Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus,
that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census
taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to
register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from
Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is
called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to
register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While
they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave
birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7
To me, the thought that the King
of Kings and the Lord of Lords would come to this world and be placed in a
manger is almost beyond my level of comprehension. A manger is a feeding trough for farm
animals. It wasn't a bad place for
feeding sheep or cattle, but to my mind it was certainly no place for a baby to
be placed, much less the Son of God.
However, as I think about this great truth, I realize that there are
some pretty important reasons why Jesus was placed in a manger at His birth.
• Because Of Accessibility
Imagine for a moment that Jesus
had been born in Herod's palace amid all the riches and finery of that place.
Imagine that His bed had been a golden crib, imagine Him having enjoyed a life
of abundance and plenty. Imagine Him being separated from the common man by the
walls and guards of a king's palace. If that were the case, would you feel the
liberty to come to Him? Probably not!
However, He was born in a manger
and thereby He made Himself accessible to all who would come to Him. Luke 2
records the visit of the shepherds.
These common, dirty, vile men
felt the liberty to approach Him in this place. Later, even the wise men, these
learned, wealthy men felt equally at home bowing before Him.
I am certain that one of the reasons Jesus
shunned the palace in favor of the stable is so that He would be available to
all who desired to come to Him.
Thank God, whosoever will can
find all they will ever need in Jesus. From the lowliest man to the most
influential ruler, all men have a right to come to Jesus.
• Because It Was An Announcement
When Mary took her newborn baby
and placed Him in that feeding trough, she was a painting an image far more
vivid than she realized. For there in Bethlehem, "The House Of
Bread", the Bread Of Life was born.
Isn't it appropriate that the
One who would feed the souls of countless multitudes should have as His bed the
very place where the animals came to be fed.
It just serves to remind us that
when hungry men come to Jesus and receive Him, He satisfies the longing of
their souls, and gives them the Bread Of Life. It was almost as if God were
saying, "Dinner is served! Come and dine."
I think the birth of Jesus is a
pretty significant event. I am glad it happened as it did because in it I find
there is room for me and for you to come to Him and be saved by His grace. His humble birth provided the perfect door for
all to walk through to receive Him.
Scripture to Claim:
Almighty God,
and Father of our Lord Jesus. Use our
lives to put your love into action this day, and every day. Keep the love and example of our Lord in
front of all we do, of all our reactions, and guiding our actions. Keep us doing – love… in all we do. Don’t let presents, and shopping, and the
pressure of purchasing happiness and acceptance become the limits of love this
season. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
