Good News for the Marginalized (December 21st, 2025)

Luke 2:1-7, 2:8–20

Introduction

Quick question—be honest.

Have you ever opened Instagram and thought, “Wow… everyone is doing amazing except me.”

Some people are "winners" at school. Some are "winners" at sports. Some are even "winning" genetically, according to some Jean commercial. Now, here's the crazy thing about Christmas: When God entered the world, He did not announce it to the so-called "winners."

1. God skipped the VIP list.

Luke says the first people to hear about Jesus were shepherds. Not kings. Not influencers. Not people with blue checkmarks.

Shepherds were broke, ignored, untrusted, and always smelling like sheep.

In today’s language? They were the people nobody followed. Nobody tagged, and nobody listened to. Social influencer, they were not. And yet, angels showed up to them. That should mess with us.

Because God didn’t say, “Go tell the impressive.” He said, “Skip the VIP list and go tell the overlooked.”

2. Why shepherds?

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to God isn’t "messing up." It’s trying to look like you never do. God didn’t choose the shepherds because they had something special to offer.

He chose them because God loves to work from the margins inward, not from the top down.

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”--Luke 5:31-32

3. This is how the Gospel finds us

Sometimes, we can't help but feel behind. Sometimes we feel invisible. Sometimes, no matter how we try, we think we are falling behind.

And here’s the Good News. Jesus didn’t come for people who had it together. He came for people who were willing to be honest with themselves.

The manger wasn’t impressive. The shepherds weren’t remarkable. The world may overlook people like that, but God was different. Our God always seeks the "lost", the marginalized.

If you feel overlooked, you’re not forgotten. If you feel unseen, God sees you.

Christmas is proof that God moves toward the weak and frail, and not away from them.

Conclusion

Our God is the God for the "marginalized."

And that’s really good news.

The shepherds didn’t suddenly become socially influential. They went back to the same fields. But they went back changed. Because they learned this truth: You don’t have to be impressive for God to love you. You don’t have to be a "winner" for Jesus to come for you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for seeing us when others don’t.

Meet us in our insecurity, our pressure, and our exhaustion.

Help us stop proving ourselves and start trusting you.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.