Was Jesus born in a feeding trough in a stable with a cow? Western tradition teaches that Joseph and Mary couldn’t find a place to stay because the local inn was full. They were directed to a shelter for animals because the kindhearted inn keeper felt sorry for them. It was outside of town, probably surrounded by Christmas trees with lights. We all have special memories of the nativity scene where the baby Jesus is lying in a manger with well-behaved animals (unless played by tired, hungry children) standing quietly behind Him.
Chaim Bentorah, my favorite Hebrew teacher, points out that the Talmud says that sacrificial lambs for the Temple sacrifice were raised and cared for right outside of Bethlehem. The sheep stayed in the fields at night under the guard of elite shepherds, all from the priestly tribe of Levi. When the ewes were ready to deliver, the shepherds moved them into the Migdal Eder or, the Tower of the Flock, where they would be delivered in a clean environment and swaddled in special cloths to keep them warm. The word Migdal means a place of height or high honor.
When the shepherds heard the announcement by the multitude of heavenly host praising God, they knew exactly where to go to find the baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, just like the newborn Temple lambs.
One of my favorite songs is Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz. The YouTube video depicts a father of two small sons carrying the lamb for the sacrifice to the Temple. His sons were supposed to watch the lamb. The father is forced into helping Jesus carry the cross. At the end of the video, the children are crying, the lamb has escaped, and they didn’t know what was happening. The father points to the cross and says, “dear children, watch the lamb.”
All through the scripture, we can see that God has a plan that provides his precious creation (us) a way to escape the consequences of our rebellion. He has a plan for us and it is a good plan. The sacrificial lamb had to be without blemish. It had to be perfect. It had to be innocent. It had to be special. It had to be God's only son. Every time I watch this video, my eyes fill up with tears. Not because of the fact that I'm redeemed by His perfect blood, but because it reveals the heart of God. A God that squandered everything to enable us to share in His love.