I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. –Job 19:25
Enclosed in a glass case at the church of Sakha, Egypt, is an object that will seem strange, perhaps even laughable, to western eyes: a footprint of the baby Jesus preserved in stone.
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. –Isaiah 19:19
Jacob used a stone for a pillow; Jesus used a stone for a bed. We’ve seen the sort of stone manger in which He likely was laid as an infant. Later on, during the Holy Family’s sojourn in Egypt, it is believed they spent six months living in a cave near Mount Qussqam, during which time the Christ child slept on a bed of stone.
Joseph got up, took the child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. –Mt 2:14-15
A book about stones in the life of Jesus can hardly ignore the Pyramids of Egypt. Why? Because there is good reason to suppose that Jesus saw them as a child.
Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem … to offer a sacrifice in keeping with the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” –Luke 2:22-4
The accompanying photographs show two different views of the rounded shard of a first century stone vessel discovered on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. The shard bears a crude inscription of two upside down (presumably dead) birds along with the Aramaic word corban, meaning sacrifice.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. (Luke 2:22)
Six weeks after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary walked the six miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem for the ceremony of Presentation. Pictured in the photograph are the very steps they would have ascended with their newborn son in order to enter the Temple. Later, as a twelve-year boy and then as a man, Jesus would ascend these same steps under His own strength.
“You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)
A manger is a feed trough for animals. The word is related to the French manger, to eat. If you were to attend a French-speaking eucharistic service, as the priest or minister placed the morsel of bread in your hands he would say, “Prenez, mangez.” Take, eat.
The name Bethlehem means House of Bread.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest!” –Luke 1:13-14
It’s not a pretty place. In fact it’s pretty garish. But as I emerged from the cave where Jesus is said to have been born, I felt born again.
Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about. –Luke 2:15
The picture shows me entering the so-called “Door of Humility” at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This is the front door, the only door, at which one must bow to enter.
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
The first rock in the life of Jesus was a cave. A cave in the house of Mary in Nazareth.
The stones covered in my new book Jesus: His Story In Stone fall into three categories: 1) those we can be fairly certain Jesus knew or even touched; 2) those He probably or possibly knew; 3) those that were not authentically a part of His life but that are reminiscent of stones He did know. As much as possible I’ve given preference to the first two categories, as these hold the greatest evocative power.