Away in a manger.
My fear is that, for most of the world, that’s all they see of Jesus. They love the image of a cute little baby lying in a manger… a baby who’s smiling and cooing and looking, well, harmless. They see that image and it fills them with good feelings. They never hear a whimper, never a cry. They never have to change a diaper. He’s the perfect baby.
The problem is, it’s too convenient to leave Jesus in the manger. After the holidays, we can just go about our lives without a second thought of Him. Then, next December, we return to the stable to find that happy, smiling baby.
For many, he’s just part of a nativity scene to be pulled out once a year. Most of the time, he is left in the attic, stored in a box and place right there between the inflatable Santa and the fake Christmas tree.
No longer “away in a manger”, we simply want him “away from me”. Away from the real world. Tucked away … stored away. After all, that tiny baby is part of another time, another reality. He’s merely a figure out of history. Or maybe just a legend that men have passed on for hundreds of years.
Regardless, that tiny baby just doesn’t fit into the harsh realities of the 21st century.
Away in a manger.
My encouragement to you is for you to take a look at what the Bible says about Jesus… the whole story. You know, His birth is only a tiny part of His story. In fact, it’s only a small part of the story. His birth goes unmentioned in two of the four gospels.
In the Bible, the manger is overshadowed by the cross. The manger is dwarfed by the reality of an empty tomb.
Jesus didn’t come to earth to be a cute baby. He came to give His life on a cross.
His whole life centered around that. He was born to die. His shed blood covers our sin … sin that had separated us from God (Isa. 59:2). He was born to be raised … giving us hope of one day being resurrected with Him (1 Cor. 15:50-57). Just as Jesus left that manger behind, he left the tomb behind as well.
Away in a manger.
No. Not A WAY, but THE WAY. John 14:6—“I am the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father except by me.” Jesus is not “away in a manger.” He is THE Way… the only way to eternity in Heaven.
No longer in a manger… the risen Lord sits at the right hand of God, offering life and victory to all who would follow Him.