that I don’t have to be perfect or have everything figured out to come to You. You meet me where I am. Amen.
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| thursday |
GOING WITH HASTE After hearing the angel’s announcement, the shepherds made a remarkable decision. They didn’t debate whether what they’d experienced was real. They didn’t form a committee to analyze the theological implications. They didn’t wait for more convenient timing. The Bible simply says they went “with haste” to find Jesus.
What is God calling you to do that you’ve been overthinking? Maybe it’s reaching out to someone who needs encouragement, taking a step of faith in your relationships, or simply spending more time in prayer. Sometimes the best response to God’s prompting is immediate action, not endless analysis.
In our analytical age, we often get stuck in endless loops of thinking, planning, and questioning. We want to understand everything before we act. We seek certainty before we step forward. But the shepherds teach us something powerful about faith in action - sometimes we need to move before we fully understand.
The shepherds’ haste wasn’t recklessness - it was recognition. They knew divine intervention when they saw it, and they responded accordingly. When God speaks to your heart, when His Spirit prompts you toward love and service, don’t let overthinking rob you of the joy of immediate obedience.
The shepherds recognized that what they’d seen and heard came from God, and that was enough. They didn’t let analysis paralysis keep them from experiencing the miracle waiting in Bethlehem. Their simple, immediate response led them to become the first people to worship the newborn King.
Faith often requires us to move before we have all the answers, trusting that God will guide our steps as we go.
Luke 2:17-18 “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
What is God prompting you to do that you’ve been overthinking or delaying, and what would it look like to respond ‘with haste’ like the shepherds did?
“They hear this incredible, unbelievable news and they don’t spend any time trying to make sense of it. They just go with haste.”
prayer
God, help me recognize Your voice and respond with the same immediacy as the shepherds. When You prompt my heart toward action, don’t let me get stuck in analysis paralysis. Give me the faith to move forward even when I don’t have all the answers, trusting that You’ll guide my steps as I go. Help me choose obedience over overthinking. Amen.
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| friday |
LET JESUS SHOW After encountering Jesus, the shepherds couldn’t keep quiet. These men who weren’t allowed to testify in court became the first evangelists, sharing the good news with everyone they met. They returned to their fields glorifying and praising God, forever changed by their encounter with the Christ child. Their transformation raises a crucial question for us: Who in our world needs to hear this news? The shepherds understood something profound - there are people who would never guess that Jesus was born for them unless someone tells them. Just as the shepherds felt unworthy of God’s attention, there are people in your life who feel the same way. Maybe it’s a coworker who seems to have everything together but struggles with deep loneliness. Perhaps it’s a family member who’s made mistakes and believes they’re beyond redemption. It could be a neighbor who’s never
darkened a church door and assumes Christianity isn’t for people like them. The shepherds’ story reminds us that our role isn’t to judge who’s worthy of God’s love - it’s to share the good news that God’s love is for everyone. We don’t need to be perfect messengers; we just need to be willing ones. Like the shepherds, we can share what we’ve experienced of God’s grace and let Jesus show through our lives. This Christmas season, consider who God might be calling you to reach. Who needs to hear that they matter to God? Who needs to know that Jesus came for them too? The same urgency that drove the shepherds to share their good news should drive us to share ours. After all, how will people ever guess that Jesus was born for them if we don’t tell them?
Luke 2:20 “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
Who in your life would never guess that Jesus was born for them, and how can you ‘let Jesus show’ through your words and actions to help them understand God’s love for them?
“Will all of us who know kindly, ever so kindly tell all of those who don’t? Let Jesus show?”
prayer
Dear Lord, just as You transformed the shepherds into Your first evangelists, transform me into a messenger of Your love. Show me who in my life needs to hear the good news that You came for them too. Give me courage to share Your love with those who feel forgotten or unworthy. Help me let Jesus show through everything I do and say. Amen.
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