ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels 

As 2025 draws to a close, the Christmas season once again fills homes, churches, and cities with light and joy. Advent candles glow in churches across America, while Bethlehem’s Manger Square is illuminated by a Christmas tree lighting ceremony that has returned after a two-year pause. With Christmas falling on a Thursday this year, many communities are extending their celebrations through the weekend.

This season is filled with both magnificence and simplicity. Recently, audiences around the world experienced André Rieu’s Christmas concert featuring his Johann Strauss Orchestra from Maastricht in the Netherlands. The concert combined sacred and secular music that moved many listeners to tears during the hymns of worship. It felt like a glimpse of heaven’s music. Yet just as meaningful are the humble “Watch Night” services held in small churches across Haiti on Christmas Eve. In all these settings, the heart of Christmas offers a renewal of hope for every soul.

Today, more than one hundred sixty nations observe Christmas, representing more than two billion people. The sacred and the secular often coexist in these celebrations. Yet amid carols, gifts, and lights, one truth deserves more attention. Bethlehem is known throughout the world as the birthplace of Jesus, but few remember that the nation of Israel itself was chosen as the setting for God’s entrance into human history.

On the outskirts of ancient Bethlehem once stood Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock. Though the structure no longer exists, the Bible preserves its meaning. Micah 4:8 reads, “As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.” Micah 5:2 continues, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.” Genesis 35:21 also records that “Jacob camped beyond Migdal Eder after burying Rachel near Bethlehem.” The Hebrew phrase Migdal Eder means “tower of the flock.” For generations, this structure stood as both a lookout post and a birthing place for the sheep destined for Temple sacrifice.

According to Jewish tradition recorded in the Mishnah, shepherds in Bethlehem had long told stories of Migdal Eder. By the fourth century, a Byzantine monastery had been built on the site to mark its sacred significance. The Sadducees, who oversaw Temple sacrifices, appointed Bethlehem’s shepherds to care for the flocks used in worship. These shepherds were priestly caretakers trained to ensure that each animal was fit for sacrifice. When lambs were born, they were brought inside the lower chamber of the tower. The newborns were gently wrapped in strips of cloth to prevent injury and laid in a stone feeding trough until they were calm. Only perfect lambs could be offered in sacrifice, fulfilling Exodus 12:5: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.”

This ancient practice reveals a powerful prophetic connection. Centuries later, angels appeared to these same Bethlehem shepherds and announced, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11–12). The shepherds needed no directions. They knew the exact place where newborn lambs were wrapped and protected. They ran to Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, where they found the promised Messiah lying in a manger. The very shepherds who cared for sacrificial lambs were the first to see the Lamb of God, born where the sacrificial lambs were once laid.

As the lambs reached one year old, they were herded into Jerusalem for Passover. The priests examined each animal, accepting only those without blemish. Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, fulfilled this image perfectly. He became the final Passover Lamb, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. It is no coincidence that the Lamb of God was born in the very place where Temple lambs were raised.

Centuries later, the story of that night spread around the world, shaping faith and culture alike. The celebration of Christ’s birth reached what historians call a tipping point, a moment when faith and festivity merged into a global observance. In the nineteenth century, this transformation gathered momentum through books, music, and tradition. In 1822, Reverend Clement Moore wrote A Visit from St. Nicholas, better known as Twas the Night Before Christmas. Two decades later, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, inspiring renewed generosity and compassion. The United States established Christmas as a federal holiday in 1870. By the 1880s, Christmas carols such as “Away in a Manger” appeared in magazines, and the legend of Santa Claus, based on St. Nicholas, took hold in popular culture.

After World War II, Christmas shopping became a hallmark of the season, reshaping global economies. In 2024, Americans spent more than six hundred billion dollars during the holiday season. While the celebrations have grown increasingly elaborate, the sacred story remains unchanged.

For believers, the challenge is not to abandon the joy and beauty of Christmas, but to keep Christ at the center. Israel, the Holy Land, remains the cradle of our faith and the birthplace of the Savior. No other nation can make that claim. Author Max Lucado expressed it beautifully: “The story of Christmas is the story of God’s relentless love for us.”

As Christmas fills our hearts and homes this year, may we remember that the true light of the season still shines from Bethlehem. The promise of redemption began in a manger and was fulfilled on the cross. The same God who orchestrated the birth of His Son in Migdal Eder continues to call humanity to Himself with love that never ends.

CBN Israel invites readers to pray and reflect on Israel, the cradle of the Christian faith and the land of the Savior’s birth.

Prayer Points:

• Pray with gratitude that Israel allows citizens and visitors the freedom to celebrate Christmas in peace.
• Pray for protection throughout Israel, as terrorist attacks often increase during the holidays.
• Pray for Israel as it observes Hanukkah from December 14 to 22.
• Pray for the members of the IDF as they defend their nation on multiple fronts amid ongoing conflict.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

It is no surprise that the Bible remains the world’s top best seller. With Christmas approaching, this is an ideal time to reflect on how we know about Jesus and His birth.

God designed His redemptive plan through forty Jewish scribes from many backgrounds, personalities, and professions. Over a span of fifteen hundred years, they recorded His words in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew, on three continents, and across hundreds of subjects. In ancient times these scribes could not collaborate with one another, yet God directly inspired them to write His truth in both the Old and New Testaments.

In From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible, the authors write, “The Bible possesses an amazing unity of theme—Jesus Christ. One problem—sin—and One solution—the Savior—unify its pages from Genesis to Revelation.” The Bible’s supernatural harmony fills our lives with purpose, peace, and hope.

Almost six centuries have passed since Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440. During that time an estimated five to six billion Bibles have been printed, making it the most published book in human history. Although our world is filled with deception and despair, the hunger for the Bible’s truth continues to grow.

Bible sales have increased dramatically since 2024. According to Circana, a company that tracks book sales, the Bible boom reached 2.4 million copies sold in September 2025 alone. Circana attributes much of this rise to Charlie Kirk’s influence among young conservatives and beyond. More than eighteen million Bibles have been sold so far this year.

Interest in the Bible accelerated after the 2023 Asbury College revival. Across many states, both organized and spontaneous worship gatherings continue to emerge, especially among college students. Stadiums are filled with people of all ages praying, worshiping, and studying Scripture. Social media is filled with testimonies, baptisms, and Bible studies.

The Bible is also experiencing renewed interest in modern Israel. A quiet spiritual awakening is taking place as Israelis search for meaning during a time of national crisis. Many are turning to Scripture to rediscover their Jewish roots and to understand the times they are living in.

The Rosenberg Report recently featured Victor Kalisher, director of the Israel Bible Society, who spoke about a remarkable development in Israel’s biblical engagement. He explained that the Hebrew Bible was written in a 2,700-year-old form of Hebrew, which can be difficult for modern readers. To help Israelis understand the Scriptures more clearly, the Society is completing a modern Hebrew translation of the entire Old Testament. For English speakers, it would be similar to reading a modern translation rather than the King James Version of 1611.

Kalisher also reported that Israeli Jews are reading the New Testament in modern Hebrew translated from Greek. He called this a “national breakthrough.” Readers have responded with enthusiasm, saying, “We never understood the Bible before.” He noted that “reading the modern translation allows the Word of God to truly touch their hearts.” Tens of thousands of Israelis have expressed gratitude for this project.

In 1959, the Bible Society printed the first complete Hebrew Bible in Israel. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion celebrated the milestone, declaring, “We can now print the Bible in the Land of the Bible.” The Society continues this legacy today with new tools such as the first Hebrew cross-reference Bible. “It is a parallel Bible that contains 90,000 cross references showing how the Old and New Testaments are one Word of God,” Kalisher said. These projects stand as powerful evidence of God’s continuing work through His Word.

The word “covenant” provides a perfect example of this connection. It appears 282 times in the Old Testament and 34 times in the New, symbolizing God’s enduring promise to His people. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells one unified story of redemption.

Yet the Bible’s power only changes lives when it is read. Kathleen Cooke, international speaker and founder of The Influence Lab, has written a devotional titled Hope 4 Today: Stay Connected to God in a Distracted Culture. Her book speaks directly to the fast pace of modern life, especially during the busy Christmas season.

Cooke cites studies showing that “too busy” is the number one reason people fail to read the Bible, followed closely by “too distracted.” Most Americans own at least four Bibles but rarely open them. Her devotional draws on research from The Center for Bible Engagement, which surveyed 100,000 Christians over eight years. The results show that believers who read the Bible at least four times a week experience measurable changes in their attitudes and behavior. Those who read less than four times a week show little difference from nonbelievers.

Hope 4 Today offers short, practical devotionals that help readers stay consistent in Scripture. Cooke encourages readers to see Bible reading not as a task, but as an opportunity to deepen their relationship with the Creator who speaks through His Word.

As the world prepares to celebrate Christmas, believers have every reason to rejoice. God inspired Jewish scribes to give us the Bible. Revival is stirring hearts in Israel and around the world. The birth of Jesus remains the ultimate expression of divine love. Yet this is also a moment for renewed commitment. In a world filled with division and moral confusion, the Bible must be more than a symbol on a shelf. It must be our lifeline.

Both Israel and the United States will hold national elections next year, and the world’s instability continues to grow. Now is the time for believers to root themselves more deeply in Scripture so that their faith remains unshaken in the storms ahead.

CBN Israel invites readers to join in prayer this week, reflecting on 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”

Prayer Points:

• Pray for the ongoing work of the Israel Bible Society as it spreads God’s Word throughout the Holy Land.
• Pray that Israelis will find peace, purpose, and truth through the modern Hebrew translations of the Scriptures.
• Pray for the continued healing of former hostages who endured captivity in darkness.
• Pray with gratitude for the sustaining power of Jewish faith and the psalms that helped hostages survive.