Unpacking the Manger

Now that we have Jesus in our nativity, we need a bed for the little Babe...or more, a manger. While this season has its entertainment and retail side: extravagant gifts; bright lights; glittery decorations; and smells of spice, the first Christmas is about God’s business, and God’s business in Bethlehem has nothing to do with show business. In fact, 3x in our text Luke emphasizes that the King came not in a palace, castle, or mansion, but in a manger. The heart of the Christmas message is unimaginable greatness packed into a manger! The God of the universe came to us in weakness and smallness, in diapers and a feeding trough. God in a crib...and more: from crib to cross. Don’t be put off by the lowliness of Christmas, for in that ordinary manger lies the extraordinary riches of the Gospel.