We’ve been on quite a journey so far in Rediscovering Christmas. Thanks for coming back and joining me here.
Today’s post is later than planned, and if you looked for it earlier, I apologize. I chose to set aside finishing it while doing other activities. One was my hair appointment and the other was coffee with my brother this morning. Both were important to me and both filled me back up to overflowing again. Thank you for your grace.
We’re peering into Luke 2 again today. This time, we rejoice in the birth of our Savior!
While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7 NRSV
Cue the heavenly chorus… Hallelujah! Can you imagine how the heavens rejoiced in that very moment? Or, was heaven filled with awe and silence?
I think of the emotions both Mary and Joseph experienced right then, holding not only the Savior of the world, but the Savior of their very own souls. Could they truly comprehend what was taking place right before their eyes? I wonder.
This birth is why we celebrate Christmas.
It’s the birth that changed the world. We haven’t lost sight of this, have we? If we’ve allowed this season to become about something else, we still have time to switch our focus. This is another timely and good reminder for me today.
It may be just me, but I don’t believe a manger is fitting for the birth of our Savior. Shouldn’t He have been born in a palace? He deserved to be, but even if it doesn’t make sense to us, that wasn’t God’s plan. God brought His son into the world in such a lowly way, that it causes our hearts to be drawn to this miracle in the manger.
manger :: a box or trough in a stable or barn from which horses or cattle eat
The place where horses or cattle eat was Jesus’ first bed.
When we stop at that sentence and let it sink in, I marvel at it all. I think of the dirt and filth that must have been present. I can’t imagine the smells that accompanied the stable and the manger. And, what about the animals that were around Jesus and his parents? Was it noisy or were the animals silent?
God sent His Son to earth… not for His sake, but for ours. He came in the form of a baby, just like us. He lived on this earth, just like us, and He experienced all we have experienced. And, because He was sinless, He took our sins to the cross with Him and paid the price for us. Because of His birth, His death, and resurrection, we are given the opportunity to live forever with Him.
And it all began with the miracle in the manger.
May we allow this truth to transform our thinking, our beliefs, and our Christmas season. May we rejoice in Jesus today.
Blessings!
Julie
Linking up with friends Crystal and Deb. Previous Rediscovering Christmas posts can be found here.
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