The Shepherds, The Magi, and The King
When the Ordinary and the Influential Kneel Together
What the Shepherds and the Magi Teach Us About Jesus
Maybe today you feel a little… ordinary.
You pack lunches, fold laundry, clock in at work, keep the schedules running, love your people well, and try your best to follow Jesus in the middle of everyday life. Nothing flashy. Nothing fancy. Just faithful.
Or maybe you feel more like the Magi. They were hungry for direction, watching the horizon, asking God for clarity, and wondering if the long journey you’re on is leading somewhere meaningful.
Wherever you find yourself, the Christmas story has something beautiful to say.
Because on the night Jesus was born, God invited two very different groups of people to meet Him first, men who looked nothing alike, lived worlds apart, and would have never crossed paths otherwise.
And yet they ended up in the same place:
kneeling in worship before the same King.
That is very good news for us.
Let’s sit with their stories for a moment.
When God Showed Up in a Field
Luke tells us that heaven’s birth announcement didn’t go to political leaders, religious experts, or people with influence. It went to shepherds. The men working the night shift in a quiet field, doing the same job they had done the night before and the night before that.
They were ordinary.
Unnoticed.
Faithful in the background.
Not disgraced or rejected, just the kind of people no one expected God to use for anything special.
But God did.
The pattern is all over Scripture:
Moses was tending sheep when God called him.
David was watching flocks when God anointed him as king.
And shepherds were the first to hear the news that the Savior had arrived.
It’s almost as if God keeps saying,
“Don’t overlook the ordinary. I never do.”
He delights in stepping into quiet places, unnoticed lives, and moments that feel too small to matter.
He shows up in the middle of our normal routines, on Tuesdays, in fields, in carpool lines, in kitchen sinks, in the small spaces where we might feel invisible.
The angel’s words, “Unto you a Savior is born”, were not just for shepherds.
They’re for every believer who wonders if God sees the everyday faithfulness no one else notices.
He sees it.
He sees you.
When God Drew Seekers From Far Away
And then there were the Magi, men whose story could not be more different.
They weren’t Jewish.
They didn’t live nearby.
They weren’t humble laborers.
They were scholars, advisors, men of influence and wealth, people who spent their lives searching for wisdom.
And God met them in their searching.
He placed a star in the sky something they would recognize, something in their own “language” of study and invited them on a journey toward the Messiah. Their long trip across deserts and borders whispers a truth many of us need:
God knows how to reach you exactly where you are.
Your questions don’t scare Him.
Your longing for direction doesn’t frustrate Him.
Your searching doesn’t push Him away.
In fact, Scripture foretold their arrival. Isaiah spoke of nations bringing gold and frankincense, and the Psalms promised that kings from distant lands would bow before the Messiah.
The Magi remind us that Jesus is not a local rescue plan.
He is the King of the nations, calling the near and the far, the humble and the influential, the searching and the settled.
What This Means for You
It’s easy to read the Christmas story with familiarity (shepherds, angels, Magi, manger) and move on. But slow down. God orchestrated the arrival of Jesus in such a way that the first worshipers represented the width of humanity.
Men from the fields and men from foreign lands.
The unnoticed and the respected.
The local and the international.
The quiet and the learned.
The message is clear:
There is room for you at the feet of Jesus.
Whether your life feels unseen like the shepherds
or uncertain like the Magi…
Whether your faith feels steady
or your heart feels tired…
Whether you’ve walked with God for decades
or don’t know where to begin…
Jesus came for every one of us.
And friend, He came for you.
A Quiet Invitation to Worship
You don’t have to be impressive to meet Jesus.
You don’t have to understand everything.
You don’t have to have a perfect December or a perfect family or a perfect anything.
You just need a heart willing to come.
The shepherds came quickly.
The Magi came slowly.
Both came sincerely.
Maybe God is whispering to you this season:
“Come see Me again.”
“Come rest near Me.”
“Come worship, even in your weariness.”
“Come follow My light, step by step.”
Wherever you stand in your faith journey, take one small step toward the manger today.
The King is waiting.
And He came for you.
Don’t Forget Your Free Family Devotional Guide
Each week, I invite you to go deeper as a family with discussion questions, scripture passages, and a fun activity. Don’t forget to grab your free download below.
A Word for the Preteen Girl in Your Life
The shepherds and the Magi remind us that Jesus welcomes both the ordinary and the searching and that’s a message our girls need more than ever.
So many preteen girls feel like the shepherds: unnoticed, unsure, wondering if who they are is “enough.” Others feel more like the Magi: curious, asking big questions, trying to make sense of who God is and who they’re becoming.
Both kinds of girls matter deeply to God.
Both are invited close.
Both are seen.
Both are loved.
That’s exactly why I created Girl UnPerfected.
This devotional was written to help girls ages 9–12 understand that they don’t have to be impressive, popular, perfect, or put-together to come to Jesus. Just like the shepherds, they are welcomed right where they are. And just like the Magi, their searching and questions are part of the journey God uses to draw them closer.
Inside Girl UnPerfected, girls will find stories, scriptures, and practical reflections that remind them:
- Their identity is rooted in Christ, not comparison
- Their questions are safe with God
- Their everyday faith matters
- Their worth is already secure in Jesus
If there’s a preteen girl in your life who needs encouragement… your daughter, granddaughter, niece, or a girl you mentor, this devotional offers a gentle, biblical reminder that she is valued, seen, and invited into a relationship with the King who welcomes shepherds and seekers alike.
Help her discover that she doesn’t need to be perfect to be loved.
She just needs to come.
Resources & Links:
Listen to more episodes of The UnPerfected Life podcast.
Free Family Devotional Guide for this episode
Follow Kat on Instagram: @unperfectedministries
🎧 Listen to the full episode on The Unperfected Life Podcast wherever you stream!
Want more stories and practical tips? Check out the full episode of The UnPerfected Life Podcast wherever you stream your shows. We dive into James 3, share real-life examples, and talk about how to let God guide your words—so you can speak life to those around you.
