Tuesday, December 23, 2014

December 23: The (Empty) Manger: Jesus the Servant King

http://partofthemain.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/day-23-the-empty-manger-jesus-the-servant-king/

When you go to sleep tonight, where will you sleep? You sleep in a bed. The Bible tells us that, after Jesus was born, Mary wrapped him in cloths and lay him down to sleep. But remember how there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn? There wasn’t a bed or a crib to lay him in! The baby Jesus was tucked in to a manger. A manger is a wooden box used to hold food for animals to eat. It probably wasn’t very soft or even very clean. Maybe Mary filled it with hay to make it softer for the tiny, new baby. This is a very surprising way for a great king to be born. And it is very strange that when God chose to send his own Son into the world he had him enter a stable and sleep in an animal’s food box. The humble way that Jesus was born was the same way that he would live his whole life. Jesus came as a king, but as a king who serves his people. The world had never seen a king like this.

Dear Jesus, it is amazing to us that when you came from God into our world, you were born into a stable and slept in a manger instead of a king’s bed. We thank you for coming as our servant king. Amen.

Bible Readings: Mark 10:42-45; John 13:3-17

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