Did you know that for centuries the Jewish priest had been raising Passover lambs in Bethlehem? Those fields outside of Bethlehem, those shepherds fields were fields where a very special breed of sacrificial lamb was being raised and nurtured that those lambs might be brought to Jerusalem and at Passover they might be slaughtered.
It was there where God’s perfect lamb, the Lord Jesus, was born. When I was a little boy, we learned a nursery rhyme. I think you learned it, too. Mary had a little lamb. His fleece was white as snow. I want to talk to you today about Mary’s little lamb. We read about that little lamb in Luke chapter 2.
Mary’s little lamb beginning in verse 7. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore 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, which is Christ the Lord. A little lamb was born in Bethlehem. The great I am was born a lamb. It was not incidental and not accidental that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
I have visited Bethlehem many times. But Bethlehem is a little village about 5 milesi south of Jerusalem and most of us would have heard very little if anything about it had not a little lamb been born in Bethlehem. But I say it was not accidental, nor was it incidental. It had been prophesied for centuries in Micah 5 and verse two.
But thou Bethlehem Ephraa, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be a ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. How fitting that Mary’s lamb would be born in Bethlehem. Did you know that for centuries the Jewish priest had been raising Passover lambs in Bethlehem? Those fields outside of Bethlehem, those shepherds fields were fields where a very special breed of sacrificial lamb was being raised and nurtured that those lambs might be
