Like kids wanting a star role in the school play, we all long to play some noble and grand part in God’s story. But we often forget the reversal in God’s kingdom where the last become the first, and the humble are exalted. Even the lowly sheep of the Nativity scene hold a more honored place than the angels above because it is for his lost sheep that Christ was born.
Perhaps few of us would want to play the role of the sheep in a Christmas pageant. We would prefer to be Joseph, one of the wise men, an angel, or even a shepherd. And each of these has their place of significance. And so does the sheep.
Sheep show the very people Jesus came for – ordinary people who need care, love, and protection. And, in this way, Christmas can be said to be about the sheep, as Christ did not come for the angels, but took on flesh for our sakes.
This gives sheep nobility, not in their own right, but because of the divine love bestowed upon them. God chose us as part of his eternal plan to display his grace and power, and it is we who get to be the bride of Christ, who is the Lamb of God.
While certainly there’s a time to play all the different roles of the Nativity scene, we do not have to despise the part of the sheep, as this is our reality in God’s story – the ones who receive care, order, and direction from our true Shepherd. The Incarnation would lose its significance if we forgot that it was for us as sheep that Jesus came.
In the end, let the Christmas sheep remind you of your part in God’s eternal story. Jesus was born for you – the lowly, the humble, the ordinary.
Image generated via Grok
