Lesson 155 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"He loved us, and sent his Son" (I John 4:10).

Notes

The Shepherd's Care of His Sheep

The shepherd leads his flock by a stream of still waters. He finds them a cool and shady place in the shelter of a great rock when the bright midday sun shines down upon them. The shepherd knows his sheep by name and calls them around him when they stray. He carried the lambs in his arms when they are too feeble to climb over the steep, rocky slopes, where they are looking for pasture. The shepherd goes before them, for they are not driven, but led.

The Great Shepherd

We, as children of God, are sheep of a Great Shepherd. Our Shepherd is Jesus. He knows us, too, by name. He calls us to Him when our little feet wander from Him. Maybe at times at our play there are children in our group who may use bad words or treat their playmates unkindly. We soon feel unhappy in our hearts. When Jesus saved us He gave us a happy heart. The Shepherd is calling us away from those things. For we, as little lambs, are led by our Shepherd.

The Sheepfold

As night comes on, the shepherd leads his flock toward the sheepfold. The sheepfold may be a pen surrounded by a rough stone wall, or it may be a cave in the hill-sided. The mouth of this cave may be blocked by stones. Sometimes a flock may spend the night in an open country, or on a lonely hillside, where there is great danger from wild animals, and the shepherd stays with the sheep. How a shepherd must love his sheep and little lambs to risk his own life for the flock!

Bethlehem

The little town of Bethlehem, we are told, is much more beautiful than most of the towns of the Holy Land. Although the town looks fair and white in the distance it is not so clean and bright as one draw closer; yet it is a sweet and pleasant country.

As one comes near the town perhaps he will think of the shepherd boy, David, who watched his father's sheep nearby. But greatest in the mind of the traveller is that Bethlehem is the place that cradled the Saviour. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel" [MIC:5:2]).

Shepherds of Bethlehem

There were some shepherds watching their flocks on a hillside near Bethlehem one night. It was a night of beauty. These shepherds must have known about David and God's promise to David. God had promised David that one of his descendants would be the Saviour of men. And they may have been talking about God's promise when the angel of the Lord suddenly came near. A glorious light shone around them. It must have made them afraid, to have an angel come and speak to them out of the stillness of the night. The angel said, "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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" [LUK:2:10-12]).

What a wonderful message! The shepherds listened eagerly to the angel's words. When the angel finished speaking they saw a multitude of angels join him and begin to praise God, saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men."

When the angels had gone back into Heaven and the beautiful light faded into the darkness of the night, the shepherds did not wait for the morning to come. They started at once for Bethlehem. They said, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." So they left their flocks and hurried to Bethlehem. There they found Mary and Joseph in the stable, with the infant Saviour lying in a manger.

No Room in the Inn

Mary and Joseph had received a message from the Roman ruler, Cæsar. It said that every one had to go to his own city to be taxed. It was necessary for Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem, because they were of the family of David, to have their names written on the list at that place. The road led south over the hills of Judæa to Jerusalem, and some few miles south of Jerusalem was Bethlehem. But when they reached the city they found that all the rooms for travellers were filled. No more places could be found. The long journey from Nazareth had been very tiresome, and Mary wanted a place to rest. But Joseph could find no place but in the stable of the inn. It was here that the shepherds found them.

The shepherds told Mary and Joseph about their angel visitors and about the wonderful praises of the angels. And no doubt they knelt before the manger and worshiped the little Babe who lay quietly sleeping in the hay. Probably they ran into the streets of Bethlehem and told everyone they met about the angel's visit and about the wonderful Child who had been born that night in a stable in the city. The hearts of the shepherds were running over with joy, for this holy little Infant, Jesus, was to grow to be the greatest Shepherd the world has ever known. Our hearts should be filled with joy today for this Holy Child who saved us from our sins and is our good Shepherd.

Questions

1. Where did Mary and Joseph live? [LUK:2:4].

2. What did the angel tell the shepherds? [LUK:2:10-12].

3. Why were Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem? [LUK:2:3-4].

4. Where did they spend the night? [LUK:2:7].

5. What made the shepherds afraid? [LUK:2:9].