What was the importance of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus?

Answer 1

They saw an angel in the sky and told the shepherds to go to the stable. An angel told them to. It seems from the account that the shepherds decided themselves to go and see this wonderful thing which the angel had told them about. There is no record that the angel told them to go and see for themselves, although this may have happened.

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.15And 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. 16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

The shepherds were significant. Although Jesus was 'the King of the Jews' the lowliest of all workers - the shepherds, were first to know of his birth. This symbolised his coming for all - especially the poor and lowly.

Answer 2

A:There are two nativity accounts, in Matthew and Lukerespectively. These gospels were originally anonymous but were attributed to the apostles whose names they now bear later in the second century. Bear in mind that the scholarly consensus is that neither nativity account is historically true.

When the author of Luke wrote his account, he knew nothing of Matthew's Gospel and therefore nothing of that nativity account, but he also needed divine evidence that the baby Jesus really was the new Messiah. In this regard, the importance of the shepherds is that they were visited by angels who told them of the birth of Jesus. Also, Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles frequently speak of the special role of the poor, so having poor shepherds visit Jesus is more in line with this theme than Matthew's wealthy visitors would have been.