DIVINE BIRTH

 

 

My appreciation for the Saviour’s birth deepens every year. We tend to be very focused on the importance of the Saviour’s sacrifice through the infinite Atonement and so we should be, but the  truth remains, there would never have been an Atonement, if there was never the birth.

“Life is a school, a place for us to learn and grow. We experience ‘growing pains’ through the sorrow and contamination of a lone and dreary world. These experiences may include sin, but they also include mistakes, disappointments, and the undeserved pain of adversity. The blessed news of the Gospel is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can purify all the uncleanness and sweeten all the bitterness we taste.

“Bitter fruits of life can destroy our peace, break our hearts, and separate us from God. Could it be that the great Atonement of Christ could put back together the broken parts and give beauty to the ashes of experience? The Atonement can heal the effects of tasting all of mortal bitterness.” (Bruce C. Hafen, Beauty for Ashes, Ensign April 1990).

Christ’s birth leads to the Cross of Calvary. It opens the door to the Saviour’s healing power through which He can turn life’s bitter fruits into sweet, bind up the broken hearted, turn the corruptible into incorruptible, the threads of frailty into eternal cords of strength, the broken into whole, to liberate the captive and let out of the prison of mortal weakness them that are bound… He can give us eternal beauty for the ashes of mortality (Isaiah 61:1)

Without birth there would not be death and without death there would not be life. To this end was He born (John 18:37).

“We fancy that God can only manage His world by big battalions….when all the while He is doing it by beautiful babies…When a wrong wants righting, or a work wants doing, or a truth wants preaching, or a continent wants opening, God sends a baby into the world to do it. That is why, long, long ago, a babe was born at Bethlehem.”

-        (F.W. Boreham, Mountains in the Mist: Some Australian Reveries [1919], 166-67,170)

 

The baby in the stable

So innocent and sweet,

On the altar of sacrifice

Lay at Father’s feet.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN  

(Art: Unto Us A Child is Given by Eva Koleva Timothy)

TO HONOUR HIM

 

The scriptural account of the visit of the wise men to Jesus and His mother states that they fell down and worshipped Him and presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

The gifts that were given to Christ child were costly gifts that were by custom given to royalty but the Magi gave them to more than a king. Matthew records that ‘there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem’ asking ‘where is the child that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him’ (Matthew 2:2). However, the Joseph Smith Inspired Translation reads ‘where is the child that is born the Messiah of the Jews?’

Bruce R. McConkie noted the probability that the Magi were themselves Jews who lived, as millions of Jews then did, in one of the nations to the East. He went on to say that it was the Jews who were acquainted with the scriptures and the prophecies regarding Christ’s birth and that first witnesses of His birth were to come from the House of Israel and not from the Gentile nations (see Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 358)

If this is so, the gifts presented to Christ child were gifts fit not only for a King but for a God. Much has been written about these gifts by way of speculation but a close look reveals that these gifts might not have been given by chance and that the Magi were more in tune with the divine than we think. Consider just one of them, frankincense.

When Jehovah instructed Moses to make an holy anointing oil, He named specific sweet spices and instructed how they should be made with ‘pure frankincense’ and added: “Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it….it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you….whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people”. Instruction was also given for making of perfume with frankincense which was ‘holy for the Lord’ and not meant to be used for the congregation (Exodus 30: 37).

The mental and physical healing properties of the frankincense oil are well documented. It is best known for its ability to clear and focus the mind suggesting a spiritual quality to it. Today its price can range between $30.00 and $14,850. A gift fit for a god indeed…..for all the earth is His and everything in it!

My favourite Christmas song is The Little Drummer Boy. I don’t know how many tears I have shed listening to this song. What touches me most is that the little drummer boy had no gift to give to the King. Such a contrast to the wealthy Magi.

I was born and raised in a socialist country but in a strong Catholic community. Exchanging of gifts at Christmas was not a custom. There was no commercialism. The birth of Christ was revered in my childhood. Since I have lived in Australia, I have never figured out why we give each other gifts when we celebrate Christ’s birthday. Does it help us remember He is our greatest gift?

The Little Drummer Boy had no riches to give the King but he gave something of himself and it was accepted. Perhaps it would be more advantageous to give the Saviour something of ourselves this Christmas….such as an act of service, a missionary moment, a commitment to give up a weakness or a sin, to meaningfully partake of the Sacrament each Sunday, to express more love, to judge less, to be more merciful, to obey Him more, to love Him more, to strive to be like Him……after all, the best gift He would want would be ME and YOU.

We are worth far more than frankincense.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Holy Men by Liz Lemon Swindle)

A WITNESS OF HIS NAME

 

“It will be observed that the testimonies concerning the birth of the Messiah are from two extremes, the lowly shepherds in the Judean field, and the learned magi from the far east. We cannot think this is the result of mere chance, but that in it may be discerned the purpose and wisdom of God.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 108)

And so to the populace of Israel that was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, as prophesied, God sent the witness of shepherds who watched over their flock when the hope of Israel entered the world.

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass….and when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child” (Luke 2:15,17)

“But there were classes of people among the Jews whom these lowly shepherd witnesses could not reach….and had they been able to reach them, the story of the angel’s visit, and the concourse of angels singing…would doubtless have been accounted as an idle tale of superstitious folk….Hence God raised up another class of witnesses – the wise men from the east – witnesses that could enter the royal palace of proud King Herod and proud priests of Judea (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 109).

When apostle Paul defended his testimony of Christ, he said to King Agrippa that he only witnessed to ‘both small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come’. And then he reiterated that these things that were prophesied of Christ were not ‘done in a corner’. In other words, all that was prophesied of Him came true and are known because they were not hidden (Acts 26:22-26).

Such is the importance of witnesses. God does not do anything in secret. Neither is He oblivious to the fact that mere mortals cannot exercise such exceeding faith that prophecies, warnings and witnesses would not be needed and so he provides it all and we fail to believe often even with all three. Such has been the disbelief in the resurrection of Christ despite many witnesses who were resurrected after Him (Matthew 27:51-53).

When Jesus prayed for His apostles during the intercessory prayer, He said: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word….that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20,21). This is us, we are those who believe through the testimony of the prophets, old and new.

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:30,31). And so the scriptures become the greatest witness to the world of the reality of Christ.

Every act of faith, every moment of trust, every revelation, every answer to prayer, every knowledge of truth we acquire, every good thing that builds our testimony in Christ is propelled into the world to open the eyes of some unbeliever. 

We too are witnesses…..

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Tender Shepherd by Eva Koleva Timothy)

THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL

 

I love the story of Simeon and Anna who witnessed that Messiah had come when Jesus was presented in the temple following His birth (Luke 2:22-24; 25-38). Not much is known of these witnesses except that they were faithful and devout but much can be seen in the testimonies that they bore.

What we know of Simeon is that he was elderly, just and devout, that he had the Holy Ghost with him and that he waited for ‘the consolation of Israel’ (Luke 2:25)

Simeon rejoiced over baby Jesus testifying that God had allowed him to see His ‘salvation’ and ‘a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel’ (v 30,32). I reflected a lot on Simeon’s joy and was intrigued that the Messiah was awaited in the meridian of time as ‘the consolation of Israel’.

According to the dictionary, the correct definition of ‘consolation’ means: the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment. I pondered on what that word would mean in relation to Israel.

At the time of Christ’s advent, Israel had been scattered, conquered and tattered. Not since King David had Israel been recognized as a true and dignified power in the world. Under David, Israel enjoyed prominence, power and glory. His reign was defined as ‘the golden age of Israel’. Under his direction the chosen people of God controlled the whole land promised to Abraham’s posterity nearly a thousand years earlier.

Following David’s death, the kingdom was divided, Assyria scattered the Ten Tribes and Babylon and Rome had desecrated and conquered Judah. The land was lost as was the honour and glory of the House of Israel.

And so the Jewish nation has awaited the Messiah to restore the glory of Israel. To the Jews of old, it meant deliverance from occupation by foreign nations and restoration of the golden age. Simeon’s joy could very well have been based on that hope.

Anna’s testimony was based in redemption (Luke 2:38). The Guide to the Scriptures defines redemption as ‘the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, and the plan of mercy’.

I pondered on what that would mean for Anna, a prophetess who was married for only 7 years before her husband died  leaving her a widow for ‘four score and four years’ (84 years). That’s a lot of years of being alone, especially for a woman in the meridian of time who was heavily dependent on marriage.

Was Anna’s joy in child Jesus based on her knowledge of the Plan of Salvation which would restore to her all that which she lost? That once again she will be a wife through God’s plan for eternal families? Did she also have faith in the consolation she would receive in her personal life as a faithful member of the House of Israel?

We of the last hour await ‘the consolation of Israel’ when the Saviour will come to gather us all into the household of faith and the Kingdom of our Christ. When He will restore all that was lost, individually and collectively.

When He comes the believing blood of Israel will course through our veins as it has never before. When He comes He will restore Israel’s glory that was lost which will never again be dimmed.

When He comes He will bring perpetual peace, where there will be no tears and no suffering and no death.

When He comes He will be our God and we will be His people.

We, Israel, Thy chosen seed

Bow before Thee on bended knee.

Look upon us in our sorrow;

And help us wait for Thee

In the dawning of tomorrow.

 

Please note that redemption means much more than I have elaborated on here. I used one aspect of it that would apply to Anna's situation.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Prophetess Anna Greets the Christ Child by Lester Yocum)

A GOD YET A BOY

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie has said that “the Gospels are not biographies of Jesus; they are a collection of faith-promoting accounts from the Saviour’s ministry that, if believed, will induce receptive souls to come unto Christ and partake of His goodness” (The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 371).

The story of the boy Jesus attending the Passover in Jerusalem when twelve years of age would have to be proof of that truth. This is the first and only event of His childhood recorded in holy writ; it would have to be counted as an event of His ministry when we consider Him teaching the doctors of the law in the temple (JST Luke 2:46); and it was the first noted declaration of His Sonship when He told Joseph and Mary that He was about His ‘Father’s business’ (Luke 2:49).

President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., the greatest LDS scholar pertaining to the life of Jesus, wrote a small booklet detailing Jesus’ Passover trip to Jerusalem, titled “Wist Ye Not That I Must Be About My Father’s Business”.

In his booklet, President Clark describes in great detail the sacrifices in the temple; of the slaying of the Paschal lamb; of the eating of the Passover meal; of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and of Jesus’ participation in the sacrificial and festive setting of the Passover, probably for the first time in His life.

At twelve years of age, Jesus was legally ‘a son of the law’ and attending the temple at Passover could very well have been His first time to do so as a rite of passage. If so, He could have had His biggest awakening as to His greatness and true identity as He witnessed for the first time the rites and performances of sacrifices and feasts in similitude of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that He was.

Imagine how dazzled a youth of twelve would be coming to a crowded Jerusalem with throngs of men bearing their pascal lambs on their shoulders for temple sacrifice. We can only imagine what thoughts would have sailed through His mind as He saw the sacrifices performed. He knew who He was, no doubt due to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost who whispered such truths to Him, but did He understand what that really meant at such a tender age?

In the words of President Clark: “Did the Youth see and know, on this pre-anniversary of a day yet to come, the grief He was to suffer, the spiritual and physical agony He was to endure, the death that was to come to Him, as He was sacrificed as the Lamb of God?”

If such a vision came into the mind of any twelve-year old, it would be a nightmare that would drive the fear into him forever. The Youth Jesus did not shirk from such an awakening. Not at twelve years of age, not at thirty-three.

With the knowledge of His divine destiny, ‘the son of the law’ who could now be legally heard, advanced in confidence to converse with the doctors of the law within the courts of the temple, who ‘were hearing Him and asking Him questions’ (JST Luke 2:46)…..because ‘He could not be taught, for He needed not that any man should teach him’ (JST Matthew 3:25).

For three days Jesus remained in the Temple alone, bearing witness of His Father “making some of the most profound declarations ever to fall from mortal lips” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 378). 

Perhaps because now more than ever He knew He was the Lamb of God.

 

Did You see me Father

Giving glory to Thy name?

My words of Thee

Flowing from my tongue

Like a holy flame.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Return From The Temple by Rose Datoc Dal)

WHISPERS FROM HOME

 

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that as a boy, Jesus Christ possessed superior intelligence to all mortals: “When still a boy He had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to appear like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed.” (in History of the Church, 6:608)

And here is the key: “In his study, and in the learning process, He was guided from on high in a way that none other has ever been. Being without sin – being clean and pure and spotless – he was entitled to the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle, the Spirit that, conversely, always and everlastingly dwells with the righteous…..He enjoyed, at all times, the fulness of that light and guidance and power which comes by the power of the Holy Ghost to the faithful.

“He laboured and studied and struggled; he treasured up words of light and truth; he pondered the scriptures – all under the influence of the Holy Spirit of God, which came to him without measure and without limit, because He was clean and pure and upright.”

-        Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 369-371

It is evident that by the age of 12 the Saviour knew who He was. When He was found in the temple teaching the doctors of the law who ‘were hearing Him and asking Him questions’ (JST Luke 2:46), He confirmed as much telling Joseph and Mary that He was about His ‘Father’s business’ (Luke 2:49). He knew, because He was taught from on high.  

Even though the Saviour had a special mission to perform, the light and knowledge He was receiving in mortality was not limited to only Him. If we will sanctify ourselves by purging ourselves of all iniquity (D&C 43:11), the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion and He will speak the truths of eternity to our hearts and our minds and we will, like Christ, know who we truly are and who we have always been. And more than that, we will understand more fully out eternal destiny.

Our awareness of our eternal selves will outweigh and outshine every doubt and negative feeling we have about ourselves. We will then come forward to be a house set on a hill. We will be an ensign to the world of the truth we bear in our hearts and the testimonies we have of the Son of God who bears the scepter of salvation, the salvation which can be ours if we but make ourselves worthy of His sacrifice.

ODE TO THE HOLY GHOST:

You are the flaming fire

That burns with sacred might;

I surrender my sins

And grant you entrance

To my heart.

 

You enlighten my path

To the knowledge I have always known

Forgotten and hidden

But whispers from home.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Outpouring of the Spirit by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE MORTALITY OF A GOD

 

“Jesus walked the same road from infancy to manhood that has been trod by every adult mortal, from first to last….He learnt to crawl, to walk, to run. He spoke his first word, cut his first tooth, took His first step – the same as other children do.

“He learnt to speak; he played with toys like those of his brothers and sisters; and he played with them and with the neighbourhood children. He went to sleep at night and he awoke with the morning light.

“He was subject to disease and illness on the same basis as we all are. We know he was hungry, weary, and sorrowful; that his eyes wee keen, his ears alert, and his tongue fluent.

“It is also apparent that Jesus learned much from nature – from observing the lilies of the field, the birds of the air, and the foxes that have holes for homes.

“As a man, he felt what other men feel, did what other men do, had the same appetites and passions as others have.

“On Sabbaths and on week days He attended the synagogue, heard the prayers and sermons, the felt the spirit of the occasion. He participated in the regular worship during the feasts, particularly at Passover time.

“He brought with him from that eternal world the talents and capacities, the inclination to conform and obey, and the ability to recognize truth that he had acquired. Jesus, when yet a child, had spiritual talents that no other man in a hundred life-times could obtain.

-        Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 367-9”

Yet even though He was endowed with talents and spiritual capacities exceeding those of any other person, He participated in the normal activities and experiences of His time and was subject to the restrictions and testings of mortality (Hebrews 2:10-18; 4:15; 5:8-9; Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:111).

Such was the life of a God who became a mortal…..

What faith You had

In those who held You

by Your mortal hand;

How loyal to their charge

Were they who sustained You

When it all began.

How tender their heart

To see the Hope of Israel

And recognize The Great I am.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Child of Grace by Liz Lemon Swindle) 

SIMEON'S MOMENT

 

I discovered this painting one year by Ron DiCianni entitled "Simeon's Moment". The painting had me revisit the story of Simeon in Luke 2:25-35. I cannot adequately describe the tearful emotion that swelled within my heart as I did so.  

It wasn't just Simeon's story that touched the depth of my soul but the artist who was so moved by the moment of joy felt by someone as they held the Son of God in their arms. He wanted to capture the moment that Simeon had lived his life for.

It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen 'the Lord's Christ' (Luke 2:26). Simeon waited a long time and was well stricken in age when the Spirit led him to the temple the day that Mary and Joseph were there with the Christ child to offer sacrifice for his birth as was the Mosaic law of the day (Luke 2:22-24).

Simeon took the Christ child into his arms and pronounced Him to be the awaited Messiah, the glory of Israel and the light to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). And then he said something highly significant to Mary: "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul....that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (v35).

As I tried to connect to Simeon through my thoughts, I could see how eager he must have been  for the Saviour to be born because the nation of Judah was by then a den of iniquity. No doubt Simeon was tired of all the wickedness and sin around him and he yearned for Christ to come.

I reflected on the signs of the times around us which are being fulfilled and how close the Saviour might be to returning, even at the door (Matt 24:33; Mark 13:29; JS-M 1:39; D&C 110:16).  How many of us will be over-joyed when we see Him coming in the clouds of heaven?

Simeon said when the Saviour comes, the thoughts of our hearts will be revealed; simply because who we are is in our hearts and who we are is all we will have to give Him. Will we be ashamed when our hearts are laid bare before Him or will we be eager to show Him that He resides there? 

May we be overjoyed like Simeon because we have waited with eagerness for His appearing and may our hearts be imbued with faith and love to make them fit for an offering to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Simeon's Moment by Ron Dicianni) 

THE STAR

 

On His second visit to Jerusalem, Jesus taught at the temple and declared himself to be the light of the world. He testified that ‘he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John 8:12).

The incredulous Jews challenged His testimony because He bore record of Himself defying their law that required the testimony of two witnesses for any question of fact to be true. Jesus acknowledged the law and insisted that there were two witnesses, Himself and His Father (John 8:18).

In reality, there were many more witnesses to this truth. The witnesses that light had come into the world began at His birth. If they had only paid attention….

In his prophecy of Messiah, Balaam, by assumption one of the greatest Magi of them all, prophesied “there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).

Matthew records that ‘there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem’ asking ‘where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him’ (JST Matthew 2:2a).

Thus, the wise men of the east, as they followed the star to Bethlehem, became the first witnesses of the ‘light of life’ that had come into the world to save the world. One ancient writing claimed that “a Star in the East was to appear two years before the birth of the Messiah” (Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah, 1:211-12).

Much mystique has surrounded the identity of ‘the wise men from the east’ and many an inspirational story written. This assumption, however, seems the closest to the truth:

“They had prophetic insight. They knew the King of the Jews had been born, and they knew that a new star was destined to rise and had arisen in connection with that birth. The probability is they were themselves Jews who lived, as millions of Jews then did, in one of the nations to the East.

“It was the Jews, not the Gentiles, who were acquainted with the scriptures and who were waiting with anxious expectation for the coming of a King……His first witnesses were to come from his own kinsmen, from the House of Israel, not from the Gentile nations composed of those who knew not God and who cared nothing for the spirit of prophecy and revelation found among the Lord’s people.” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 358)

But it doesn’t end there. On the other side of the world Samuel the Lamanite prophesied that ‘great lights in haven’ would appear and that light would remain when the night came: “And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you….that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning…..” (Helaman 14:2-6-12).

Samuel’s prophecy was truly fulfilled when the Saviour was born in Judea and a star did appear according to his words but the greatest witness they had of Jesus Christ as the light of the world came when they sat in darkness for three days following His death, and they heard this voice: “I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end.” (3 Nephi 1:15; 21; 3 Nephi 9:18)

What is spiritual darkness? It is not being able to discern right from wrong. It is not being able to see the truth. It is not being able to recognize the Saviour Jesus Christ as the sole source of our salvation. It means being stiff necked like the Jews of His time. It means looking beyond the mark, like they did.

They looked right past the man who sorrowed for their sins, looking for someone else. It means spiritual blindness within which extinguishes the path that leads home. It means being lost. It means being lost forever.

Follow the star, it will lead you home.

 

Born to be King

Born to bear the scepter of truth,

Born to cleanse my soul within

And deliver me from every sin. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Following the Star by Greg Collins)

THE LAMB

 

Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, was famous for its’ unblemished lambs which were used for the temple sacrifice. The shepherds in the field ‘who watched their flock by night’ were in actual fact priests and the flock they watched over were atoning lambs.

The new born perfect lambs without blemish were wrapped tightly in cloth and placed in ‘the manger’ which was an animal feeding trough made of stone. They would be kept safe there until they were taken to the temple. They were lambs that were cared for with love and devotion ‘because they were destined for sacrifice on the great altar in the Lord’s House, in similitude of the eternal sacrifice of Him who would atone for the sins of the world. (see Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 347)

When Jesus was born, an angel appeared to these shepherd priests and announced the birth of the Saviour ‘which is Christ the Lord’, he told them the sign, or proof of His birth will be finding ‘the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:9-12). This the shepherds would understand for they had wrapped many lambs in swaddling cloths and placed them in a manger. They knew that the baby they would find in there would be the perfect Lamb of God.

I am amazed how the whole life of Christ is associated with symbolism. One year as I studied the Old Testament I became fascinated with the rituals of animal sacrifice performed by ancient Israel. I looked at it in depth to satisfy my fascination but I did not expect it to take my understanding of the Atonement to the next level.

I learnt that the horns on the ark of the covenant symbolized the power of Jehovah and sprinkling the blood of the animal on them suggested forgiveness can only come through His power. My greatest fascination with animal sacrifice, however, became even more personal to me. It was the practice of applying the sacrificial blood of the animal, by the priest, to the right ear, right thumb and right toe of the person that was to be consecrated to God.

These three parts of the body represented hearing the word of God, acting according to it and walking in His paths according to His commandments, that thereby the consecrated person might be sanctified through the power of the Atonement (see Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 1:2:387-88 as quoted by the Old Testament Student Manual).

Learning of the significance of applying the sacrificial blood for the purposes of sanctification and consecration had a great impact on me. I incorporated the practice of consecrating myself to God, through thought, word and deed, in my morning prayers.

As I did so, the image of the priest applying the sacrificial blood to my ear, thumb and toe would come into my mind to accompany my words.  This practice of daily consecration was something that strengthened my resolve to obey the command of ‘practicing virtue and holiness before God continually’ (D&C 46:33) and my obedience became more exact and finely tuned.

I contemplated this week on the principle of ‘the sacrificial lamb’ and wondered why a lamb was chosen to represent the Christ. My research for an answer didn’t yield any startling results so I offer my own understanding here.

The Saviour was and is a dutiful Son. Did He not say: “I do always those things that please him”? (John 8:29). Even His power to lay down His life and take it up again was performed out of perfect obedience to the Father who gave Him the commandment so to do (John 10:18).

Every lamb has a shepherd. So does the Lamb of God who is Christ. His Father is the Shepherd who leads and the Son is the lamb who follows. He does this in perfect obedience because He is the perfect Son.

This Lamb has the greatest shepherd of all, the Eternal Father, the God of Heaven, the fountain of all love and righteousness. He is the Shepherd and the Saviour is the Lamb……the sacrificial Lamb of God given by the sacrificing Father for all His children, a worthy Lamb and a mighty Shepherd to follow.....

I watched from heaven

And heard the angels in the field

Sing praises to Your name;

And I sorrowed knowing, like holy water,

Your love would spill on sacrificial altar.

I will follow….

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Sweet Sleep In the Manger Lowly by Greg Collins)

THE DIVINE PLAN PART 3

 

When I posted Part 1 of The Divine Plan, I inserted just a detail of this picture which I found on the internet without knowing who the artist was. A couple of readers pointed out to me that the picture was not complete and advised me of the name of the artist. One reader told me the entire picture had a broader meaning and when I found it, I understood why. I read the artist’s story behind the art but to me this painting has a broader meaning.

The symbolisms surrounding Christ’s birth were plentiful and subtle. This painting brings to light two of them: the shepherd and the lambs, both of which represent the baby in the womb of the virgin Mary travelling to Bethlehem for the birth of the ultimate shepherd and the ultimate sacrificial lamb.

Jesus Christ is often called the Good Shepherd (see D&C 50:44; John 10:7-18; Alma 5:38-60; Helaman 7:18). Is there a more tender proclamation of this title than the one that fell from the Saviour’s lips: “I know my sheep and they are numbered” (3 Nephi 18:31). Consider the reality of this:

“By day and by night the shepherd is always with his sheep…as he is always with them, and so deeply interested in them, the shepherd comes to know his sheep very intimately. One day a missionary, meeting a shepherd on one of the wildest parts of Lebanon, asked him various questions about his sheep, and among others, if he counted them every night.

“On answering that he did not, he was asked how he knew if they were all there or not. His reply was: “Master, if you were to put a cloth over my eyes, and bring me any sheep and only let me put my hands on its face, I could tell in a moment if it was mine or not.” (George M. Mackie, Bible Manners and Customs, [n.d.], 33, 35)

A shepherd knows his sheep and cares for them out of love. There are so many facets about the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. It’s very worth learning about it to better understand why the Saviour used this metaphor when He described His relationship to us.  

I would like to share here one that I find most important. I do not know the source of the following information but I want to share it because this is the greatest thing a shepherd can do for his sheep:

“Sheep can get their head caught in briers and die trying to get untangled. There are horrid little flies that like to torment sheep by laying eggs in their nostrils which turn into worms and drive the sheep to beat their heads against a rock, sometimes to death. Their ears and eyes are also susceptible to tormenting insects. So the shepherd anoints their whole head with oil. Then there is peace. That oil forms a barrier of protection against the evil that tries to destroy the sheep.”

This is the ultimate work of the Good Shepherd. He saves. He saves those who go astray and he saves those who get tangled in impossible situations and he saves those who are tormented by evil of this fallen world. He can anoint our heads with the oil of peace and protection to ward off the enemy of our souls.  

King David wrote Psalm 23 titled “The Lord Is My Shepherd”, paying homage to Jehovah who would one day sit on his throne. He acknowledged that it was He who ‘anointed his head with oil’ and for that his cup of gratitude ‘ran over’. King David knew and understood all about sheep because before he was king, he was a shepherd…..another connection, another symbolism.

How grateful to know Your voice

In this world of utter despair

And hear it echo

In Your loving tender care.

 

How fiercely You watch,

How tenderly You care,

How safe You make me feel

Knowing You are ever there.

How grateful I am to be in Your flock,

How grateful to be in Your keep;

You are my shepherd

And I am Your sheep.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Journey to Bethlehem by Joseph Brickey)

THE DIVINE PLAN PART 2

 

 

The prophecy about Egypt is my favourite prophecy regarding the Saviour’s birth.

It is recorded in the book of Matthew that the wise men of the East came to Judea enquiring: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2) but the Joseph Smith Translation states the question was: “Where is the child that is born the Messiah of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2a)

Imagine the mortal threat such a question was to Herod, the puppet king of Judah, installed by Caesar Augustus, without a drop of Jewish blood in him, whose only claim to the throne was his family’s conversion to the Jewish faith (see Bible Dictionary).

Had Jesus been born to be the King only, it would not have been such a threat because anyone can become a king, as Herod very well proved, but to be a Messiah meant more, much more, because a Messiah RESCUES and DELIVERS. And who would he rescue? The captive Jews.

This was a real threat to Herod, who was familiar with the Messianic prophecy, because if the Empire fell, so would his crown. He had only one solution: to dispose of the Jewish infants two years old and younger. Imagine the carnage that the Christ child had to be protected from. Hence the directive to Joseph to flee with his family. But why Egypt?

Egypt was a sacred memory of deliverance and freedom to every Hebrew in Israel. In their minds there was no greater miracle performed by God for His chosen people. And when the Messiah was born, the Hebrews were thirsty for deliverance from bondage once again.

Heralding the arrival of the Messiah, Hosea prophesied: “Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15). Whereas once He led them out of the bondage of oppression suffered at the hands of the Egyptians, this time the Messiah would likewise deliver them but from a different enemy.

He would deliver them from the master of sin. It was the bondage and freedom that mattered more than deliverance from Roman rule. This was a deliverance like no other and no other could bring it about but Jesus of Nazareth, born to be king.

As I contemplated about the divine plan of the Saviour’s birth a thought came to me how the enemy had a plan too. Whereas God’s plan was one of protection for the Christ child, Satan’s was one of destruction in his desire to dethrone Jesus as the Messiah and Saviour of the world, and he had just the person to do it, Herod, ‘the most fiendish and bloody occupant ever to sit on David’s throne’, the throne that rightly belonged to Jesus of Nazareth, ‘who would in due course reign in righteousness thereon’ (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 362).

This is what stood out in my mind the most. Satan had a blood thirsty king on the throne of Judah at whose command infants, and anyone else he didn’t like, were disposed of, but God had someone even more powerful than the sword. He had a young couple whose greatest weapon was obedience.

Joseph and Mary listened to the guidance of heaven and they preserved the life of the most important man ever to be born on this earth. That the host of heaven also watched over the infant Christ is a certainty but the divine plan was made possible because of two human beings in lowly circumstances who were willing to travel to Egypt on a donkey!!!

Next time you feel you are insignificant, don’t……you have no idea who you truly are….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Young Prince in Egypt by Rose Datoc Dall)

THE DIVINE PLAN PART 1

 

We always affirm that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because of the Roman’s tax decree. Elder Bruce R. McConkie reasoned that this decree was just a vehicle to fulfil the prophecy that the Saviour would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-8).

Elder McConkie goes on to say that Mary and Joseph knew of this prophecy and knowing who Mary’s baby was, would have moved heaven and earth to make it to Bethlehem so He could be born there (The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 341.

I tend to agree with this theory as this also came into my mind: did Mary need to be there for the tax issue? Any governmental procedure in the ancient world was conducted by men with men. Women came under the jurisdiction of men. Their record keeping tracked only the paternal and not the maternal line. The scriptures attest to this.

Bethlehem, the city of David, would have kept scrupulous records of the lineage of Joseph who was a descendant of David, as recorded by Matthew (1:1-16). Mary is mentioned not only because she was Joseph’s wife but because she also was a descendant of David. Joseph and Mary were first cousins, children of two brothers, Jacob and Heli (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38; JST Luke 3:30-31, 45).

Consider the patriarchal and legal rights that men had over women: “Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 87) So even though by blood Jesus was Mary’s son, in the eyes of the law, He was the son of Joseph.

Would women really have been expected to attend accounting of taxes and census? Surely only Joseph would have been required to be there. So why else would Joseph put Mary ‘heavy with child’ on a journey of eighty dusty, dreary miles from Nazareth riding on a slow stepping donkey to Bethlehem if the primary motivation was not Jesus’ place of birth?

I tried to research this but could not find anything of evidence that women were required to be there. I did learn about the Roman procedure of taxing the provinces in the empire though. Very insightful….

Imagine if Joseph had gone to Bethlehem alone and Jesus was born in Nazareth instead. How much cause would the Jewish ruling class have had against Jesus who claimed He was the promised Messiah that was prophesied would be  born in Bethlehem?! I am certain that Mary and Joseph contemplated this and used it as motivation to fulfil the sacred responsibility they were entrusted with.

And we may we ask, why Bethlehem??? Because it was the city of His father David and because of this: Bethlehem in Hebrew means ‘house of bread’…. Indeed Bethlehem supplied the whole of Jerusalem with bread. Was this city not symbolically fit to be the birth place of the One who proclaimed himself to be “the bread of life?” (John 6:31,51; Bethlehem - Guide to the Scriptures)

The Divine Plan executed every detail of Christ’s birth. It was no coincidence that Rome decreed the tax requirement so late in Mary’s pregnancy which would necessitate her baby be born in the most-humble of circumstances because Bethlehem was overrun with people:

“Though he laid the foundations of the earth, and worlds without number had rolled into orbit at his word, he chose to come into mortality among the beasts of the field. Though he had worn a kingly crown in the eternal courts on high, he chose to breathe as his first mortal breath the stench of a stable.”

-        - Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah 1, p 345

A God of splendour;

A babe of mortal birth;

All power surrendered

For the lowly of this earth.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)