In God’s perfect timing, Jesus was sent to our fallen world. He was sent in human flesh, conceived miraculously, born humbly (most likely in a cave), and worshipped for the first time by lowly shepherds. It’s really an amazing story of God’s redemptive plan.
As Christians, our faith rests upon God’s sovereign and perfect timing of this redemptive plan that incredibly unfolded in Bethlehem. When one travels to Israel and tours the Bethlehem area and sees firsthand where God became Incarnate, it brings a sense of deepened reality to one’s faith. There is no way to explain the experience of being where the Savior was born. While we don’t worship the “place” (e.g. traditional spot where Jesus was born inside the Church of Nativity), our heart’s focus is to worship the “person,” namely, the Person of Emmanuel.
This is why the manger represents much more than the humble beginnings of our Messiah. It represents the hallowed plan of God to save the world through His Son, someone who ultimately would be hung on a cross and die for our sins.
I love this song by Chris Tomlin that speaks of God’s redemptive plan we call Christmas. I hope it speaks to your heart.
Chris Tomlin’s – “Emmanuel – Hollowed Manger Ground
Praise God for the hallowed manger!