"With No Malice"©2012
A General Interest Opinion Column by an opinionated person.
Vic Topmiller Jr.
12/12/12(53)
Christmas
"The hour in which the Prince of Peace was born".
William Cullum Bryant.
In Those As These
"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria." Luke 2;1-2 NIV
"And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went to his own town in Nazareth to Judea, to the town of Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn." Luke 3: 3-7.
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, Lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were very much afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2; 8-14. KJV.
The shepherds must have been pretty cold up on the hill that December night. Well, I don't think anyone is sure whether it was December or July. The best that I can tell is that it was in those days. And it was the first census called for when Quirinius was governor of Syria. But as similar to our Southwest, nights can get chilly any time of the year.
It was quite coincidental that these shepherds were minding their flocks that night on that particular hill overlooking the town Bethlehem. Or was it?
Who knows whether the sheeps were even theirs or not. It was not uncommon that the rich herd owner contracted with another person to be the shepherd. And to extend the explanation, since the flocks were hanging around close to town, these were probably special sheep, the flawless sheep that were reserved for the wealthy to purchase for their sacrifice at the temple. A good assumption because in other circumstances, the shepherds would have been far out following the rainy and grassy areas.
So, do you think that the shepherds watching over the herd of flawless sheep destined for sacrifice to temporarily cover the sins of man would be introduced to the perfect sacrifice for the permanent coverage was a coincidence? I don't know either, but it sure seems like more than a coincidence to me. Would they have had a clue that this little guy was about to put them out of business?
Then the angel appeared. I don't really know what an angel looks like but it says that the glory of the Lord shone around them. I'm thinking the top of the hill must have been lit up like a Christmas tree. And he said, "Don't be afraid." Yeah, right. They were shaking in their sheepherder boots.
And there was always a sign. No mistakes about this event, no misinterpretations of what the angel told them, how could you get this one wrong. "He'll be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."
Whew, what an event the shepherds had – the angel, shining glory, the heavenly host praising God, and now the sign. Holy Cow, what would I have done if I had been one of the shepherds? Would I have put the sheep in the fold and run for town to find the Savior? Maybe I wouldn't have put them in the fold, who would need them anymore? Or would I have said: "My job is to herd sheep, not look for Saviors?"
That's My Opinion.
"The Real Meaning of Christmas"
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In Those As These Part 3
- Category: With No Malice
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