We Interrupt Your Silent Night…

Five responses gleaned from the shepherds

A warm welcome to you this chilly December day! Today, we take a fresh look at some familiar phrases from the Christmas story…and find an invitation in the interruption.

All was calm…until is wasn’t

The Sunday evening before Thanksgiving was coming to a quiet close. With the supper dishes washed and no major plans for Monday, my husband, daughter, and I were enjoying a few minutes of the Buccaneers’ football game before heading to bed.

Sixty seconds later, the calm became a fury. Suitcases grabbed. Clothes thrown in. Thermostats lowered. Light switches flipped. A four-hour drive replaced the few steps to bed. 

What unexpected event interrupted our evening?

A call from our son. Our expectant daughter-in-law had unusually high blood pressure and needed to go to the hospital. “Can you come keep the boys?”

With that news, we swung into action. Shortly after our arrival, we rejoiced over the birth of our first granddaughter–and the health of both mom and baby. Soon, we were sharing pictures with family and friends and FaceTiming great-grandparents.

Another night that began in stillness

Of course, with that event and the current season, my thoughts have turned to the birth of Christ and another still night interrupted by a surprise “call.”

As census registrants returned to the town of their lineage (Luke 2:1-3), Bethlehem probably bustled with activity. However, the shepherds were out in the fields with their flocks (2:8). 

Out in the fields. Calm and quiet. Resting lambs. A normal night.

Then, the unexpected: an angel, a message, a clue, a chorus. In a very few verses, “great fear” (2:9) became bold belief (2:15). A hurried trip to Bethlehem replaced a quiet evening with drowsy sheep.

Soon, the shepherds were rejoicing and sharing the good news of a child’s birth with all who would listen.

A word awaited for generations 

Oh, the treasured words of the angel:

Look carefully at the heart of that message and think like a shepherd. You just heard the word you and all Israel have anticipated for 400 years! While the Greeks established a common language, your ancestors listened. While the Romans built systems of roads, your people plodded on. Now, under the weight of Roman rule and in the midst of an inconvenient census, the word generations have ached for pierces the night: Christ. 

Christ. The Anointed One. The Messiah. 

Here. Tonight.

Could it finally be happening? Could it be true? But, it must be! Angels fill the sky above you, glorifying God and singing of peace on earth! 

Answering the call

And then, the angels were gone.

Surrounded again by calm and quiet, would the shepherds answer the call? Yes, of course, and how they answered the call is worth our time. (Note: In the following verses, the italics are mine.)

“Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,” (2:15)

• Shepherds’ Response: Belief
• Observation: The shepherds did not say, “Let us…see if this thing has happened.” They believed without seeing.

“…which the Lord has made known to us.” (2:15)

• Shepherds’ Response: Insight
• Observation: In spite of the magnificence of the angelic appearance, the shepherds focused on the message and wisely credited the Lord with its deliverance to them.

“…they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” (2:16)

• Shepherds’ Response: Action
• Observation: The angel’s announcement said, “this will be a sign”…“you will find” (2:12). The shepherds received a mission, and they quickly responded by hunting for the unexpected setting of this long-awaited event.

“…they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard wondered…” (2:17-18)

• Shepherds’ Response: Boldness
• Observation: No longer “filled with great fear” (2:9), the shepherds now boldly and passionately shared the glorious news. No longer quiet in the fields, they ran from person to person, group to group, through the streets of Bethlehem echoing the angel. Did they know they were sharing this child’s humanity and deity (“born” and “Lord”), His mission as Savior (Luke 19:10), and His unique title as Christ/Messiah (John 1:41) in that one brief sentence?

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (2:20)

• Shepherds’ Response: Worship
• Observation: When the shepherds returned to the quiet field, they were not quiet; their hearts and mouths overflowed in praise to God. They had heard…seen…shared. Beyond that, they had noticed that, in the birth of the Christ child, every detail aligned with what the Lord revealed through the angel’s message. Even as they returned to their normal, they could not help but respond with worship.

An invitation for us

Truly, the shepherds witnessed a once-in-eternity event. Yet their responses invite us to respond with belief, action, insight, boldness, and worship in our everyday lives.

How can these invitations influence the interruptions you experience this Christmas season? In general, what amazes or sparks joy in you when you read about the shepherds in Luke 2?

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Until next time, may your interruptions lead to worship this Christmas season!

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P.S. Can you put the events of Christ​​mas from Matthew and Luke in order chronologically? Last year, I put together a fun Christmas Chronology challenge for my BFG, so I thought I would share it with you. Give it a try by downloading a copy below. Answers, references, and questions for thought or group discussion included!

Download here: ​Christmas Chronology 2024.pdf

©2025 Catherine L Hill. All rights reserved.