Faces on Faith: Why would the son of God be born in a barn?
Sunday, Nov. 30, marked the beginning of the Christian season of advent.
Advent means “coming.”
It is a season when we celebrate God becoming flesh and coming to our world as a babe born in a stable in Bethlehem.
He was called Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.”
But what an odd way for God to have His holy Son make an entrance to this dark and sinful planet. It seems that to have him noticed God might have had him come charging in on a white horse with a few thousand angels at His side.
But no, Christmas night was a night of mysterious, but simple wonder.
It’s clear that Joseph and Mary, the chosen couple to serve as the vessel of God’s gracious gift were a common pair.
A carpenter and a young maidenengaged to be wed learned through an angelic visitation that they would bear a son and call him Jesusfor He would save his people from their sin.
There was no room in the inn that night.so they either headed to some cave, or a barn-like structure attached to the inn to give birth to their first born and lay him in a manger.
The son of God in a feed trough.but later He was called the Bread of Heaven, the necessity for real life.
They wrapped him in rags. The same kind of swaddling that would be used to wrap a corpse in preparation for burial.
From the beginning God was trying to show us that his Son had come to die for the sins of the world.
Shepherds were the first to get the report of the birth. They were out in the fields keeping watch over their flocks.flocks that were possibly being preserved as lambs for the sacrifice for sin.
The night sky was filled with the glory of God as the angel pronounced good news to them..good news which shall be for all people.for the
Savior has been born!
Simple, approachable, and universal love made manifest in the visitation that Christmas night.
He left us no doubt.”for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perishbut will have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
-Dr. Daryl G. Donovan, Senior Pastor, Sanibel Community Church