Bethlehem’s Lamb

To rekindle the glory of Christmas is to take a fresh look at the greatest love story of all time, when God’s own Son shed his garments of glory to become Bethlehem’s Lamb. This is the story where the author of the book steps into his own tale. The Word became flesh and dwells among us. He will make himself vulnerable to pain and human suffering. He will discover the feeling of a tear rolling down his cheek. He will lay his life down as a Lamb, conquering sin and death and giving eternal life to all who believe! Oh, it’s the wonder of the ages. The glory of the incarnation, God himself now with human skin! The Creator has become a created being. Staggering! He who made man is made a man. The infinite has become an infant. The Shepherd of eternity has become Bethlehem’s Lamb.

"Your mother is a cause for wonder; the Lord entered her and became a servant; he who is the Word entered her and became silent within her; thunder entered her and made no sound; there entered the Shepherd of all, and in her he became the Lamb, bleating as he came forth. Your mother's womb has reversed the roles; the Establisher of all entered in his richness, but came forth poor; the Exalted one entered her, but came forth meek, the Splendorous One entered her, but came forth having put on a lowly hue. The Mighty One entered, and put on insecurity from her womb, the Provisioner of all entered and experienced hunger, he who gives drink to all, entered and experienced thirst; naked and stripped there came forth from her he who clothes everyone."-Ephrem the Syrian

Why Bethlehem? As the prophet spoke, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in 3 Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
(Micah 5:2)

Just seven miles outside of Jerusalem, these were the same hills where David tended his lambs. After God’s announcement came to Mary and Joseph, he sent angels to the shepherds. They were “keeping watch over their flocks by night,” which was only done during the ‘lambing season,’ when the baby lambs were being born in Bethlehem (March/April).

The only people lower than the shepherds at that particular time in Jewish history were lepers. These poor, lowly, unkempt shepherds, the last people on earth you would ever suspect, have seen what no other man on earth was privileged to see. To these lowly men an angel gives them the highest theology! These despised shepherds are the first to receive the announcement of the gospel! These men are the first to learn of “great joy for all the people.”

They understand that the gospel is not just for Israel but for all the nations that all may have this joy that comes,

“through the birth of a Savior, who is Christ-the Messiah, the LORD!” This the only time in the gospels that this phrase is used.

It’s the only time we see these 3 titles of Jesus come together, Savior, Messiah, and LORD! He will save his people from their sins, Jesus is the Christ the promised Messiah to Israel and, most staggering of all, He is Lord, He is God!

The angel not only gives the gospel to the shepherds, he reveals the true identity of Christ!

It seems God believes that high theology should be given to low people!

They saw the heavens roll open as the glory of God exploded through the night sky. They watched thousands of angels in glowing splendor declaring the glory of Christ! As Hughes writes and envisions,

“A heavenly flash and suddenly the bewildered shepherds were surrounded by angels. A great company is literally a

multitude, not 50, not 150, not 1500—but beyond count. I think every one of God’s angels was there because this

was the most amazing event that had ever happened in the entire universe…Job tells us that at the creation of the

world, ‘the morning stars (angels) sang together and all the angels shouted for joy (Job 38:7). Now the angels

again joined voices at the greatest creation of all—the birth of the God-man—perfect sympathizer and Savior”

And they heard the voice of an angel declaring the birth of a Savior. “This will be a sign to you. You will see a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

These shepherds knew that mangers were used as feeding troughs and were found in shepherd’s caves, the place where baby lambs were born and wrapped in swaddling cloths! I can only imagine as these rugged, scraggly bearded men, approached the cave, they began to tremble and weep like babies as they looked into the face of God! I can imagine these shepherds, those who carry lambs, laying them down one by one as gifts at the foot of the manger.

But these were not just any lambs. These were Bethlehem lambs, born and bred for one purpose; to be sacrificed at the temple. Because the city of David was just outside of Jerusalem, these lambs born in the hills of Bethlehem, were born to be taken to the temple in Jerusalem and slain for sacrifice. A manger, this humble crib for a king, was the perfect place for a Lamb.

Why must he be brought forth among sheep and lambs? Because he is God’s Lamb, and a shepherd’s cave is a fitting place for a lamb. Why must shepherds be first, among all the people on the earth to attend his birth? Because shepherds always attend the birth of lambs. That’s their job. That’s their calling. And most of all why must he be born in the little town of Bethlehem? Lambs set for sacrifice were born in Bethlehem. Even as young lambs were

slain in the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus-the lamb of God- would be taken to Jerusalem to be slain.

That’s why in the greatest love story ever told, Jesus was Bethlehem’s Lamb.

Dr Jason Hubbard – Executive Coordinator
International Prayer Connect

Download the full devotional series: Rekindling the Glory of Christmas

Watch the amazing series of videos of inspiring #teachustopray 15-minute devotionals by Dr Jason Hubbard, documenting ‘The wildest stories of the Praying Church from Acts until 2020’