Manger To A Cross

He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He lived his life as the world rejected him. On the night of his birth, in the town of his step-father's ancestors, no one gave his mother a room to sleep in. No one opened their door to the young couple who were expecting. Bethlehem, the town of Joseph's lineage, offered no comfort. There must have been relatives there because this was where Joseph's family came from. But Aunt nor Uncle, Cousin nor kin offered anything to him and his young bride who was expecting.

Why should comfort be offered?
She was pregnant out of wedlock.
Her's was a bastard child.
Why would Joseph, a man of integrity and honor, continue his betrothal to this girl?
Here they were.......
away from home.....
all because of the whim of a Roman ruler who decided to see how many people were truly under the rule of Rome.

"And she gave birth to here first born son, and she wrapped him in cloths and laid Him in a manger, becasue there was no room for them in the inn."
There was no room for them in the inn.
Around back of the inn....
In a smelly, dark, dank stable that reeked of urine and feces.........the Son of God made His entrance into this world. A world that rejected Him.
Even today, the world stills reject Him.
But He has not turned back nor cheek upon the world and, in fact, continues to beckon and woo those who are trapped in the darkness of sin.
"Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest."
Becoming sin for us, Jesus suffered the ultimate in rejection.
Hanging on the cross (think about this) weighed down by the sin of the world........
Heaven didn't want him....
and the earth rejected him.....
God, the Father could not look upon his own son because of the sin.
The people of this world jeered and taunted him.
"He can save others! But he can't save himself!"
Spoken by a religious ruler of the day, truer words were never spoken.
Jesus came to save others.....He would not place himself above the call of His father to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of this world.

So here.....
During this Christmas season.....
Enjoy family....
Have a good meal together.....
Open some presents......
But open your heart to the truth of God that Jesus truly is who He claims to be and will do what the Word of God says He will.
Merry Christmas....
God on you.....
mb