His Death Afforded Us Life

And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:12

All of us are familiar with the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. We’re told in the scriptures that when the time had come, Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger” (Luke 2:6-7). But have you ever wondered why the angel told the shepherds that the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger was a “sign”?

A manger is actually a feeding trough for livestock. Do you know what a feeding trough looked like in those days? It is usually made of hewn out a block of stone. Jesus was placed in such a trough. But why was that a sign? Because if you have seen the empty tomb of Jesus at a place called The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, you would have noticed that the place where His body was laid, inside a tomb hewn out of rock, resembles a stone trough.  

The Bible says that after Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen and laid it in a tomb hewn out of a rock (Mark 15:43-46). Can you see the similarities? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, baby Jesus would one day be wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. That was the sign the angel was referring to. It pointed to Jesus’ death.  

Only Jesus, out of all humanity was literally born to die. Once you realize that, you will realize how much God loves you. You will realize that He gave up His Son for that one purpose, and that His Son willingly came for that one purpose, to die for your sins and mine.  

Friends, can you imagine living your life knowing that you are just qualifying yourself to die on the cross to save the world? That was the life Jesus lived. He lived to die, so that we might live and enjoy life abundantly today. What a wonderful Savior, what a wonderful Jesus who like the Father had such a love for us.  

This Christmas season, I want to encourage you to take the time to meditate on the price Jesus was so willing to pay so we could have a wonderful life now and throughout eternity. Let’s let Him know how much we love and appreciate such a sacrifice. To God be the glory, great things He hath done. Thank you Jesus.