Luke 2: 6-7 NIV
6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
So on Christmas Eve Mark went to church with me. This was my third time attending a Christmas Eve service at this church. It wasn't until I was there that I remembered that I told myself last year not to go back because they didn't sing any traditional Christmas songs! I need my Silent Night, Away in a Manger and Hark the Herald's......to name a few.
I don't get it at all. Their band apparently has a Christmas album out and they only sang songs from it which I didn't know at all and then at the end of the service they sang "This Christmas" which is a song I like a lot but not in church. Furthermore we only got to sing one song where they put the words up. It was all about their singers.
I was sitting there thinking how can they not have traditional songs in their service. I think those traditional songs are the backbone of our countries traditions. I was thinking how sad it is that all these young children sitting at this service will not have the history of these songs in their lives!
We did like the sermon that the pastor shared which was on the reason Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in the feeding trough/manger. Something I had never heard before. I am sure many of you may know this but in all my years I've never had it told to me this way. Also Mark was not familiar with this. He was raised Catholic but also took theology classes in college.
Back in the days before Jesus' birth they would sacrifice a lamb for God to forgive them for their sins. These lambs had to be perfect, clean and no broken legs. So when they were born the shepherds would choose the perfect lambs and wrap them in the cloth, making sure they wrap the legs and lay them in the trough also called the manger.
He said that it was no coincidence that there was no room at the Inn and that Jesus would be placed in the manger. Wow....right? It was like a light bulb moment for me! It all made perfect sense. What I like to call a "Godincidence!"
He went on to explained how people would have nicknames like "John the Baptist" and that is where Jesus got his nickname "The Lamb of God." Wrapping him in the swaddling cloth and placing him the manger like the sacrificial lambs.
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