22-12-2019 : The Savior of My Life who was born in a Manger

Title: The Savior of My Life who was born in a Manger

The Lord’s Covenant Church (TLCC) is a Presbyterian church that is based near you, at Petaling Jaya. Do join us on our weekly bible study on Wednesday as well as Sunday Lord’s Day Service at 10:30am! See you soon!

The manger is the place where God’s first- love began

God so loved His people and sent Jesus to be incarnated on the earth that Jesus was born in a manger. Therefore, being born in a manger portraits God’s first-love.

A manger is where animal and cattle eat and drink. No matter how hard these animal and cattle try to maintain, it looks dirty and smells bad. This dirty and smelly manger represents the heart of the fallen mankind who is arrogant, deceiving, and does the things God and the Law say “Do not”.

Romans 3:10-11 “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE, THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

Romans 3:13-15 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
¹⁴ “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood,

The Bible says that the fallen human only talks about to kill or to be killed, to curse and to bring someone down. How dirty and smelly our hearts are!

Let us not regard ourselves as clean or holy and let us not deceive ourselves. Let us admit that we are the dirty and smelly manger. But as Jesus was born in a dirty and smelly manger, we should ask Jesus to be born in our hearts today.

What is good to celebrate Christmas every year if Jesus has never been born in our heart?

1 John 2:25 shows that God’s (Jesus’) promise was eternal life. It is exactly same with what John 3:16 says. The reason why Jesus incarnated and came to the earth is to give us eternal life.

So, when Jesus was born in a manger, the dirty and smelly manger became the place to give eternal life. So, if Jesus is born in our heart today, the dirty and smelly manger, we will become the place of eternal life. We will receive the eternal life from Jesus and we will become the place to give the eternal life to others.

The Bible says that Jesus is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). So, if we want to receive God’s grace, we should go to Jesus. If we want to understand the truth, we should go to Jesus too. Even if we are the dirty and smelly manger, if Jesus comes to us on this Christmas, we will able to receive God’s grace and will be able to understand God’s truth.

• The manger is the place where the power of God began

God is a God of richness, God does not lack anything, and all things belongs to God. However, when Jesus was born, He was born as a son in a poor family (Luke 2:11-12). Then why did the richest God choose to become the poor?

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Jesus originally is rich but was born in a poor family and lives as a poor man, and He did that so that we can become rich.

So, if you want to have success in your business or in your school or in your family, you should go the manger where Jesus was laid. If you want to become rich, you should go to the manger too.

Matthew 2:10-11 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Not only the Magi(s) but the shepherds who heard the good news also came to the manger. For them the manger was not a beautiful or luxurious place to worship Jesus Christ. Yet, what was important to them was where Jesus was, and they were humble enough to bow down and worship a baby.

Today, TLCC may be small, not so beautiful and not luxurious. But, if Jesus resides here, if Father resides here, if the Word of God resides here, then we should know that we must come to TLCC to worship Jesus Christ.  Only then, the power of God will be given to you, the success you were looking for will be given to you, the money that you were looking for will be given to you.

The heralds of Jesus’ birth is the glory to God and the peace among men on the earth. However, the Bible narrows down as the people whom He is pleased.

Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men ^[a]with whom He is pleased.”

People who are willingly admit that they are the dirty and smelly manger, yet to cry out for the baby Jesus to be born this year. People who willingly go to the small and not luxurious manger, yet to truly worship Jesus and Father are the people God is pleased with.  Amen!