The Manger and the Cross
Luke 2.1-20
We tend to think of Christmas and Easter as two separate events which have little to do with each other. Not so! As we shared last week the Word became flesh in a manger so He could die on the cross.
The celebrations of special days for us as believers have to do with Jesus offering Himself up. At Christmas we celebrate that He humbled Himself and became a man. On Good Friday He became obedient to death on a cross. (Philippians 2)
The manger and the cross share many similarities:
1. Both were made of rough wood from the trees God created in the beginning.
They were both “inappropriate” places for the LORD to be laid. It was God’s will and plan.
The Creator was being laid in a wooden receptacle ...
In His Birth- Luke 2.7
The manger was a feeding crib for animals. Have you ever seen animals eat? They slobber. They salivate. They are messy.
Hay was laid in it.
He made the wood for this lowly receptacle. The Nativity was the Creator at the creature’s breast with animals and things He made in the beginning. Jesus turns everything around and He began to do so when He came. His life turned things upside down. No baby had ever been born this way. Jesus came in and brought glory to an unsanitary place. Feeding cribs were never looked the same way again!
He told his disciples that if they wanted to be great not to lord things over people but be the servant of all. He told them to forgive someone 70 times 7. He told them to do good to their enemies. His birth demonstrated a new order was coming. His Kingdom coming. But kings are not born this way! Of course He is no ordinary king! His Kingdom is not of this world. He is the King of kings, the LORD God Almighty.
In His Death Luke 23
He was laid on the cross. Then he nailed Him to it.
He brought a glory to the cross. He took the ancient Roman means of cruel capital punishment and made it into a symbol of victory.
If you think tying in Jesus birth to His death is overdoing it read on in Luke 2 (21-35). The day He was circumcised and named Simeon placed something in Mary’s heart that no doubt troubled her. He spoke about Jesus’ death and the effect that would have on His mother, Mary. For a mother to lose a son is horrible beyond words. There was nothing deserving of death in Jesus. He is the Life!
Not a lot of care went into wood items for animals and criminals deserving the death penalty. These were things that were thrown together. Our LORD was placed on both of them- on His birth and at His death.
What humility. God help us to humble ourselves. All of have a way to go when we look at our LORD. Linger here for a moment. Animal’s feeding crib for his bed... A means of Roman capital punishment for His death.
2. They both speak of the treatment He received while on earth.
He was despised and rejected. (Isaiah 53)
He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him (John 1.11)
The world hated Him.
He said it would hate us too- this week I was asked to do something illegal. When I said I could not the whole atmosphere of the room changed. I didn’t want to make the person feel bad but if we do what is right in a sinful world that is going to happen. The Holy Spirit is speaking to people through us living right. We are salt and light.
3. The manger and the cross were found in significant places.
The push away from a historical Jesus is not good. We do need to make the connection. The historical account must always be submissive to the Biblical account. The places in God’s Word are significant.
Bethlehem is a real place. (as Emma discovered this a week ago) It was David’s city. David remains Israel’s most beloved king. It was prophesied that Jesus would descend from David’s line. Mary was from his line. So was Joseph. It didn’t matter for the sake of descent because Mary became pregnant through the Holy Spirit but it did matter to get them 80 miles away from home (Nazareth) to Bethlehem so prophesy could be fulfilled. God many times rise His purposes out on man’s decisions. How foolish for a man to think he is acting apart from God.
Bethlehem is also Rachel’s burial place. Jacob buried her there.
Jerusalem is the naval of the earth.
Jesus died, rose again and ascended back into heaven from there.
4. The manger and the cross are part of the Christian Experience.
Bethlehem and Jerusalem are only 6 miles apart.
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Everyone who enters the place where Jesus was born must bow.
Someone commented to me while there, “Can you imagine all the famous people who have come to this place?” Yes, but they all to had to bow.
Most people who hear the gospel and reject it, in some way or another are refusing to bow. To bow we must humble ourselves. To bow we must acknowledge God’s greatness and our sinfulness. Many people who do not believe do not believe they are that bad.
The Garden Tomb and Golgotha
The Cross in your life.
We all must carry our crosses - this is denying the sinful nature and walking in the Spirit. If we are following Jesus we are living a life of self denial.
It means offering ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12.1)
The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
God doesn’t show favoritism.
We all have sinned.
Unless we repent we will all perish.
The LORD’s Supper tells of His rejection but it also speaks of our redemption and His victory! He will drink this anew with us in His Father’s kingdom.
Look at the Communion Table this morning. On it are the two elements Jesus left us with to remember Him by: His Body, His Blood. Also on it is the Word of God in a written form and next to it the picture from the scripture that the Word became flesh- the Nativity. On the table this morning are the symbols of the manger and the cross. How He came into the world and how He left- just as it was written about Him.
Humble yourself this morning. Look at Jesus’ birth and death and you will be humbled. It is a good thing to humble ourselves. It is many times painful but always with good outcome. Don’t fall prey to the lie of the world that we need to be comfortable and pain free. Humility is the path to Christlikeness and that is our goal for this life, if we are indeed following Jesus.
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