I am taking a break from writing this chapter to go visit my grandson who was born just hours ago. There are strict visitation rules in place at the hospital: temperature checks in the lobby, hand sanitizer at the door, face masks, a one-guest limit. Baby Otto is snugly wrapped in a clean blanket, a knit cap covering a beautiful black mop of hair. When my son or daughter-in-law needs a break, our newest family member will be gently placed in a bassinet, wheeled to a nursery where he’ll get round-the-clock attention.
The sanitized, secure surroundings of my grandson’s birth stand in stark contrast to the humble, hay-filled wooden box that held God’s Son. Unpack your family nativity set each Christmas and a crudely carved cradle is almost certainly among the standard pieces including wise men, shepherds, cows, and sheep. The “manger” is a trough traditionally used to hold fodder for livestock. We picture Jesus’ manger in a barn or a modest lean-to. It’s such a sentimental symbol of Jesus’ humility and His family’s poverty.
Most of all, it’s a reminder of His ministry.
The wonder of the manger tells us so much about Jesus’ mission.
THE TOWER OF THE FLOCK
Just outside Bethlehem, on the road connecting the little town with Jerusalem, stood the Migdal Eder, the “Tower of the Flock.” This circular stone structure had been built for shepherds to get a better vantage point overlooking their flocks so they could protect their sheep from robbers and natural predators. The Migdal Eder has three, significant historic connections:
As Jacob and his wife, Rachel, approached Bethlehem, she went into difficult labor and died as she gave birth to her son, Ben-Oni, which means “Son of Sorrow.” The boy’s name was later changed to Benjamin, which means “son of the right hand.” Jacob ended up lingering in that area for a while, pitching his tent beyond the Migdal Eder (Genesis 35:16-21).
In Micah 4:8, the prophet announced a godly king who would restore God’s people and conquer evil. This messianic leader would bring peace and establish God’s rule among the nations. Jewish tradition believed that the Messiah would be first announced at the Migdal Eder.
During the time of Jesus, the pastureland around the Migdal Eder was used to raise special sheep—lambs for the temple sacrifice and Passover observance. Once a lamb was born, the lamb would be kept in the Migdal Eder until religious representatives could qualify the future sacrifice as clean and unblemished. Often, the shepherd would wrap the newborn sheep in strips of cloth to protect it from scrapes or breaks that would render it unfit for an offering.
Don’t read any further until you have completely grasped the gravity of these three references—the birthplace of the “Son of Sorrow,” the place where the Messiah will be announced, and the place where Passover lambs are birthed. Now imagine Mary and Joseph being turned away from a cozy shelter in town and making their way to this notable landmark on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Could there be any more profound place for Jesus to be born than at the Migdal Eder? Consider the following connections to the person and purposes of Jesus.
When Jesus approached the Jordan River at the start of His ministry, John the Baptist called Him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). This was a meaningless, if not confusing, comment apart from the context of temple worship and sacrifice.
The Jewish Passover was an annual feast observed by the Jews to commemorate God’s rescue from Egypt. The Israelites had to slaughter a lamb without defect and brush its blood over the doorposts of their home to be saved (Exodus 12). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul refers to Christ as “our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Last Supper that Jesus ate with His disciples was a Passover meal. And, the following afternoon, Jesus died on the cross at the exact time of day when Passover lambs were brought from Bethlehem and slaughtered in the Jerusalem temple.
Jesus was no ordinary man. He was the unblemished, sinless offering whose blood was shed for the sins of the world. He was the Son who had come from the Father’s “right hand.” But He would be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). As Messiah, His arrival was announced first at the Migdal Eder, to shepherds in the field—news of peace, victory, restoration and great joy for all the nations. And when the shepherds were told to find him swaddled and lying in the manger, they would have known exactly where to go: to the feeding trough inside the Watchtower of the Flock. Because that’s where perfect sacrificial lambs were kept until it was time for them to be offered to God.
The manger prepares us for Jesus’ ministry. He was born to die.
SHEEP AND SHEPHERD
Before we leave the Migdal Eder, a final observation is worth noting. The sheep were below while the shepherds stood watch above. Jesus is not only the Lamb of God who has come to earth below, but He is also our loving shepherd in the heavens above. In this metaphorical shift, we are the sheep of God’s pasture (Psalm 100:3) and Jesus is the Good Shepherd who continually watches over us (John 10:11, 14). As such, Jesus knows us (John 10:14-15), calls us (John 10:27), secures us (John 10:29) and provides everything for us (John 10:28). When predators come after the flock of God, He is our Defender.
So, look again into the manger, that rough-hewn makeshift crib. Tucked inside is a lamb that has been born for a purpose. He is perfect in every way—a swaddled sacrifice awaiting the Passover when His blood will be brushed over the doorframes of human hearts. He’s not the one who is desperate and helpless. We are. But, in time, He will become an atoning sacrifice for sinners. And He is not only the sheep who saves but is the Good Shepherd who watches over all of those who have trusted Him in faith.