'Appreciating God's Love'
A) Jesus Birth was God's Plan
Luke 2:1,4-5 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered... Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
God sent Jesus the Messiah to be made flesh in order to redeem the sins of men as the Lamb of God. For Jesus to fulfill the law and the Prophets, as 'a qorban', God had to made sure that His birth was in an animal shed.
Note - A qorban was an animal sacrifice, such as a bull, sheep, goat, or a dove that underwent shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter). Yahweh commanded the Israelites to offer offerings and sacrifices on various altars.
Luke 2:7 And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Jesus was born in an animal shed, where the new born animal meant for qorban was to be wrapped in the swaddling cloths.
B) Jesus Born in an Animal Shed
1. Born amongst the animals
Num 7:87-88 All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve young bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs in their first year twelve, with their grain offering, and the kids of the goats as a sin offering twelve. And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings were twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, and the lambs in their first year sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.
Since Jesus was born amongst the animals and in an animal shed, He was sent by God to fulfill the various types of sacrificial animals needed for the various religious ceremonies.
2. Wrapped in Swaddling cloth
Lev 22:19-20 you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf.
As soon as Jesus was born in the animal shed, He was wrapped with the only available cloths - the swaddling cloths used to wrap newly born animals meant for sacrifices to prevent them from getting blemishes.
This very action showed that God had prepared Jesus to fulfill all the animal sacrifices needed for
1. Sin Offering
2. Free Will Offering
3. Peace Offering
and all Sabbaths, Feasts and other Religious Offerings in accordance to the Mosaic law
3. Placed in the Manger
Luke 2:10-12 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
The manger is a trough for animal feed. In the olden days, animal feeds were a composition of cereals, fodders, fruits and other vegetation of the land.
God placed our Lord Jesus in the manger to signify that He was sent as a grain and vegetation offering presented in religious ceremonies.
Lev 2:14 'If you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted on the fire, grain beaten from full heads.
Brethren, in order to save us from damnation, the Son of God was born in the humblest place! Even a beggar's child is better off!
No House but in an animal shed
No Room but living amongst the animals
No Clothes but wrapped with animal swaddling cloths
No Bed but in the manger meant for keeping animal feed.
Brethren, can we understand humility now?
