Why Was Jesus Laid in a Manger?
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December 26, 2010 |
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 "Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:4-7).
Jesus originally existed in the form of God. He was the Master of the heavens and the earth and everything in them and He sat upon a throne of indescribable glory. But He put on a human form and came down to this earth in the flesh in order to redeem mankind from their sins and lead them to gain eternal life. God the Creator and the Almighty could have let His only begotten Son, Jesus, be born in an honorable and majestic place. But why was Jesus born in a stable and laid in a manger?
1. Why was Jesus born in a stable?
In Jesus' time, the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census was to be taken of all the inhabited earth. According to this decree, all the Jews in the land of Judea had to return to their home cities to register for the census. Joseph went together with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant with child. They traveled from the city of Galilee to the city of Bethlehem. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver the child.
Since so many people moved from place to place to register for the census, there was no room for Joseph and Mary to stay at an inn. Mary delivered the child in a stable. She wrapped the child in swaddling cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Why then was Jesus, who came to this earth as the Savior for all men, born in such a shabby and lowly place?
Ecclesiastes 3:18 reads, "I said to myself concerning the sons of men, 'God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.'" This verse tells us that since all mankind sinned and lost the image of God they are but beasts.
When God formed the first man in the image of God and breathed the breath of life into him, the man became a living being. He was a man of spirit and learned only truth from God. But after he disobeyed the Word of God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, his spirit died and he was disconnected from the communication he had with God. He could no longer rule over the earth as the lord of all things. He fell under the leadership of the enemy devil and his heart, that used to be filled with the truth, became imbued with untruths that the devil manages. When Adam's spirit died his soul came to play the part of the master and he lost the image of God.
Thus, men of flesh cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven nor can they call God 'Abba, Father.' In order to redeem these people who are no better than beasts, Jesus was born in a stable.
2. Why was Jesus laid in a manger?
Why was then Jesus laid in a manger after His birth? It was for the Child to become the bread of life to people who are but beasts. In John 6:51 Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." Jesus was laid in a manger in accordance with God's plan to help us to be restored to the lost image of God, perform the duty of men and accomplish complete salvation. As recorded in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, the duty of men is to have the reverent fear of God and keep His commandments. Then God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil, will be revealed.
Those who do not carry out the duty of men and lead beast-like lives cannot escape from being brought to the Great Judgment and being thrown into Hell. For this reason, Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger to become the living bread of spirit to mankind and redeem men, who had become no more than animals, from their sins.
3. Why did Jesus live a poor life though He was rich?
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, could have lived life of wealth if He had just wished for it. But He was born in a stable and lived in poverty intentionally. What is the reason?
2 Corinthians 8:9 explains to us the reason: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." Jesus abandoned the glory of Heaven, came down to this earth in the flesh, received humiliation and mockery, and lived a poor life to redeem us from our sins and poverty.
While Adam and Eve were living in the Garden of Eden, everything was in abundance. They always ate without toiling and sweating for food. But from the time of Adam's disobedience to the Word of God, he gained food only through sweat and toil. He also had to live in poverty, deficiency and need.
Since poverty is not a sin, Jesus didn't need to shed His blood to redeem us from poverty. But poverty is also a part of the curses that fell on Adam because he had disobeyed God. It is for that reason that Jesus also redeemed us from the curse of poverty and enables us to become rich through His life in poverty.
Some believers say Jesus was poor in a spiritual sense. Since Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and is one with God the Father, it would never be correct to say that Jesus is spiritually poor. Only when you realize why Jesus was originally rich, yet became poor, can you feel thankful for the grace and love of God and then become rich for the glory of God.
Some people say asking for financial blessing in prayers to God is not proper in faith. There are some others who misunderstand thinking that the believers in Jesus Christ have to be poor. In Deuteronomy 28:2-6 and in 3 John 1:2 we see that poverty is not in accordance with the will of God at all. In fact, many forefathers of faith including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Daniel lived blessed and rich lives.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In order to fulfill God's plan to lead mankind to the path to salvation and blessing, Jesus was born in a stable, laid in a manger and lived a life in poverty. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray that you may understand this providence of God, perform the duty of men and receive the fullest blessing in spirit and flesh.
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