"The irony of the quiet, unpublicized scene was “the fact that no baby had ever been born about whom so much was already known, of whom so much had already been written, and regarding whom so much was already expected,” Elder Holland said.
The newborn babe was the Firstborn of the Father in the world of spirits, foreordained to be the Lamb “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
He would be the grand Jehovah of the Old Testament, Elder Holland continued, helping Noah in time of flood and Joseph in time of famine. His names would include “Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (2 Nephi 19:6).
“He was the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:6) in the great plan of mercy who would eventually ‘preach good tidings unto the meek; … bind up the brokenhearted, … proclaim liberty to the captives, and [open] the prison to them that are bound,’” (Isaiah 61:1).
To accomplish that mission, Elder Holland said, “He would tread the wine press of redemption utterly and entirely alone, with no mortal companion who would aid Him and no heavenly companion who could. In bearing all the sins and sorrows of mortality, He would bring the incomprehensible gift of salvation to the entire human family from Adam to the end of the world. In the full course of His journey, He would be the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls (1 Peter 2:25), the Great High Priest of our Profession (Hebrews 3:1), the free-flowing Fountain of all Righteousness (Ether 8:26).”
All those duties and demands would be met. “But not this night,” Elder Holland said. “Here He was just a baby in the arms of a mother who adored Him, watched over by a father who was gentle and strong.”
The shepherds would come representing the poorest of men and their labors. Later, the Wise Men came from the east symbolizing the richest of men and their labors." Full Article Here
Church News report from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional broadcast from the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020.
