Luke 2:8-14
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. AND THIS WILL BE THE SIGN TO YOU: You will find a Babe WRAPPED IN SWADLING CLOTHES, LYING IN A MANGER.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill to men on whom God’s favor rests!’ ”
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Four hundred years had passed from the time Malachi penned the last word of the last book of the Old Testament until the Angel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple before the altar of incense, informing him that he was going to be have a son he was to name John.”
During that time, there had been no word from God, no Prophets…..nothing. Even so, God showed His people that he had not forgotten about them in the most amazing event that happened during that time.
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Feast Of Dedication.
About 200 years before Messiah was born on earth, Israel was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs instead of belief in the TRUE God. Against all odds, a small band of faithful but poorly armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth at that time, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and rededicated it to the service of God.
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Sadly, when they went into the Temple to light the Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the pagan Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
Today, this awesome event is commemorated in the festival of Chanukah, which means, “Dedication.”
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Through that time of upheaval, God unequivocally showed His people that, even though He had not spoken to them directly, He was still watching over them through the wonderful miracle of the oil which lasted 8 days instead of one.
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The Angel And The Shepherds.
Then, in the fullness of time, God’s plan began to unfold. After 400 years of no word from Him at all, at last He was speaking to His people again! Whereas in times past He spoke through the prophets: This time He was coming in Person! 🙌🏻
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Based upon the information the angel gave them in the opening passage, how in the world did they know where to find Jesus/Y’Shua? 🤷♀️ I mean, Joseph and Mary weren’t exactly from town. Their home was in Nazareth, some 70 miles to the North, so it’s not like anybody in Bethlehem knew them. Yet, in the next two verses, it’s clear they had no problem at all finding Him.
Of course, these men knew their Hebrew Scriptures practically by heart. What many may not know is that these were not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill keepers of sheep. God sent his angel to seek out these men specifically. Why? For now, let’s just say…..they weren’t exactly ordinary shepherds. 🤔
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Three Signs.
There were three signs in the angelic announcement which would confirm and be assurances to the shepherds exactly Who they would find in Bethlehem: None other than their long-awaited Messiah!
The Angel first said: “This we be THE SIGN to you.” Notice He didn’t say “A SIGN,” he said, “THE SIGN.” He was referring to THE SIGN of Jonah. (More on this later.) Then he said that a “Savior” would be born, who was Christ the Lord, so it was not just any baby but was the promised, long-awaited Messiah of Israel! But…..when they heard the baby would be, “Wrapped in swaddling clothes (#2) and “Lying in a manger (3),” they knew.
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They Came “With Haste.”
Luke 2:16-18 shows us that they came swiftly.
“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.” 💖
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See? It says, “They came with haste,” as if somehow they knew exactly where He was. 😉
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Overcrowded City.
Pinpointing Jesus/Y’Shua’s location wasn’t the only problem in locating where He was born. The city was OVERcrowded because of Caesar’s mandate. He demanded that the whole Roman Empire be registered. They had to travel to their home towns based on their family and lineage, so he could tax everybody in order to get even more money for himself. 🤨
BUT…..God used his big tax grab to orchestrate events so that His Son would be born in Bethlehem. That is why Joseph made the long journey to the place of his family’s heritage. He brought Miriam (Mary) as she would not have been safe back home. You see, no one could adequately explain her pregnancy. She would have been in danger of stoning!
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Secondly, this tax grab coincided with Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was almost certainly born during this time, a feast that usually falls in September or October.
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October is underlined for reasons which will become clear in the next article on the Star of Bethlehem. It’s very likely that the Feast of Tabernacles the year Jesus/Y’Shua was born was in that month.
Also, remember what it says in John chapter 1? The Holy Spirit recorded that Jesus “Tabernacled among us.” That gives us another clue as to the actual timing of Jesus/Y’Shua’s birth. It certainly wasn’t in December as the sheep would not have been in high country at that time of year. Too cold!
In addition to all that, by following the link at the end of this article, we’re going to learn a little about Jewish law and culture which is going to be even more illuminating…..and exciting!! ❤️
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Messianic Prophecies.
In the Israel of Jesus’ day, there were two Bethlehems: Ephratha and Zebulun. Ephratha was David’s city in southern Israel near Jerusalem. The other was way up north in the greater Galilee region. The shepherds, especially these men, would have been very familiar with the verse below:
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Micah 5:2
“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 Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
So they knew their Bethlehem that was the right one. The two passages below from Genesis and Micah show us even more of what the shepherds understood from the angel’s message:
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Rachael’s Tomb.
Genesis 35:20-22
20″ And JACOB set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then ISRAEL journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the TOWER OF EDER. {This is a reference to Eder Migdol, or the Tower of the Flock}
And…….
Micah 4:8
8″ And you, O tower of the flock, {in Hebrew “Eder Migdol”} the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, To you shall it come, Even the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” {A reference to the Messiah}
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Did you notice the name change from “JACOB-Deceiver,” to ISRAEL-Prince of God? God uses his given name, “Jacob,” when he operates in the natural. But when he is believing God by faith, he uses his glorified name, “Israel.”😁🙌🏻
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Stone Manger.
In Jesus’ day, they were not made of wood as in most modern nativity scenes. They were carved out of stone, kind of a scooped affair as pictured below. Place the stone manger next to the garden tomb and the similarities are inescapable.
To the shepherds this served as THE SIGN OF JONAH. Just as he was in the belly of the great fish for three days, so Jesus would be in “Heart of the earth” for three days when He died. Jonah’s story is actually a typology of His death. From the Virgin womb to the virgin tomb, this child was born to die for all of us. 💖
(Stone Manger of Bible Times.)
Swaddling Clothes.
Mary wrapped her newborn son in “SWADDLING CLOTHES.” This may be common practice today but it was NOT a common practice at all among the Jews. Such materials were too expensive for the common people.
Those being prepared for burial would be likewise wrapped and placed in a stone tomb. This scene is the picture of the little baby boy Who was born to die; because He was, like no child before or since.
The Holy Spirit is also drawing pictures here for us, portraying Jesus as the Bread of Life. Even the town in which he was born, “Bethlehem,” means, “HOUSE OF BREAD!” ❤️
Ruins of the Tower of the Flock, Israel.
Eder Migdol The Tower of the Flock.
The Shepherds were out in the fields watching over their flocks to protect them from predators, meticulously watching over them 24-7. These special sheep basically spoiled rotten, so to speak, and fed a very special diet. They were also wrapped in the finest linen cloth to keep them uninjured and unblemished.
On this night the angel appeared it was particularly dark…..until suddenly, a bright light shone all around them. (where God is, there can be NO darkness!🙌🏻) and The Glory of the LORD shone all around them. Then an Angel of the LORD, (probably Gabriel), appeared before them and spoke to them the words of the opening scripture.
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As hinted at above, these men were not your average sheep herders. They were NOT dirty, uneducated, unshaven men doing an ordinary job but elite, highly trained Levitical shepherd-priests. Basically, they were the veterinarians of their day!
They were also highly skilled and knew exactly how to care for the sheep. They continuously, meticulously kept the mangers clean and ready for a new arrival. They could deliver a newborn lamb and carefully wrap it in the finest of linen wrappings, the type only worn by the High Priest of ancient Israel. Kings could barely afford such a luxurious type of material!!
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Covenant Sacrifice.
Why all the fuss? Because under the Old Covenant all sacrifices offered at the temple had to be “Without spot or blemish.” Certain ewes were brought there to give birth to their young. These lambs were specially bred to be used as temple sacrifices. As such, they could not have any cuts, scratches, bruises, etc.
Just below Eder Migdol was a STONE MANGER where the above, newly-born lambs were placed, securely “SWADDLED in linen cloths.” You see, when lambs are first born, they are quite playful and rambunctious, like all baby animals. Since sacrificial lambs had to be perfect, they had to be swaddled and laid in a manger to prevent them from jumping around, injuring themselves, and thus becoming unfit to be used as a sacrifices.
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As you know, in the days leading up to Yom Kippur, (the Day of Atonement), the priests from the temple in Jerusalem came out to inspect the sheep and choose two for the great day. One was for the sacrifice, the other a scape goat. They were swaddled with the finest linen cloth and carried back to the Temple so that they could not be hurt or damaged along the journey and thus be disqualified as a sacrifice.
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Jesus became both.
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When the shepherds heard those key words, “Wrapped in swaddling clothes” and “lying in a manger,” of course they instantly knew where Jesus/Y’Shua was born: At the Tower of the Flock where they worked!
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As carefully as a newborn lamb was brought into the world, some of these elite shepherd-priests most likely helped to bring into the world the precious, sinless, spotless Lamb of God and helped Mary swaddle this special child. He was swaddled, laid in this special manger that carefully selected spotless lambs to be sacrificed were placed and, years later, He would die to pay for the sins of the whole world.
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See what I mean? God couldn’t have erected a flashing neon sign that pointed more precisely to the place where Jesus/Y’Shua was born!💖↘️
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You may follow the link below to part 5 where we’ll discuss some surprising things about the kings from the East. Though it says part “6” in the link, it really part 5 as a continuation of Jesus’/Y’Shua’s birth:
Emmaus Road Ministries 
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