Page 14 2013 Home for the Holidays Special edition of LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
Yes, Jesus is “over yonder in a
feeding trough for animals.” He is
in a feeding trough because he had
to be born in Bethlehem: “But you,
O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are
too little to be among the clans of
Judah, from you shall come forth
for me one who is to be ruler in
Israel, whose coming forth is from
of old, from ancient days.” – Micah
5:2
Since He had to be born in Bethle-
hem, God the Father moved all of
history so that the Roman emperor
would decree a census of his em-
pire: “In those days a decree went
out from Caesar Augustus that all
the world should be registered.
This was the first registration when
Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be registered, each
to his own town. And Joseph also
went up from Galilee, from the
town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Beth-
lehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David.” – Luke
2:1-5
The Roman world was in transit,
each going to his town to register
for the census. Towns were crowd-
ed. The Little Lord came into the
world barely noticed by man.
The Little Lord came to save the
world from the curse of sin, from
the venom of the Ancient Dragon,
Satan. The Little Lord is fully man
and fully God. Jesus is born of a
woman the same way you were.
Through the blood and water of
childbirth, Jesus came and breathed
the Earth’s air. This birth would be
a foreshadowing of His death, as
if God set a sign saying, “Let the
birth of my son show the type
of death he might die.” We know
this for it is written, “But one of
the soldiers pierced his side with a
spear, and at once there came out
blood and water.” – John 19:34
The Little Lord lay down His head,
no crying He made.
The head that would be crowned
with thorns is a truly human one.
Jesus cried. Jesus cried because He
was hungry, because He needed to
be fed, because He wanted to be
held so He could nurse. The Son of
God, our Savior, has experienced
everything you have: hunger, pain,
grief, joy, laughter and fun. He
has redeemed it all and made you
right with God the Father. This
head that was laid in straw would
be crowned with thorns. This head
that was laid in straw would be
laid against the wood of a cross.
This baby, as a man, would cry.
He would cry when His friend
Lazarus died. He would cry out in
pain when nails pierced his flesh.
He would cry out, “My God, My
God, why have you forsaken me.”
– Matthew 27:46
He would cry out, “It is finished!”
– John 19:30
Sin would be paid for and Jesus
would be laid down once again, on
stone, in a tomb.
But He would not stay there. Jesus
would rise again, victorious over
Satan and death. As He now lives,
so, too, will those who trust in Him
for forgiveness and salvation be
immortal.
So the prayer of this cradlesong
goes on: Lord Jesus, stay by my
cradle.
