“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
My family has memorized most of A Charlie Brown Christmas. We watch it yearly and even talk about the new things we notice and appreciate about this classic.
At one point, Charlie Brown asks what Christmas means, and Linus stands on the stage, puts down his security blanket, and quotes from the Bible. This famous scene includes the line quoted above.
This is what Christmas is all about.
But where does the Bible say this line? And what does it mean for Christ to be born in the city of David?
Who Says “For Unto You Is Born this Day in the City of David a Savior Who Is Christ the Lord”?
In the quiet Judean night, under a thousand stars, a proclamation echoed through the hills surrounding Bethlehem. The sky filled with heavenly messengers. These heralds were angels entrusted with announcing the most important event in Earth’s history.
The angels declared, “For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”
For heaven to proclaim such a statement, we would imagine the angels to be sent to Jerusalem and the High Priest or the Sanhedrin, religious leaders. The Jewish religious leaders knew the Torah well, including all the prophecies about the coming and promised Messiah.
Or perhaps the supernatural messengers should have brought this announcement to King Herod and his palace in Jerusalem. The political establishment would need to know of this new king. Either way, speaking the good news of Jesus from the sky over Jerusalem could reach more people and have significant religious meaning.
If not Jerusalem, then maybe Rome. The Emperor Ceasar, who had required the census, oppressed several people groups. Rome had conquered through much of the known world and subjected Jews to second-class citizenship. The angelic declaration in Rome would have even more impact.
But the angels didn’t appear to any of these people or places.
The angelic host revealed this amazing news in the middle of a field outside the small town of nearby Bethlehem. The message didn’t go to dignitaries or a large population but to a handful of shepherds. Poor shepherds with very little money or (political or religious) power.
The shepherds freak out, a common occurrence when heavenly creatures show up.
These angels said to these shepherds in a field:
“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12)
For a whole culture looking for the coming Messiah, God directed his messengers to a few poor, marginalized shepherds in the middle of the night in a field.
What Is the “City of David” that the Angels Refer To?
The Gospels give details regarding the Messiah Bethlehem by quoting from the book of Micah.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
This prophecy in Micah serves as a key Old Testament prediction foretelling the Messiah’s birthplace. It emphasizes Bethlehem’s seemingly humble status while highlighting its significance as the birthplace of a future ruler who would shepherd the people of Israel. Christians interpret this prophecy as pointing to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
The ruler in Micah’s prophecy isn’t a normal human king. While from David’s lineage, this new king has ancient origins. He comes from a time even before David. This phrase connects with other Messianic prophecies like the rising branch from the stem of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1).
Therefore, the angels’ use of the term “City of David” carried a dual significance. On one level, it harked back to Bethlehem’s historical association with King David. On another level, it pointed forward to the Messianic promises’ fulfillment: the birth of a Savior, a descendant of David, who would shepherd not just the Israelites but all of humanity. The dual significance emphasized the holistic continuity of God’s plan and how seemingly insignificant locations could become a place of divine activity.
Though small and unassuming, Bethlehem became the stage for salvation history unfolding.
The angels didn’t say the name “Bethlehem,” but the angels heard “City of David” and went to Bethlehem and a manger. These shepherds not only witnessed the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. They became firsthand participants in the unfolding drama of redemption. The “City of David” became a tangible representation of God’s faithfulness, where promises made centuries before culminated in the Savior’s birth.
Who Did the Shepherd Think “Christ the Lord” Was?
As the shepherds hurried to the humble manger in Bethlehem, they were fueled by awe and anticipation. The term “Christ the Lord” bore profound theological implications rooted in Scripture’s Messianic passages. However uneducated these shepherds might have been, Messianic teaching infused their culture. They would have been familiar with the prophecies and promises of the coming king.
For the shepherds, the title “Christ” meant the Anointed One, prophesied to bring salvation and restoration to the people of Israel. Their understanding of the Messiah was shaped by passages like Isaiah 9:6, where the promised one is described as a “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The shepherds grasped the gravity of the moment—the Messiah’s birth, God’s covenant with His people fulfilled.
The title “Lord” further heightened the proclamation’s significance. The Old Testament used the term “Lord” with God, signifying divine authority and sovereignty. It points to a figure who held dominion not just over earthly realms, but the entire cosmos. The Messiah would also bring all nations (Jews and Gentiles) unto a knowledge of God.
To the shepherds, they would have noted the paradox of such an immense, impactful figure being born in such humble circumstances.
As the shepherds entered the stable and beheld the scene before them – a newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger—the pieces of the heavenly puzzle fell into place. The Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, lay before them in the fragile form of an infant. The Lord, whose arrival was heralded by angelic choruses, now rested in earthly parents’ arms. The angelic pronouncement was true.
In that moment, the shepherds’ understanding of “Christ the Lord” expanded beyond the religious, traditional Messianic expectations. The Messiah they anticipated, the Lord they revered, was not a conquering king draped in royal robes but a vulnerable baby nestled among livestock. The juxtaposition of divinity and vulnerability in the manger scene left an indelible mark on the shepherds’ hearts. It challenged their preconceived notions of power and prestige.
What Did the Shepherds Do After Hearing the Angels’ Message?
Filled with awe, the shepherds faced a pivotal choice. They could stay in the familiar fields. Or they could embark on a journey to the source of this extraordinary revelation.
Without hesitation, the shepherds seized the moment. They left the fields, the sheep, and their jobs with anticipation and curiosity. Guided by the angels’ celestial proclamation, they sought the one born as Savior, Christ the Lord. Their search led them to a lowly stable, and here they found Jesus, all just as the angels had said.
The shepherds witnessed phenomenal events. First, God sent angels to give them good news of hope. The angels instructed the shepherds to find the Messiah as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. Then, the shepherds then saw the angelic message fulfilled.
The angels didn’t tell the shepherds what to do next, though.
The shepherds, filled with wonder, did not keep this revelation to themselves. Bursting with excitement, they traveled into Bethlehem, proclaiming the news of the Savior’s birth. It was the middle of the night, so they likely had to wake people up to tell them this amazing news unfolding not too far away.
Their active engagement in speading the message demonstrated they understood the significance—that they witnessed a redemptive narrative transcending time and circumstances.
The shepherds’ actions didn’t end with their proclamation in Bethlehem. They returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard. Their encounter with the Christ-child had begun a transformation in them, prophetic of the change Jesus would bring to the world.
What Can We Learn from the Shepherds Today?
In this Christmas season, let us take this opportunity to be reminded of a few important things.
First, the world-changing event of Christmas. God sent his only begotten Son to be with us, to be the king of all creation who saves all who would believe in him. The eternal entered the temporal to redeem the broken world through the person of Jesus, his death, and resurrection. That alone is worth remembering and celebrating with praise and worship. The angels in heaven erupted in praise at the prophecy’s fulfillment. We should also be filled with expressive joy at the coming of Jesus!
Like the shepherds, through Christ and God’s grace, we’ve been given an unimaginable opportunity for a personal relationship with the God of all things. Jesus is now with us in every moment through the Holy Spirit, not only during a specific season.
However, it doesn’t end there. Just as the angels couldn’t contain their excitement and had to tell others, the same happened to the shepherds. It’s selfish to keep the best news in history to ourselves.
Let’s take the shepherds as a model to take the Gospel to the people in our local contexts, sharing with others what God has done for us and any who are willing. Neither background, social status, wealth, or tribe matters. The Good News is for all to enjoy and share.
Peace.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Andry Djumantara
Britt Mooney lives and tells great stories. As an author of fiction and non-fiction, he is passionate about teaching ministries and nonprofits the power of storytelling to inspire and spread truth. Mooney has a podcast called Kingdom Over Coffee and is a published author of We Were Reborn for This: The Jesus Model for Living Heaven on Earth as well as Say Yes: How God-Sized Dreams Take Flight.
This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ!
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