Page 17 - January 2019 Newsletter

Reflections from The Cradle, Cross and Crown

During December we’ve been reading the advent study, The Cradle, Cross
and Crown by Billy Graham. These are three great symbols of Christmas:
the cradle of the baby Jesus, the cross of Jesus, and the crown Jesus wears
as he sits at the right hand of God. All three are inextricably linked together
and yet most of the time, we don't think about it this way.

The Cradle

Many see the cradle or the manger as a symbol of Christmas. The cradle
was the beginning, but it was not the whole story. The Bible tells us that
Mary and Joseph made the first bed of Jesus in a manger, but even that
manger scene as they swaddled the baby Jesus tells the story of sacrifice.

Surrounding Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus were animals that were used
as sacrifices in the temple. The hay around the manger had to be
sacrificed, it had to die and it had to be cut as food that those animals
could be fed and nourished. Everything spoke of sacrifice surrounding the
birth of Jesus. Everything spoke of the fact that this unique, one of a kind baby was born for a purpose - And we see
it all in Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV).

6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Just think, 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the prophet Isaiah predicted exactly HOW Jesus would
come and the SIGNIFICANCE of his coming. Jesus was born in a humble manger to common parents. Common, that
is by human standards. While the birth of a child would normally be cause for great rejoicing, the joy this birth would
bring is to be short lived. For you see, this child was born to die.