The Bible is my favorite book for so many reasons. Apart from the depth of wisdom, beautiful liberating words, and life-aligning messages, it is a well-written book. The linkages and symbolisms are through the roof. One of the parts of the Bible that contains some of the greatest symbolisms is the story surrounding Jesus’ birth. Before the celebrations kick-in in full, let’s remind ourselves about some powerful things about Jesus’ birth that mean everything to Christianity.
Here a few symbolic things surrounding the birth of Jesus and what they mean.
The scripture tells us that Jesus was born in a manger. This doesn’t literally mean he was born there but, he was placed in there after his birth. There was no space in the inn for the family to stay so little Jesus had to spend His first night in a manger. If you do a little research on what a manger is, you would learn that it is like a trough that holds the food for the barn animals. He was placed in the same place food is kept. How symbolic is it that the One who is the Bread of Life was kept in a place meant for food (Jn. 6:48). Just like the barn animals could get some hay from their manger, we could draw near to that manger and get the bread of life. We can delight our souls with the satisfaction that Jesus gives. He is our only source of spiritual nourishment.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
John 6:35,51 ESV
It shouldn’t surprise you that Jesus had to spend his first night in a barn, and not a room. Again, we see the wisdom of God in this. If you visit a farm house, you are more likely to find a lamb in the barn than in a room. The scripture tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God (Jn. 1:36). It was by divine orchestration that Jesus was present in a barn that night. God was making it crystal clear to us that this is His chosen Lamb…the only Lamb worth the sacrifice…the only Lamb that could take away the sins of the world.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29
Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Micah had prophesied concerning Jesus’ birth and he mentioned how “something” great will come out of Bethlehem, a small and overlooked town (Mic. 5:2). If things had gone according to Joseph’s plan, Jesus should have been born in Nazareth. However, a decree came suddenly that there was to be a census. Joseph and the now heavily pregnant Mary had to make their way down to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown (Lk. 2:1-5). The timing is impeccable. They arrived Bethlehem just in time for the prophecy to be fulfilled. The accuracy of Jesus’ birth down to the location is one thing that dealt the final blow to any doubt surrounding the birth of the Messiah. The prophecy was fulfilled and it was evident that He was God’s promise of salvation.
It was not by coincidence that the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth were that way. In fact, it is one of the greatest depictions of God’s love for us. For many unbelievers, it is still unbelievable that God of all the earth would take on the lowly form of a man, worse, be born in a manger to a carpenter. The Jews expected a royal and regal man. They expected the birth to happen in a well-secured, highly-guarded area. They expected that He would be draped in purple linen as soon as He was born, in anticipation of the rulership He would have over Israel. But to their surprise, it happened much differently.
“Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:5-7 NIV
God so humbled Himself by allowing Jesus to be born in a lowly state, to lowly parents, under lowly conditions. This is symbolic of the servant role He came to play. Jesus served us first by offering Himself as a sacrifice (Matt. 20:28). Our only response is to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him.
It is also symbolic of how accessible He is. If Jesus was born in a royal palace, the Shepherds and Magi wouldn’t have been able to reach him to offer their worship (Lk. 2:8-12; Matt. 2:1-12). Jesus was born in a place so accessible that anyone of any status could approach Him to worship. He didn’t want anything hindering our worship and relationship. He didn’t come high-profiled and mighty–although He has the highest profile and is the mighty God–He came humble and vulnerable, accessible to all, to save all.
Jesus’ birth story reminds us of the wisdom of God, His master plan and perfect execution, and His accessibility to all. Let no man deceive you that coming to Christ is complex. It is just as simple as following the star–which is the word of God, the Bible. There are no barriers…the veil is torn and torn forever!
May the symbolism of Jesus’ birth inspire worship, gratitude, and a deeper understanding of God’s love.
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