THINK TOGETHER.
Do you have a Nativity in your home? Who is in your nativity set?
READ TOGETHER
Luke 2:6-7. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
I love nativity sets. I have around 50 of them on display in my house right now. Nativity sets show the baby Jesus surrounded by Mary and Joseph of course, with shepherds and wise men close by. And almost every nativity places Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in some sort of barn (it’s called a crèche). Why? Because Luke says that Jesus was laid in a manger, which is a feeding trough for animals.
The truth is we don’t know exactly where Jesus was born. The Bible says that there was no place for them in the inn. But that can also mean there was “no space for them in the room.” Maybe Jesus was born in a house (often mangers were in the house). Maybe Jesus was born in a barn. Some people think Jesus was born in a cave. Where were you born?
Wherever Jesus was born he was born in a very humble place. A humble town called Bethlehem. To humble parents. Sleeping in a humble manger. The birth of Jesus shows us just how humble God would be in order to save us. He would go lower and lower to get to us. From Heaven to Earth. From the manger to the cross. Jesus would stop at nothing to rescue us from our sin.
But to be saved by Jesus we must become humble too.
Proverbs 3:34. …to the humble God gives favor.
God gives grace, to the humble. To those who admit that they can’t save themselves and instead trust in Jesus alone to save them. That’s what Christmas is all about. Jesus becoming humble so that we might become humble too. Jesus becoming low so that he can take us high up to Heaven.
Because of Jesus we can have God’s favor if we are humble.
With Jesus we can choose to be humble knowing that he will lift us up.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Look at a nativity set together. What do you see that is humble (lowly)? Jesus gave up everything in Heaven for us. What would you give up for him?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you went lower and lower for me. Help me to be able to go lower and lower for you too. Amen.
TLICfamily 