A Missing Baby!!

manger

Does one piece of a manger scene really make a difference?

 

It happened while we were out of state celebrating Christmas with our family. During a rare prolonged period of freezing weather, a water pipe in our attic burst and for several days sprayed water over the area. A neighbor saw water running out our front door.

As a result the ceiling over our family room collapsed and dropped almost two feet of soaked insulation into the room. It took pictures from the wall and swept our Nativity set onto the floor where it was covered with insulation. A good friend helped with the cleanup and amazingly was able to find every piece.

Except the one inch long Baby Jesus who was displaced from his manger bed.

Now thirteen of fourteen pieces should be enough, right? What’s one tiny piece among many others?

But that’s the entire purpose of every crèche on display around the world … to highlight the Baby who was God in the flesh! Eliminating the livestock would make no difference to anyone. Joseph and Mary lose all significance without their miraculously-birthed baby boy.

The shepherds wouldn’t have left their sheep to visit an animal pen in the middle of the night. Eastern astrologers (Magi) would not have made a trip of several months to a remote Judean village just to get a stamp in their passports.

A manger without Baby Jesus in a cradle wouldn’t be much different from any farmyard in existence.

  • Without Jesus a thousand years of specific prophecies are left unfulfilled.
  • Without Jesus the hopes and dreams of mankind are forever dashed.
  • Without Jesus man must carry all guilt for his own sins.
  • Without Jesus the light that drew the Magi is never lit.
  • Without Jesus the lonely have lost their best forever Friend.
  • Without Jesus there is no light at the end of anyone’s tunnel.
  • Without Jesus justice will never be truly served.
  • Without Jesus there are no shared burdens, just increasing weight.

Jesus must be in the center of the Season because we need Him so desperately in our lives. And because Jesus is the reason for the Season, celebrate with abandon and great joy!

P.S. Jesus was eventually found and is back in his manger where He belongs!

 

There is still time to get your copy of Fresh Heart For a New Day … your source for an uplifting Fresh Heart message for every day of the year. It’s available in printed form or for your Kindle. Check it out at: Amazon.com (It makes a wonderful gift for a friend as well.)

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