The Nature of the Nativity: Day 14 - The Manger

It's Day 14...almost done with our journey. I've enjoyed our time together, and I hope you have too. Today we are going to place our manger in the stable and get it ready for Jesus to come tomorrow.

Today we are going to move away from the Nativity story a little bit. Let's go to he back of the New Testament. Grab your Bible and turn to Hebrews 2:14-18:

"14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."  New International Version

The spiritual truth that I want to explore through the manger is, Jesus understands. 

Hebrews can be a difficult book to wade through, but there is a wealth of knowledge to be found in it...especially where Jesus is concerned. Look back in verse 14. The writer of Hebrews explains that Jesus had to become human to break the power of death. Verse 17 tells us that He had to be made like us, completely human, to pay the price for our sins (atonement) but also so he would be merciful. In verse 18, the writer encourages us with the truth that Jesus has suffered what we suffer and has been tempted with what tempts us. Who better to lead you through this life than One who has slogged His way through it, and did it without sinning. 

I can guess that some of you are incredulous that Jesus faced the same temptations you do, or that He suffered the same things that you have suffered through. First, when the writer of Hebrews makes this statement in verse 18, he's not saying that Jesus understands everything from personal experience. He's saying that Jesus suffered when He was tempted. One of the false teachings that was going around about Jesus during this time was that Jesus wasn't fully human. Some were teaching that the Son of God "possessed" the man Jesus at His baptism and then left Him right before the cross. One of the things that the New Testament letters consistently engages, is the truth that Jesus was fully human and not a spirit posing as a man. Because He was fully human, temptation affected Him the same way it affects us. Hurt, and loss, and fear all felt to Him like they feel to us. Yet he did not sin. Because of this, we can trust Him to guide us through this life.

Still not convinced? Let's list a few things that Jesus faced:

• Jesus would have been seen as Joseph's child, conceived during the betrothal process, in his home town
• Jesus was tempted by Satan to use His power as the Son of God fir His own benefit
• Though He was doing what God wanted, the religious leaders said His power comes from Satan himself.
• Jesus lost a loved one in Lazarus.
• Jesus faced abandonment of His disciples.
• Jesus was betrayed by a close friend.
• Jesus was whipped, punched, and spat on.
• Jesus was mocked with a "royal robe" and a crown of thorns.
• Jesus was forced to carry His cross to the point of exhaustion.
• Jesus was stripped naked, nailed to piece of wood, and suspended for everyone to jeer at.

Jesus faced all this and much more. It's likely that Jesus faced the temptation to steal; what boy isn't. Jesus probably wrestled and played with other children which could easily lead to anger and sin. We all know women who are drawn to powerful men; it's not hard to believe that Jesus fought that temptation during the height of His ministry. The list goes on and on. The point is, Jesus faced it all without sinning, and without quitting. If it had been me, when that first punch would have landed, you'd better believe the angelic throw down that would have happened would have dwarfed our modern comic book movies. I'd have opened up the skies and dropped legions and legions of angels into the city of Jerusalem. But not Jesus. He faced this world with the same limitations that you and I do and did it despite having the power to not have to...all out of love. No other religion can make this statement. Sure, other religions have prophets who were human, but no other "god" left heaven and came to earth leaving their glory behind to save those who needed it.

So, let's take our manger, our dirty straw filled feed box for animals, and place it in our nativity. May it remind us that we worship a God who knows our pain, our temptations, and our sins that He bore on the cross. May the manger remind us that nothing was too much for God, no length was too great to go for us. God Bless you all! See you tomorrow!

Day 14 - The Manger

* All scripture from the New International Version