Show Me More.
Last Christmas season, as I was working on a writing project, I found myself doing more than just recalling the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. I envisioned myself inside that stable in Bethlehem. I went there with an open heart, asking God to show me more.
I didn’t enter that sacred place singing “O Come Let Us Adore Him” or “Silent Night”; my soul wanted to grasp the reality of God with us. That writing reflection turned into a profound moment of conviction.
As I closed my eyes, I pictured the classic nativity scene: Baby Jesus lying in the manger surrounded by the wise men, the shepherds, Mary, and Joseph. Off to the side were a few curious sheep and the infamous donkey. The brightness of the star seemed to illuminate a path inviting me to come closer toward the Newborn King. As I made my way, the details became unmistakably real.
The air felt thick with the heavy scent of straw, livestock, and earth. This was nothing but a lowly, stinky stable with old wooden beams covered in cobwebs.
With every step I took, the stable’s pungent scent intensified. It wasn’t until I looked into the eyes of the baby, the very Son of God, that I realized the true source of the overpowering odor. It was not the animals or what they left behind; it was me
Looking at Jesus with an open heart exposed the painful truth of my sin. In the bright, pure light of His holiness, even my best efforts are nothing but filthy rags.
The prophet Isaiah captured this perfectly:
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6 NIV)
In that moment of conviction, my heart broke, I fell to my knees and embraced God’s gift to me. This baby clothed in swaddling cloths was born to wash me clean and exchange my filthy rags for a robe of righteousness.
When we turn from our sin and receive God’s priceless gift, we are not only forgiven, but we are clothed in garments of salvation. This is the true gift of Christmas!
My sin, so powerfully felt at my Savior’s birth, immediately compelled me to look to the Cross. God’s love for us is so great that He willingly gave His One and only Son to bear all of our shame and sin. The King of kings was born in a manger, died on a hill, and triumphed over death leaving behind an empty tomb. We simply can’t experience one miraculous event without recounting the others.
The nativity scene is the evidence of God’s pursuit of mankind. He did not remain far off from our brokenness, but entered into the filth of our humanity to bring us back to Him. This Christmas, as you celebrate the birth of our Savior, I want to challenge you to enter the stable and ask God to show you more.
