–George Sheffield Mary “laid him in a manger”(Luke 2:7) Manger comes from an old Latin word meaning “to eat” or “to chew”.
A manger is a feeding trough, and not very sanitary. But baby Jesus was placed in a manger.
This is for two reasons.
For one, it made for a quick cradle. But more importantly, it displayed a spiritual truth. In John chapter 6, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He that comes to Me will never hunger.” Later in that same chapter, Jesus said in symbolic terms that unless one eats His flesh and drinks His blood, they will not have eternal life. To be saved you must ingest Jesus. He must dwell with in you spiritually. His bread--His body-- and His wine--His blood--gives us eternal life.
The Father sent His bread to us and laid it in a manger for us to feed on. And He sent that living bread to Bethlehem which means “house of bread”. Like the manna from Heaven in the Old Testament which gave physical life to the Israelites, Jesus, the bread from Heaven in the New Testament, gives spiritual and eternal life.
We can come to the manger of Bethlehem in our sinful, unsanitary condition, and receive the bread of life--JESUS; the Father’s Christmas gift to us. Come eat the bread.
Come drink the wine.
Receive the gift of eternal life found only in Jesus.
Merry Christmas.
