it was in this field the shepherds received news  of the greatest gift ever given to mankind most  

of you know the story of our messiah's birth over  2,000 years ago how our savior the king of kings  

took on flesh born of Mary and laid in a manger  i'm sure this holiday season feels unlike any  

other we've ever experienced this year has been  full of unexpected challenges and disappointments  

uncertainty and loss and as the world remembers  and celebrates the birth of our messiah  

i can't help but think of what Mary and Joseph  were experiencing in this time imagine the  

stress they faced as the time of Yeshua's birth  drew near already facing social stigma at home  

then to get news that they were required by  roman law to travel over 90 miles on foot  

over mountains and treacherous terrain from  the north of israel to Bethlehem this was not  

a simple journey they were faced with threats of  raiders flash floods and unpredictable weather  

i know how nervous i was when the time came for  our first son to be born before birth every mom  

works tirelessly to prepare way for the baby to  have an easy and comfortable entry try to imagine  

bearing the promised messiah and being thrown  into such a devastating turn of events as a  

pregnant woman but from our vantage point in  history what seemed to be a disastrous turn  

for mary and joseph worked out to fulfill prophecy  and give glory to God i know there's been times in  

my life where i couldn't understand why  things were happening the way they were  

only to look back years later to see  God's plan in the midst of my trial  

so let's ask ourselves if the decree from  caesar never occurred would Mary and Joseph  

have traveled to bethlehem so clearly this trial  turned out to perfectly fulfill prophecy but why  

did the messiah need to be born in Bethlehem  let's turn to Micah 5:2 which reads but you  

bethlehem ephrata though you are little among  the thousands of judah yet out of you shall come  

forth to me the one to be ruler in israel whose  going forth are from the old from everlasting  

also in mike 4 8 we read in you o tower of the  flock the stronghold of the daughter of zion to  

you shall it come even the former dominion shall  come the kingdom of the daughter of jerusalem so  

the future king the messiah will be from not just  the town of bethlehem but much more specifically  

bethlehem efrata the agricultural zone in migdal  edel the tower of the flock eusebius the bishop  

of caesarea during the 4th century wrote in his  book and i quote migdal edel was located one roman  

mile east of bethlehem and it's here due east  across from the valley of bethlehem that we find  

the ruins of the tower of the flock mentioned by  micah but what was this tower of the flock about  

and why did the messiah need to be born  in an agricultural zone of bethlehem

this was the field of david but much deeper  than being david's stomping ground was what  

david set up here as the king of israel as david  set his heart to bring the tabernacle to jerusalem  

and later make preparations for the temple he set  in order this field to raise the sacrificial flock  

for the priests he gave his ancestral land to  be dedicated to this special flock the most  

looked after field in all of israel you can see  more of these shepherds tower here than anywhere  

else in the world but why so many towers because  the shepherds were not raising your average sheep  

if a bone was broken or any blemish at all  was found the lamb was considered unkosher for  

sacrifice they had to perfectly guard these sheep  the shepherds who received the announcement from  

heaven were the very same ones in charge of the  passover lamb how amazing that it was these very  

shepherds that looked after Yeshua that holy night  our passover lamb Yeshua the messiah was placed  

in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes  not just in any random site not just to show  

the humble entry of the messiah to the earth  but to foreshadow the work he was sent to do  

those words in Luke's gospel spoken to the  shepherds were bursting forth with deep meaning  

according to rabbinic tradition the priest  would come every high holy day from jerusalem  

to migdal eder the priestly tower of the  flock to inspect the lamb before the big day  

they would place the lamb in a manger and  after inspection the lamb would be wrapped in  

swaddling cloth and brought to jerusalem for the  sacrifice they wrapped the lamb instead of leading  

it along as to ensure that nothing would happen  to the lamb in transit to the temple if the lamb  

wriggled out of the priest's hand that passover  would be ruined so there was no room for chance  

so Yeshua born in the agricultural center foretold  by Micah because he was to be the lamb of God  

to take away the sins of the world he was wrapped  in the same swaddle and laid in the manger  

looked after by the same shepherd that raised and  cared for the passover and atonement sacrifices  

we can see this beautiful tapestry of prophecy  fulfilled in our time but i'm sure that in the  

moment Mary and Joseph were just trying to  make the best of an extremely difficult trial  

they probably were struggling with doubt and  fear but God was waving through their trials  

a story of redemption and salvation of the lamb  that was slain from the creation of the world  

so my prayer for you is that  you see the faithfulness of God  

in this season that in this difficult time God  may be writing a beautiful story of redemption  

through your trials and i pray you are encouraged  with this beautiful story of God's amazing love

you