A Place Fit for Animals

 Have You Ever Considered Why Jesus Was Born In A Barn, A Place Fit Only For Animals?

When the Great God sent His Son Jesus Christ, He did not send Him into a place of comfort  and and opulence. He was not delivered into the stream of Human History in great a palace with attendants on hand or the blowing of royal trumpets to herald Jesus' entrance .  Instead He came into a place that stunk of dung and old straw, and animals. An out of the way place and unexpected place , yet this is to where Son of God met humanity, in a barn, a place fit only for animals!

He could have come in better surroundings but did not.

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn" : Luke:2:6-7

What does this tell us about the God who speaks to us all through the pages of the Holy Bible?  Think about what is He saying to us?..Jesus does not just tell us about God , He shows us about God. Why come here in such a place? A stable?

Our Condition

This place that Jesus meets us in, is the condition of us all, that is our lives with out Him is a place fit only for animals. That is what sin is,a dirty place that smells of dung. But none the less Jesus meets us there in such a place. A place we thought we might never see Him.

Consider that He Who created all things  loved and wanted you, all of  us, so much He came to this.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.The same was in the beginning with God .All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made 

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John:1:1;14

He came to us, He did not stand afar off in the  of Heavens, isolated from humanity in a pure and Holy environment, no, He came to us in the midst of all this that we encounter. Our brokenness and weakness, and sin. he came to be with us so we might be with Him. He became one of us in the Incarnation.He is God in the flesh.

Relationship

" Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased." Hebrews:10:5-6

When Jesus took on our humanity, He did not come to bring a "religion" , that is,  "sacrifice and offering",

He wanted a relationship, that is why He came to retrieve and assume  our humanity into Himself. His humanity makes a relationship possible. Jesus' humanity is every bit as important as His deity.

Jesus Understands Us

Hebrews 5, speaks of the need for the High Priest of Israel being one who is "from among the people",

this was so that priest could understand the people whom he represented. How much more  is Jesus able.

"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered" Hebrews:5:7-8

The Prophet Isaiah looked ahead to Jesus at His coming and wrote of the experience that He would have here in the stable of this world as one of us

 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah:53:3

When we enter into the problems of life, we can know that He shares them with us. And there in the midst of them He is there to meet us. We may have never thought we could encounter Him in such places, but there He is right there in that place that smells of dung right with us.  Yet, we have assurances that  Jesus knows what we face. He's been here Himself.
 "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews:4:14-16

He understands our temptations that would lead us into the dark dung strewed places of the stable of our lives, yet, He did what none of us could have done, He remained sinless, untainted by it yet knows it  fully, tempted but no sin. He meets us in the dark places of our being and calls us to Himself and assures us of His love. He will not abandon us in that place fit only for animals, but we will not always dwell in such a place,  but Jesus has come to us that we might come to Him...Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion

Washington, Pa 

Fountain of Life Broadcast heard on RKP Radio 1710 & 1670 AM in Washington, Pa.and 1710 AM in Bentleyville , Pa. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com