I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:9

The message to the shepherd boys was clear: the long-awaited Messiah was about to be born. Having been taught in the synagogues for the past several years, the boys probably had a good idea what that message meant, though not to the fullest extent (even Jesus’ followers 30 years later didn’t fully understand the significance).

At this point, the boys were probably just staring in astonishment at the message and the angel of the Lord delivering it.

It was an awesome task they were now assigned. It would mean they would have to leave their sheep behind, and of course endure the consequences of their fathers’ wrath when the fathers were sure to find out.

Their lives would forever be changed. Their fathers probably would not believe their story…at first, but they had to do go.