Today’s repost is one I wrote in the weeks after returning from Israel in 2006. The Church of the Nativity was a high point of both of my trips to Israel and it gave me pause to consider the first advent of Jesus Christ. I hope you are blessed by today’s repost.
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As I walk through this world and see how evil is so prevalent, I ask myself “Why in the world does God put up with humanity?” I think about my own life and how often I have broken the heart of my Lord by my thoughts, words, and action and I ask myself why would He die for me. He knew, thousands of years before I was ever conceived, the life I would live, yet He died for me anyway. Why would He do such a thing?
As I approached the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, I asked myself this very same question. Why would the King of the universe, the One who hung the stars in the sky, the One who was present at creation, pay any attention to someone like me? Certainly the President of theUnited Statesdoes not know my name and probably never will. Neither will the Vice President nor the Queen of England. I am a no-body to the very important people of our time, but not to Jesus.
Cindy bending down to enter the Church of the Nativity
As you approach the Church of the Nativity inBethlehemyou see a very low opening that leads you into the church. One cannot walk into the place that houses the stable and the manger without bending down. What a beautiful picture this is of what Jesus did when he came to earth! The King of the Universe bent down and humbled himself, becoming a helpless human baby who was dependent on a poor Judean couple for his very life.
Church of the Nativity – One can reach down into the area surrounded by the star on the floor and touch the floor of the cave where Jesus is said to have been born.
He was born in a cave in Bethlehem and placed in a straw filled stone feeding trough which served as his bed. The picture I have attached shows the place inside the church where one can bend down and touch the floor of the stable (area surrounded by the star). Why would He allow Himself to be placed in such humble circumstances?
Why? Because of love for you and me. The relationship He once enjoyed with His creation had been destroyed when sin entered the world and only the sacrifice of a perfect Lamb would make it possible for that relationship to be restored. The Jewish people had sacrificed untold numbers of lambs over the centuries to atone for their sins, but the blood of sheep and goats was never enough. Only the blood of the perfect Lamb of God would once and for all cover the sin of all mankind. Jesus allowed Himself to become that perfect lamb so that my relationship and your relationship with the Father would be restored. Jesus’ sole purpose in coming to earth as a little baby was to die as a man for our sins. He was born to die for you and for me!
Max Lucado says,
“Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary’s finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that’s what love does.”
This Christmas I encourage you to ponder the manger and the cross. If you have never accepted this perfect Lamb of God as the covering for your sin, there could not be a better time to do so than Christmas. He loved you enough to die for you and wants you to accept the free gift of His blood which covers your sin. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior already, take some time to thank Him for bending down, walking through the door of eternity into our world, humbling Himself and dying for you. Truly remember the reason for this Christmas season and share it with others.
MEDITATION MOMENT: When was the last time you shared Jesus with someone? Today would be a wonderful day to do just that. The world desperately needs to hear about Jesus.
