Day 5: ‘Let us now go’

This article is part of a series called “12 Days of Christmas: A daily study guide to bring the Savior into the season.” See the full list of days in the study guide and learn more about how it’s formatted here.

After the angels told the shepherds that Jesus was born and they would find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, a heavenly host praised God and then departed for heaven. In Luke 2:15, the shepherds then talked with one another, saying:

“Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

Then, after they found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, they “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child” (verse 17). When they returned, they were “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen” (verse 20).

• The shepherds acted immediately. In these verses, it doesn’t say that the angels told the shepherds to go straight away to find Jesus. It seems that they made the decision themselves. Perhaps they could have waited until the morning when it was light, but they wanted to go find the Savior as soon as possible and went there with haste. From their example, we can learn to act immediately when the prophet invites us to strengthen our lives spiritually so we can come to the Savior rather than waiting for a time that is more convenient.
  
• The shepherds shared the truth. After they had their experience, the shepherds shared the good news with others, making it “known abroad” what they were told about the baby Jesus. We can also share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ by testifying of what we know to be true to others in appropriate ways. 
  
• The shepherds were grateful. The shepherds didn’t just have a miraculous experience and then move on with their lives. When they returned, they glorified and praised God for “all the things that they had heard and seen.” Similarly, we can glorify and praise God for our spiritual experiences—small or large—and the opportunity to draw closer to him.

Quote: “Many of the flocks near Bethlehem, which is only six miles from Jerusalem, were intended for temple sacrifices. … Jesus came as the Lamb of God, to die for the sins of the world, and it was perhaps to the keepers of temple flocks that his birth was first announced” (Eric D. Huntsman, Good Tidings of Great Joy: An Advent Celebration of the Savior’s Birth).

Ponder: How can I draw closer unto the Savior right here and now?

Read: “Why Shepherds were invited to witness Christ’s birth—and not somebody else” on LDS Living by Eric D. Huntsman

Watch: “Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Christ”