“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

God became a baby,
conceived in a supernatural way,
born by an ordinary girl.

He became the son,
not of earthly royalty or prestige,
but of a humble, faithful carpenter.

He came forth,
not in a palace or a nice home,
but in a stable.

His birth was attended,
not by religious leaders,
or those of noble birth,
or even by throngs of thousands.

They were an odd bunch –
a mix of smelly shepherds and foreign astronomers,
farm animals and angelic choirs.

And they gazed in wonder and awe,
at their Salvation,
wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The baby Jesus-
His newborn cries sound loudly,
as He is placed low in hay,
The Bread of Life
in a feeding trough.

And His manger speaks.

His manger speaks to us today-
A Child is born – for us!
For the rich and poor,
high and low,
rejected and accepted in society-
He doesn’t play favorites,
but invites all who will hear and respond
to draw near.

His manger radiates the beauty
of Humility-
The God who thrust the stars into space
and calms storms,
came as a helpless child,
dependent on others for survival-
and through humility He thrived.

The manger speaks of prophecies fulfilled,
hundreds of words,
spoken by prophets of old,
thousands of prayers,
filled with weeping for redemption,
satisfied by this baby’s first cry.

Within the manger scene,
A shadow of a Cross is already present,
The gift of myrrh signifying
the purpose of this child’s life,
would be completed in His death.

The manger fills us with hope,
that He who came once,
will come again-
our sighs will be abated,
our tears dried up,
our anxieties overcome with peace,
and all our pains healed.

The manger drives us to our knees,
with gratitude for a God who would
take a journey in our shoes.

For a God who does not leave us alone,
but became “Emmanuel” – God with us.

For a God who promises to bring everything-
in our lives-
in this world-
in His sovereign plan-
full circle.

Most of all,
the manger speaks of Love,
the Greatest the Earth has witnessed and known,
a love that moved heaven and earth to be with us.
A love that calls us still.
A love that never fails.

By: Laura M. Thomas