It’s significant that the first people told of the Christ Child’s birth are shepherds tending their sheep out in the fields. Shepherds in Jesus’ day were part of the lowest level of Palestinian society. They cared for the sheep that would someday end up on someone’s plate or on the Temple’s altar as a sacrifice. And the nature of shepherds’ work kept them in the fields and out of the city and society. Because of their isolated status in the fields, they couldn’t maintain ceremonial washings or observe the religious festivals and feasts. And yet …

The Apostle Matthew, the former tax collector, in his writings was very focused on detailing Christ’s genealogy and how events in Christ’s life fulfilled specific prophecies spoken of Him long ago by God. Matthew would say many times the above quote. Because many aspects of Christ’s birth, as well as aspects of His life, death and resurrection are foretold in the Old Testament. These prophecies were to be used to signify He was the Messiah. A great number of the most prominent prophecies surround Christ’s birth and death. For example, it was prophesied that …

The Apostle Luke tells us that the Messiah has come who brings salvation to all and He is a King and the Son of the Most High God. And so we can understand why the wise men first went to Jerusalem, the capital city, to worship the Christ child, the ‘king of the Jews.’ But he was not there. Jesus, the Christ Child, was born not in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem, 7 miles south of the capital. He was born not in a palace befitting a king, but in a shed or cave full of animals. He was laid to rest not in a beautiful crib, but in a manger trough…