Bible ReadingLuke 2:8-208 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
[00:23:04]9 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.
10 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.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
[00:26:20]12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 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.”
[00:29:38]16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
[00:29:46]17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
[00:38:10]18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
[00:40:16]Matthew 7:24-2724 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
[00:35:51]26 “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.”
[00:35:51]Luke 24:1-101 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.
6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
8 And they remembered his words,
9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles.
[00:25:18]Observation questions- What details in Luke 2 show that the shepherds were in the middle of normal work when God’s message came to them? [00:23:04]
- After the angels left, what did the shepherds say and do, and what does the word “haste” add to the picture? [00:29:38]
- According to Luke 2:17-20, what did the shepherds do after they found Jesus, and how did the people around them respond? [00:38:31]
- In Matthew 7:24-27, what is the one difference Jesus gives between the person who builds on rock and the person who builds on sand? [00:35:43]
Interpretation questions- God chose shepherds to receive and spread the announcement of Jesus’ birth, and women to announce His resurrection. What does this reveal about how God sees people whom society may overlook or dismiss? [00:25:00]
- The angel announced that Jesus is “a Savior… Christ the Lord.” Why is it important that the shepherds’ message centered on who Jesus is rather than on the amazing experience they had with angels? [00:38:42]
- The shepherds believed God’s message and went to Bethlehem. What kinds of actions show that a person is trusting God’s Word rather than only agreeing that it is true? [00:30:28]
- Jesus says both builders heard His words, but only one put them into practice. Why can Bible knowledge without obedience become empty or unstable faith? [00:36:26]
Application questions- God met the shepherds in an ordinary night of work. Where are the ordinary places in your life—work, school, home, routines, struggles, or relationships—where you need to remember that God meets you? [00:27:14]
- Think back to where God met you or began changing you. How could remembering that season give you more compassion for someone who is struggling today? [00:28:06]
- Is there something you know God has been calling you to do—such as forgive someone, surrender a habit, serve a person, change a priority, or make a change in your time or budget? What would one clear step of faith look like this week? [00:35:00]
- Where might you be treating faith as knowing the right things without “jumping into the pool” through obedience? What fear is making that step difficult? [00:31:25]
- The shepherds did not keep the good news to themselves. Who is one person in your life who may need encouragement, prayer, or a simple conversation about Jesus? What could you honestly share with them? [00:39:13]
- A witness does not need to have every answer; a witness points people to Jesus. What part of your story can you share: what life was like before, what Jesus did, and what is different now? [00:39:32]
- The shepherds returned to their regular lives, but they returned praising God and changed by what they had seen. What would it look like for you to return to your normal responsibilities this week as a worshiper and witness? [00:40:16]
