Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series "Images of Christmas. We shouldn’t be surprised that the shepherds play an important role in rounding out the images of Christmas. The angel of the Lord approached the shepherds with the greatest birth announcement ever with a message of “good news of great joy.” A baby had been born, and not just any baby, but the Savior of the world. God knew just what we needed in sending Jesus. He knew that humanity had become separated from him. Sin had gotten in the way. Through Jesus, God provided the way for us to be reconciled to him once and for all. It’s interesting that the news of Christ’s birth came first to a group of shepherds. Shepherds were somewhat on the periphery of everyday life. They were common folk. They worked hard and kept to themselves. By approaching the shepherds first, God was making the grand statement that Jesus was not just for a few, but for all. God’s good news in Jesus Christ is for all people.