Until this night of the holy angel's chorus, they had to wait and to watch, as the mystery of the working of grace unfolded in time. Now, their role is reversed, for a New Adam is born from a New Eve, now the Creator is born of a creature. Now they sheathe their swords and extend peaceful hands to beckon all the fallen Adams and Eves of the world back into the Paradise of Bethlehem where they may eat of the Tree of Life in the flesh of Jesus Christ, as the story of Christmas continues. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one 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. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Shepherds have a hard life.
Especially these shepherds, who do not even have the shepherdly luxury of gathering their flocks into the sheepfold in this winter nights, so that they may retreat, for a few short hours, to the rest and relaxation of their homes. Other shepherds sleep tonight, but not these. These are shepherds of the temple flocks, and they must take turns guarding the flocks that sleep in open fields. These flocks, carefully culled to maintain a stock of pure and undefiled lambs for the temple sacrifices, are never crammed into crowded sheepfolds where they were sure to be injured or marred by the bump and grind of that quite crowded and filthy place. So, the temple flock lays down in the lambs' version of the lap of luxury, while the shepherds keep awake and alert to keep it just that way for their sheep.