Luke 2:12
12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Wednesday, December 17 – Week of Joy
When the shepherds were told they would find the baby Jesus swaddled and lying in a manger, their minds likely perked up. Part of their profession would be to identify sacrificial lambs that could be used in the temple. Cultural context helps us better understand the image of the baby Jesus in the manger.
Shepherds were responsible for tending the flock they were entrusted with, and as such, they would identify lambs recently born that could potentially be offered as a temple sacrifice. If a lamb were to have this distinction, a shepherd would swaddle the lamb and place it in a manger. This was not the offering itself, but a way to keep the lamb perfect and without blemish before it could be inspected and set apart for sacrifice.
If the Angel’s message to the shepherds was true, they would find a human baby lying in the place where a sacrificial lamb would normally be placed. As ones who know the entirety of the story of Jesus the Christ, the image at the manger is less about an idyllic moment and more about foreshadowing for the role the Christ Child would one day fulfill.
Prayer: God of all knowing, while the baby in a manger is picturesque, help us to see how your story unfolded for our instruction and redemption. Amen.
