The Good Shepherd's Arrival

I’ve been thinking about my favorite Christmas carol. No, it’s not O Holy Night although I really like that one. My favorite is very low-keyed. O Little Town of Bethlehem, mostly because of 2 lines.

I’ll get to those 2 lines in a minute. But first, let’s look at the first verse.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.

Wait just a minute!!! This song must have been written about the day or even the week after Jesus was born. This is what I picture happened on the day (or night) He was born.

First off, Bethlehem wasn’t still at all! At the time Mary and Joseph arrived there were so many people there that they couldn’t even find a place to stay. All the rooms were full. (Kind of like trying to get a hotel room in Houston during the rodeo!) I imagine the streets were bustling and everyone was crowded into the small streets.

Then the second line at the end that says, “the silent stars go by.” That’s just it. I don’t believe the stars were so silent when Jesus was born.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:13-14

In the Genesis story, the stars were sometimes called the starry host or the heavenly hosts. But we know from Luke’s writing, at least, there was a multitude that joined the messenger angel. (Think the mother ship from Close Encounters but bigger, much bigger.) And I like to think that the stars also proclaimed His glory.

The back story, from my point of view, went like this:

All of heaven knew that the Son of God was being born in Bethlehem that day. The heavens couldn’t have been quiet about it. I can just imagine those angels had so much excitement that they had to tell SOMEBODY! I mean, they'd been waiting since creation for this moment in time. Gabriel waiting patiently, looking at God, waiting for the nod. And the heavenly host had to come along and join the excitement.

And the shepherds went looking through those crowded streets for the babe the angels told them about. And why did they tell shepherds? Most likely youngsters and most likely girls. Why them? Bethlehem was the town where they raised sheep for the sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. Perhaps they would understand the underlying meaning of this babe born where the lambs were kept. Maybe because this baby would become The Good Shepherd, and they could identify with that.

Just my thoughts.

Let’s go now to the 2 lines that make me love this carol so much.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the Everlasting Light

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Did Bethlehem know? The Light of the world was right there in their little town. The Bread of Life was born in the House of Bread. The Lamb of God was lying in a stable where the lambs were kept for the sacrifices.

The whole nation of Israel waited on the blessed Hope of a Savior that would get them out of the mess they’d made. They feared that God had forgotten them because He had promised such a long time before. Years. Decades. Centuries. They waited.

And He came. Not the way they expected. Not at all how they expected it. But some knew.

He came. Immanuel. God with us.