“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them . . . and said, I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born . . .; he is the Messiah, the Lord . . . the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s of to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened . . . ‘ “ Luke 2:8-15 NIV
In yesterday’s devotional, you read that Jesus, the Lamb of God, entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the Golden Gate–the same one used to move lambs into the Temple for sacrifice. This fact isn’t reported in the Bible. It came from the historical record of the era. Today’s devotional speaks to another fascinating event.
All of us know the wonderful Bible stories about Jesus’s birth, including Luke’s recording of shepherds tending the flocks who learned of the holy birth from an angel, and they journeyed to Bethlehem to see Him. Historians think these shepherds were from Migdal Eder, a place north of Bethlehem. They weren’t the ordinary, common, and regular keepers of sheep. These particular shepherds tended the perfect and blemish-free lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple!
Think about the implications! These shepherds visited the baby Jesus shortly after His birth. The keeper of the Temple’s lambs travelled to worship the Lamb of God, who would be sacrificed some 33 years in the future. Does this story add some meaning to the Jesus story for you? It certainly does for me.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for revealing your Son, Jesus Christ, to us. Thank you for the gift of grace for our salvation. We love and glorify You! Amen