Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12
Heather shares her reflections on this verse…
I love the Christmas story and just like an unwrapped present, there is so much hidden in scripture for us to discover.
Just imagine being one of the shepherds that night. The first in the world to hear the most glorious announcement of the birth of the Saviour. I’ve always thought of the shepherds as lowly, humble, almost society outcasts… but, maybe not. Chances are they are descendants of David (a shepherd himself) and specially chosen to look after the flock set aside to supply the sacrificial lambs. These men would have been trained in the scriptures from a young age. They would know the promises for Bethlehem in Micah 5:1-3.
With mention also in Micah of the ‘tower of the flock’, and the shepherds hurrying to see Mary and Joseph, did they already know where to find the baby? I like to think while there was no room in their relative’s home (the word for inn can be translated as ‘upper room’), to give them the space and privacy for the birth and the subsequent 7 day period of ‘uncleanness’, the ‘stable’ they found themselves set apart in is none other than the one set aside for the birthing of the sacrificial lambs. And then the baby lying in a manger, a feed trough for animals. ‘The Bread of Life’ was born ready to feed His sheep.
