A-Poem-a-Day Until Christmas
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| Rick Sabato's painting, "Lambs." |
BEHOLD, THE LAMB
1.
In a grassy field in Bethlehem
a rugged old shepherd
tenderly smooths the wooly coat
of a pregnant ewe, as she bleats in labor
almost ready to deliver her offspring
He’s been through this many times—
Patiently, the shepherd remains with her
prepared to assist as she gives birth
Immediately following the delivery, he wisely wipes,
the membrane away from the lamb’s face
so it can breathe, while the mother
instinctively licks it all over with her tongue
In a few minutes, it rises on wobbly legs
and manages a few shaky steps
Then the shepherd picks it up
and carefully examines
every limb and joint and crevice
Finding no blemish
he wraps strips of swaddling cloth
around its delicate little hooves
to protect them from splintering or cracking
He’ll raise this spotless little lamb
with utmost care—
and present it to the Levitical priests
designated for sacrifice
upon the altar at the Temple in Jerusalem
as an atonement for sin
2.
The old shepherd
warms himself by the fire
with the younger men
when suddenly the sky is alight
with angels singing praises to God
and announcing with joy
the birth of Yeshua (Jesus), Savior of the World
Filled with great jubilation
the shepherds set off
with their flock, to honor Him
They don’t have far to travel
In a lowly stable outside an inn
they find the Babe
with His mother, Miriam (Mary)
and her husband, Yosef (Joseph)
Baby Yeshua is without blemish
swaddled and sleeping, in a make-shift cradle
that is actually a feeding trough for animals
Years go by
and in the fullness of time
the Man, Yeshua, presents Himself
to Yochanan (John), the Baptizer
on the shore of the Jordan River
As He approaches
Yochanan proclaims to all who will listen
Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world![1]
A few years later
Yeshua, Son of God, the spotless Lamb
does exactly that, once and for all—
at the Cross
Maude Carolan Pych
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