Christmas Eve 2024

 

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.

When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child.

All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

So why is the line "you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”  so important? Because these shepherds were not your ordinary any-day-of -the-week Bethlehem shepherds. These were the shepherds of the Migdal Eder, which was very close by to where Jesus, Mary and Joseph were.  It was a place reserved for raising lambs for temple sacrifice. When an ewe birthed a lamb, the shepherds would immediately clean it and then wrap it in blessed swaddling cloths supplied by the local Rabbis. These lambs were wrapped and laid in mangers so they would not get hurt, and become blemished and unfit for sacrifice.

No ...... these angels knew EXACTLY who they were telling the Good News to,  and how the meaning behind this all would be immediately understood.

Merry and Blessed Christmas!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!