PER015

The visit of the shepherds

Recounted only by Luke (Luke 2:8-20), this episode describes the Bethlehem shepherds' visit to the infant Jesus, guided by a radiant angelic apparition on the night of 13 October -2 BC. The sole witnesses of this heavenly revelation, they leave their flocks to behold the Messiah. Their visit comforts Mary and Joseph, far from their families. In a first act of evangelisation, the shepherds return glorifying God and testifying to what they have seen.

3 min shepherds Bethlehem birth of Jesus angel Gabriel Luke 1 verse 1 book

Resources

You can consult:

Biblical texts

Matthew

Matthew (King James Version) not cited in the book

Mark

Mark (King James Version) not cited in the book

Luke

Luke 2.8-20 (King James Version)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org

John

John (King James Version) not cited in the book

Technical details

Location: Bethlehem in Judea

Date: 13 October -2 BC (shortly after 12 October)

Method: We continue with Luke

Note on the method: Luke alone recounts this event

This episode of the shepherds is recounted only by Luke

The visit of the shepherds

Comments

This account of the shepherds, unique to Luke, takes place just after the birth. It was these men themselves who told the story, deeply moved by the visit of these angels.

It is mid-October, and temperatures in the region still allow animals to be kept outdoors.

We may suppose that the angel in question is Gabriel, the bearer of news. Luke tells us that the shepherds were frightened by the multitude of angels who appeared afterwards. All these men see this scene, evidently very bright, in the dark night. Everything seems unreal!

Never before had they witnessed so tangible and impressive an apparition. Leaving their flocks unattended was unthinkable, yet verifying this heavenly message took precedence.

We can imagine Joseph and Mary's surprise at these men's arrival. Two particular events therefore marked the Messiah's birth: the shepherds' visit to the future Good Shepherd and the Magi's visit to the King of the Jews.

Mary, evidently isolated and alone after giving birth, far from her family, must have found in this visit a of encouragement and a sign that her son's birth was part of God's plan.

La visite des bergers. Exclusivement relaté par Luc (Lc 2,8-20), cet épisode décrit la visite des bergers de Bethléem à l'enfant Jésus, guidés par une apparition angélique lumineuse survenue dans la nuit du 13 octobre -2 avant Jésus-Christ. Seuls témoins de cette révélation céleste, ils abandonnent leurs troupeaux pour aller contempler le Messie. Leur visite réconforte Marie et Joseph, loin des leurs. Premier acte d'évangélisation, les bergers repartent en glorifiant Dieu et en témoignant de ce qu'ils ont vu. Commentaires. Ce récit relatant l’histoire de ces bergers, propre à Luc, se déroule juste après la naissance. Ce sont ces hommes, eux même, qui ont raconté cette anecdote, bouleversés par la visite de ces Anges. Nous sommes à la mi-octobre, et la température, permet encore, dans la région, de garder des animaux à l’extérieur. Nous pouvons penser que l’Ange en question se nomme Gabriel, celui qui annonce les nouvelles. Luc nous précise que les bergers furent effrayés face à la foule d’anges, qui apparurent ensuite. Tous ces hommes voient cette scène, manifestement très lumineuse, dans cette nuit sombre. Tout semble irréel ! Jamais auparavant ils n'avaient été témoins d'une apparition aussi tangible et impressionnante. Laisser les troupeaux sans surveillance était inenvisageable, mais la vérification de ce message céleste l'emporta. Nous imaginons la surprise de Joseph et Marie, avec l’arrivée de ces hommes. Il y a donc deux évènements particuliers qui ont marqués la naissance du Messie, la visite des bergers au futur Bon Berger, et la visite des Mages au Roi des Juifs. Marie, visiblement isolée et seule après l'accouchement, loin de sa famille, a dû trouver dans cette visite une source d'encouragement et un signe que la naissance de son fils s'inscrivait dans le plan divin.