Behold the Lamb

One of my favorite things about Advent is finding seemingly serendipitous connections between the Old Testament and the Nativity story. Today’s reflection is no exception. Except it might not all be true. . .

Being a librarian, I know the value to going back to the original source. For most of what we learn about Christ’s birth, that comes from the pages of Scripture. Some things are historical and backed up by archeology. But this story is hard to pin down. A little bit from the extra-Biblical Mishnah, some from messianic rabbis and theological writers, but most passed along on blogs like this one.

Regardless, it is a fascinating thing to consider, so I will share it:

In the fields of Bethlehem, there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks—we know this from Luke chapter 2. But what if they weren’t ordinary shepherds. Many believe that the nearness to Jerusalem means the sheep kept in this region were meant for high holiday sacrifices at the temple, most specifically Passover. Temple-appointed shepherds, if you will.

There are no recorded laws about the shepherds keeping sheep for the sacrifice, only what the lambs were to look like: without blemish or spots. Whether of not priests had assigned the shepherds to that Bethlehem field, I have no doubt that at least some of these lambs made their way to Jerusalem for sacrifice.

But here’s the most interesting part: Some believe that to keep the blemishless lambs clean, the shepherds would wrap them in “swaddling clothes,” maybe even leftovers from used priestly garments, and to keep from injury, they would lay them in a manger.

When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they say,

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10b-12)

Not very specific directions. One part of this story sheds light on that. Many believe the “Tower of the Flock” from Micah 4:8 is Migdal Edar, a specific structure for birthing and determining the lambs for sacrifice on the outskirts of Bethlehem. With the information that the baby would be “wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger,” there was only one place matching that description, and the shepherds would have known where that was.

Again, these will likely remain just theories, so take them with a grain of salt. But, they are super fascinating to think about and help point us to what we do know. Scripture is full of parallels between Jesus and the sacrificial lamb. Indeed, “the story of the lamb” as Tim Keller put it in his 2002 sermon by the same name, is a Bible-long story. He says, “At the very center of Biblical faith is the bloody death of an innocent victim.” God cannot forgive without payment—someone had to bear the price.

During the Exodus, God tells Moses He is sending a massive destructive force (death) against the Egyptian firstborn sons, and the only way the Israelites could protect themselves was with the blood of a lamb, spread across the doorposts of their houses. The lamb paid the price, on behalf of the Hebrew sons. But this was not the last chapter. As incredible as this Passover lamb was, they needed a deeper one, for a more radical and long-lasting salvation.

Fast forward to the Last Supper, where Jesus essentially tells His disciples, “I am the Lamb.” Keller imagines Jesus’ actions and words during the Passover meal to say, “My death will be the central event to which all of the history of God’s relationship with the world has been moving.”

Hannah Brencher concludes her essay on this very topic with this: “He [God] doesn’t pick random locations. . . He picked the breeding grounds for Passover lambs to be the birthing grounds for the lamb of God-- blood poured out for all of us.”

Bethlehem was chosen for a reason. The image of shepherds and sheep throughout Scripture were chosen for a reason. Regardless of theorized details in this story, we can confidently join John the Baptist and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Lowly Shepherds and the Good Shepherd

The Shepherds are actually really hard to write about when it comes to all the themes of Advent. These lowly laborers did a lot of waiting for their sheep, but they were not necessarily expecting a Messiah, and they certainly weren’t waiting for an angel chorus announcing His birth. But, what is special about these shepherds, is that even though they weren’t waiting for Jesus, they responded to him.

Sheep are probably the most recognized animal in the Bible, and we, the followers of God are repeatedly likened to sheep with Jesus himself as the Good Shepherd. On the flipside, Christ is called the my his cousin John, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” If we are to draw applications from the nativity story, what comparisons can we see between the Bethlehem shepherds, the sheep, and us today?

I found inspiration in the words of Coptic Orthodox Bishop Youssef:

“The Lord Jesus Christ was not born within a royal palace, but within humble surroundings in a manger. His birth would be announced to lowly shepherds that sought Him out. He did not force His birth upon us. He did not coerce His way into our lives after His Holy birth. Rather He led the way to eternal salvation for those who would but follow. He compassionately taught through parables, miracles, and personal sacrifice introducing Christianity into sinful and troubled hearts. He was The Shepherd who went ahead of His sheep. He did not drive them from behind. He led them beside that which was good away from danger and sin. His birth would restore the soul of all and His earthly ministry would guide the obedient toward eternal righteousness. His birth would revitalize our souls and in times of darkness and trouble He will offer consolation to all the faithful. The Holy birth of the Shepherd of Shepherds would be the door which would permit us to enter and dwell in the House of the Lord forever.”

In this light, it is hard to accurately draw parallels between ourselves and the shepherds, or ourselves and sheep. Instead, the shepherds' very occupation and livestock are metaphors for what Jesus was to become for His people here on earth:

The Lowly Shepherds sought the Good Shepherd, and through humility and reverence became, themselves, sheep. The Good Shepherd so loved the Lowly Shepherds that He humbled Himself and gave up His life, as the perfect sacrificial lamb.

Only the Son of God could be both shepherd and lamb.

I don't do this often, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has questioned the relationship between the nativity shepherds and the Good Shepherd. Please post your comments on Facebook.