Who were the first evangelists, the first people to tell others about Jesus? You might say Peter, James, John, and the other disciples. You might even say John the Baptist, whose mission was to pave the way for the coming of the Messiah. I believe that the first evangelists that we read about in the New Testament appear in Luke 2.
In Luke’s Gospel account, after the angel appears to the shepherds and tells them about the birth of the Savior, a baby born in Bethlehem, the shepherds hurry off to Bethlehem to see the Child for themselves. Then, after they have seen Him, what do they do next? They tell everybody they know about the Child they have seen and the things that the angel told them about Him (Luke 2:16-18). Sounds like evangelism to me!
This is something that we all should do. When we have seen Jesus, when we know who He is and what He has done for us, we should be just like those shepherds. We should tell everyone we know about Him. I believe that the story of the shepherds was written in the Gospels to illustrate that. These shepherds were so excited about what they heard and saw that they couldn’t keep it to themselves.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus tonight and tomorrow, I pray that all of us (that includes me!) will be given the boldness and the wisdom needed to tell people about Him.
A Worshiper's Journal 