Happy Birthday, Jesus

Text: Luke 2:1-20 Theme: Jesus was actually born on this earth like us. Key verses: “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (v. 6-7) “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby…An angel of the Lord appeared to them…’This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'” (v. 8-12) “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a manger.” (v. 16) What God said to me: Dwayne, you were born in a hospital with the best of care. Few then or now can say they were born in an animal’s stall and laid in a feeding bin. Three times Luke reinterated how my son, the King of Kings, was placed in a manger as his first bed. He was born into the lowliest of circumstances. Yet when you hear me say that you think I am refering to that manger, but in fact the lowly circumstance to which I refer is that world you live in. You have little or no idea what my boy left in heaven to have to come down there to earth. Yes, the manger is a symbol. But it symbolizes more than just poor, undesirable places within your world; it represents everything your world is. It is a fallen, miserable place where sin is pervasive and self is king. It is a darker more dismal place than even that little animal stall in Bethlehem. I sent my one and only son to that dark place. His light is the light of the world. And no manger or any other lowly environment could squelch the light of his love and supremity. What I said to God: O Lord, thank You for speaking to your lowly servant today. I never ceased to be amazed at how amazing Your love and mercy is to us. You are higher than the heavens, greater than the great. Yet You choose to live among us and make Your home inside of us. Happy birthday, Jesus! And happy eternity, all His saints!