Technically, this is Day 2 for this verse of announcement of our Savior's birth. But since the first day that we discussed it was in June 2014, I think we might just want to start over...agreed?
So I'm not going to go back and resurrect that day's discussion. Not even sure what was said. Let's just start fresh and see what Scripture says to us today
If you'll remember, we are using Robert Morgan's book, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. Morgan divides his book into sections of Scripture so that we memorize verses that pertain to one another. The last section of the book, the section that we are in, is "Alpha and Omega: The First and Second Comings of Christ."
The preceding verses in this section have been:
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Bringing us to today's announcement, "This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12
The angels told the shepherds of a sign...their sign was that the baby they were seeking would be wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger. The baby that they had already been told was a cause for great joy. The baby that they had already been told was a Savior, the Messiah, the Lord.
And how were they to be sure that the baby they found was the right baby? Well, this heavenly sent baby, this Savior, this Messiah, this Lord would be found wrapped and in a manger....a manger!?!
Do you think the shepherds might have looked at each other after the angels departed and said, "Did you hear what I heard? Did they really say the baby would be in a manger? Maybe he said mansion...yeah, I bet that was it...our Savior, our King, must be in a mansion!"
No, the shepherds knew what they had heard...and they went to find the baby just as the angels had said, lying in a manger. Does this tell us anything about the way that God views our value system? He found a meager manger to allow His Son to be born in...did that lowly manger take anything away from the royalty of our Lord Jesus? Not one little bit. Would Jesus have been any more of a valuable gift to the world had He been born into a plush, lovely nursery surrounded by handmaids caring for Him? Not at all.
And yet, we continue to think that the more expensive our earthly "trappings", the more valuable our home, the more lovely our surroundings...these have to indicate the person's value as well. That certainly wasn't the case for Jesus...it certainly doesn't seem to be the picture that God wanted us to see of how He views things.
It seems the very first lesson we are taught by God through the incarnation of His Son is that our earthly circumstances are pretty much meaningless in God's view. If it wasn't necessary for His Son to live in earthly grandeur while He was in our midst, then it just must not matter that much!
A manger...yes, a manger. Good enough for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All that we see will pass away...whether a manger or a mansion. Most of us find ourselves somewhere in between. Wherever we are, it is enough. It is where we are living out this small bit of eternity...our earth story.
Here was the beginning of Christ's earth story. You will find Him in a manger.
The mansion comes later.
So I'm not going to go back and resurrect that day's discussion. Not even sure what was said. Let's just start fresh and see what Scripture says to us today
If you'll remember, we are using Robert Morgan's book, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. Morgan divides his book into sections of Scripture so that we memorize verses that pertain to one another. The last section of the book, the section that we are in, is "Alpha and Omega: The First and Second Comings of Christ."
The preceding verses in this section have been:
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
The angels told the shepherds of a sign...their sign was that the baby they were seeking would be wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger. The baby that they had already been told was a cause for great joy. The baby that they had already been told was a Savior, the Messiah, the Lord.
And how were they to be sure that the baby they found was the right baby? Well, this heavenly sent baby, this Savior, this Messiah, this Lord would be found wrapped and in a manger....a manger!?!
Do you think the shepherds might have looked at each other after the angels departed and said, "Did you hear what I heard? Did they really say the baby would be in a manger? Maybe he said mansion...yeah, I bet that was it...our Savior, our King, must be in a mansion!"
No, the shepherds knew what they had heard...and they went to find the baby just as the angels had said, lying in a manger. Does this tell us anything about the way that God views our value system? He found a meager manger to allow His Son to be born in...did that lowly manger take anything away from the royalty of our Lord Jesus? Not one little bit. Would Jesus have been any more of a valuable gift to the world had He been born into a plush, lovely nursery surrounded by handmaids caring for Him? Not at all.
And yet, we continue to think that the more expensive our earthly "trappings", the more valuable our home, the more lovely our surroundings...these have to indicate the person's value as well. That certainly wasn't the case for Jesus...it certainly doesn't seem to be the picture that God wanted us to see of how He views things.
It seems the very first lesson we are taught by God through the incarnation of His Son is that our earthly circumstances are pretty much meaningless in God's view. If it wasn't necessary for His Son to live in earthly grandeur while He was in our midst, then it just must not matter that much!
A manger...yes, a manger. Good enough for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All that we see will pass away...whether a manger or a mansion. Most of us find ourselves somewhere in between. Wherever we are, it is enough. It is where we are living out this small bit of eternity...our earth story.
Here was the beginning of Christ's earth story. You will find Him in a manger.
The mansion comes later.
No comments:
Post a Comment