I’ve searched the Scriptures, and I can’t find it. Know what? A stable. When we imagine Jesus’ birth, we picture him in a stable, right? I’d invite you to search the Bible too, but you won’t find that word. The Bible doesn’t specifically mention a stable or donkeys or oxen. It says: “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7).
The idea of a stable comes from that other word—“manger.” The shepherds were told, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). When Jesus was born, Mary laid him in a manger. So what’s a manger? A manger is a feed box for animals. It was filled with hay or grain. From that one word, we fill in the picture of what that nativity scene must have looked like. If there was a manger, there were animals. If there were animals, there was probably some sort of stable or cave…
Here’s what’s absolutely true: Jesus’ birth was a very humble birth. His first home was a very humble home. That’s not what we would expect for the King of the universe, but it fits perfectly what who our upside-down Savior really is. Jesus described his life like this: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). From the manger to the cross, the King of the universe—the Son of God—lived and died and rose for you and me. What a God we have!
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