Why Do the Angels Tell Shepherds 'For Unto You Is Born this Day in the City of David a Savior'?

Which Gospel Mentions the Angels Saying “For Unto You Is Born this Day…”

The Gospel of Luke mentions the angels saying, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Specifically, Luke 2:10-12 describes the scene:

“The angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.’”

Matthew starts with the family history of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, wise men visiting Jesus, and the journey of Jesus’ family after Jesus was born. Mark starts with John preparing the way for Jesus. John starts with Jesus coming to the world and John speaking about it. But Luke is the only Gospel with the angels appearing to the shepherds to tell them that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

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Why Did the Angels Say “Do Not Be Afraid” Before “For Unto You Is Born This Day…”?

The angel told the shepherds not to be afraid before he said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” because the shepherds were afraid.

As Luke 2:8-9 explains, “That night, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid.”

The shepherds were out in the dark, a quiet and calm scene. But suddenly, an angel appeared to them. And in this dark scene, the glory of God shone around the shepherds. The shepherds were terrified because of the sudden contrast from calm and dark to an angel and God’s glory shining around them.

The angels themselves likely could have still scared the shepherds even if they had appeared more gently, without God’s glory shining around them. This is because angels are frightening.

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Where Else Do Angels Say “Do Not Be Afraid” in the Bible?

Angel appearances scared others in the Bible. In Judges 6:22, after an angel disappears, Gideon realizes he is talking to the angel. So, he shouts to God that he has seen an angel of God face to face. God then tells Gideon not to fear.

In Numbers 22:23-31, when an angel appears to Balaam and his donkey, Balaam’s donkey is startled and intimidated. It sees the angel and turns from the road into a field. When the donkey sees the angel again, it walks close to a wall. When the donkey sees the angel yet again, it lies down. When Balaam sees the angel, he bows low to the ground.

In Luke 1:9–12, Zechariah is in the Temple of the Lord when an angel appears to him. When Zechariah sees the angel, he is very afraid.

In Matthew 28:4, the soldiers guarding Jesus’ tomb fear an angel appearing before them. Even though they are soldiers, they are so afraid of the angel that they tremble in fear and drop as if dead.

Angels were scary, so they often told those they visited not to be afraid so that those people would listen to what the angels came to say.

Luke 1:13 states, “But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him John.”

Matthew 28:5 says, “The angel said to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross.”

Angels telling people not to fear was common, so it makes sense that the angel in Luke 2 said the same thing to the shepherds in Luke 2. The shepherds were terrified. Perhaps they thought the angels were there to kill them. But the shepherds had no reason to fear. Although frightening, the angels were not there to attack the shepherds. They were there to bring good news. So, the angel told the shepherds not to be afraid before saying that a Savior was born for them that day.

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What Was the “City of David” Where the Savior Was Born?

The city of David, where the Savior was born, was Bethlehem. Luke 2:4 states, “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David.”

Verses 6-7 of Luke 2 go on to say that while Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him up in cloth and laid him in a manger because the guest room had no room. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

David was an Old Testament king of Israel born in Bethlehem. According to Micah 5:2, the Messiah would also be born in Bethlehem.

We know that Jesus was born in a manger, but “the guest room was full” can have two interpretations. Many see it as Jesus being born in an inn’s stable. Another view is that Jesus was born at a family house because Joseph could have relatives in town. In this view, still, there is no room for Jesus and his parents. So, they stay in the family’s stable.

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What Did the Angels Say After “For Unto You Is Born this Day…”?

After saying, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” the angel told the shepherds that the long-awaited Messiah was born in Bethlehem. The shepherds would find a baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger. Then, the angel army praised God and said peace could belong to those who please God.

The shepherds then find Jesus. Some wise men also later see Jesus.

This is not the first time the Bible mentions an army of angels. In 1 Kings 22:19, an angel army stands around God. This and the Luke 2 angel army passage tell us that God is powerful. Angels are powerful, so if God has armies of them and they praise God, he really is holy, powerful, and worthy to be praised.

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Why Is It Significant the Angels Gave this Message to Shepherds?

It is significant that an angel gave the message of the birth of Jesus to shepherds because shepherds were lowly. They were essentially the opposite of the powerful in the world.

Our usual human priority is in favor of the rich and powerful. We naturally tend to honor them and hold them in higher esteem than the poor and weak. Generally, we see the rich and powerful as more important than the weak and poor. Society raises the powerful and shuns the weak. It would probably be natural to expect the angel to appear to kings to give the message of Jesus’ birth.

This is not God’s way, though. As seen by the angel telling the message of Jesus being born to shepherds, God prioritizes the least of these instead of the powerful.

The long-awaited Messiah, Lord, King, and God Jesus was born. God chose a powerful angel to tell this message to shepherds, not kings or rulers or rich or powerful people. God chose to have the angels appear to some of the lowliest people: shepherds.

This lines up with what Jesus would say four chapters later. Luke 6:20 states, “Jesus looked at his followers and said, ‘Great blessings belong to you who are poor. God’s kingdom belongs to you.” The shepherds in Luke 2 were blessed by the angels appearing to them and telling them about the birth of Jesus.

Similarly, Matthew 20:16 states, “‘So those who are last now will be first in the future. And those who are first now will be last in the future.’” The shepherds were considered “the last.” Yet they were the ones who the angel appeared to to proclaim that Jesus was born. The last was first.

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