07/04/2023
Luke 2:10-12 10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in [swaddling clothes], lying in a manger.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah pinpointed the exact location of Jesus birth: the little town of Bethlehem, where David, king of Israel, was born and grew up tending his father’s sheep in the surrounding fields. When the wise men came before Herod, they asked “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2). Micah already prophesied 700 years prior, that this ruler would be born in Bethlehem, out of all the towns in Israel. Why Bethlehem was chosen as the birthplace of God’s only son? Micah 4:8, specifies that kingship would come from and former dominion would be restored to Jerusalem at the watchtower of the flock: that is Migdal Eder. It was a tower mentioned in Genesis 35:21, with Jacob's wife, Rachel. Also, present-day city Bethlehem.
During Passover, the annual celebration of the Hebrew nation’s deliverance from captivity in Egypt, one lamb was needed for every household. Every firstborn male lamb was considered holy and was set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. Sheep herding was a hereditary occupation, and generations of shepherds were trained to care for these special lambs. They literally risked their lives to protect the sheep from predators, and keep them from falling into the many crevasses and ravines in that rocky hill country. The newborn lambs would be wrapped tightly swaddled… in temple cloths, and they would be laid in a manger to keep them contained while they were being examined for blemishes. At the appointed time, the shepherds would separate the lambs, selecting only the firstborn males that were without mark or blemish, and would lead them to Jerusalem, where they would be purchased by people wanting to present a sacrifice before the Lord to atone for their sins. When the angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields, he told them that they would find the newborn King wrapped in swaddling cloths and laying in a manger. They knew exactly where He would be found, because swaddling cloths were only used in one particular location, and for one particular purpose…Migdal Eder, the place where sacrificial lambs were wrapped and examined for perfection before being set apart for the slaughter that would atone for sin and make peace with God. Three decades later, the apostle John pointed out his cousin Jesus and said “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”. And more than two millennia later, Jesus is still taking away the sins of all who accept His sacrifice that makes peace between us and God.
Luke calls them shepherds, the other Gospels call them wise men. In ancient times, wise men were priests and experts in mysteries in Persia and Babylon. But by this time, that is, around the time of Christ birth. Get this, wise men also practiced astrology, dream interpretation, divination, interpreted omens, sacred writings, and pursued wisdom and magic. Many of which is haram in Deuteronomy 18. So, perhaps these wise men were caught up in witchcraft, and sorcery. For whatever reason, God chose for them to hear the Good News of the significance of Jesus. In Luke 2:10, both the KJV & NKJV used the word "good tidings". The ESV uses the greek euangelion, "good news". They accepted and believed OT Prophecy. A Saviour would come and take away the sins of the world, and would become King of Israel. And I believe they were saved. They showed their humility and acceptance of the good news by bringing him gifts of Gold Frankincense Myrrh. And they obeyed God by not returning to King Herod after Jesus was born (Matt 2:12). Maybe besides Mary & Joseph. These shepherds knew how special Jesus was. They knew the Torah, & OT Prophecy really well. Most likely because they were interacting with Jews from Babylon, and they may have remembered Balaam's Prophecy that, " A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Num 24:17). This was understood by Jews to point to a messianic deliverer. That's why that moment the shepherds and wise men had with baby Jesus was so special. They not only knew he was to be the future King of Israel. But they knew their sins could be forgiven!
I don't want to hear Jingle Bells, I want to hear the Trumpet Sound
Pray for many Jews in Israel who do not believe in Jesus the Messiah
