Christmas is our most important holiday, and its literature is correspondingly rich. Yet until now no adequate bundle of Christmas treasures in poetry and prose has found its way onto the Internet for Winter, Christmas, the birth of Christ, Santa Claus, and so much more..The Christ Child Jesus
On the eighth day, the infant was taken to the synagogue in Bethlehem for circumcision. Centuries before, God had commanded Abraham, as part of a convenant, to circumcise all male Jews shortly after birth. It pledged all sons of Judea to observance of the law.
Mary wrapped the baby warmly, and handed him to Joseph. The man took him outside the cave and on up the steep path to the inn. This was the baby’s first sight of the world he had come to save and, from his blanket, all he saw was azure-blue sky and sunlight. Up there, somewhere, was the heaven from which he had come and to which he would return only after giving his mortal life in pain.
Joseph passed the inn and went on to the crossroads of Bethlehem. There he saw the synagogue and, after inquiries, took the precious charge inside. He asked the rabbi if he could circumcise the first-born himself. The teacher nodded. Joseph said that he had had no experience with this, and he would need some assistance. The rabbi smiled. He understood. It was common for new fathers to ask to officiate, and it was also common for them to be frightened at the prospect.
The teacher guided the hand of Joseph, and the first few drops of precious blood were shed. So too were the first tears. Symbolically, the young lamb was on the altar. The Son of God was obedient to the law of the Father. The rabbi asked the name to be given the baby and Joseph said Jeshua. This was the name given to Mary by the archangel, It was also given to Joseph in a dream.
The ancient prophet Isaias had predicted that the name of the Son of God would be Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” He also said that the messiah would be called the Prince of Peace, God the Mighty, Wonderful, Counselor and Father of the World to Come. The only name in which all of these meanings are embraced is Jeshua, or Jesus.
The baby was carried back to the tiny stable, with its loose-board room. Jesus was now an infant Jew; a son of the family of David. He would be uncomfortable for several days, but he had suffered the first pain of the man child, and Joseph patted the bottom of the blanket to soothe him.
