Advent series of posts describing the manger scene.
Finally we have the wise men. Where have they been all this time. They have not yet been part of the story. What Luke describes the shepherds seeing in Luke 2 is different from what Mathew describes in Matthew 2. Luke describes an infant, Matthew describes a small child/toddler. Luke describes the shepherds finding Jesus … [Read more…]
What happened to the Shepherds? Last time we came for worship there were shepherds with baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Now all we have is the three of them. This is the first Sunday after Christmas. Our lesson for today is about Jesus being presented at the Temple in Jerusalem. While they were in the … [Read more…]
And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. “Gently wrapped in swaddling clothes, then a purple robe, nails that pierced these hands so dear, crown of thorns, the bitter tear, cries of pain, … [Read more…]
Who is that with the angel in the manger scene today? He’s the often overlooked earthly father of Jesus, Joseph of Nazareth. Joseph was betrothed to Mary, when he was told she was expecting a child. The story Mary told him about being visited by an angel was too difficult to believe. He assumed she … [Read more…]
Why do we have only an angel and Mary in our manger scene today? God promised that through Abraham’s family the Messiah/Savior would be born. As girls were born in Israel, the question about their future included whether this could be the mother of the promised Messiah. As time went along this promise was confirmed, … [Read more…]
Look! There’s just a lamb in our manger scene. What does a cute lamb have to do with our worship? The 2nd Sunday in Advent we celebrate the message of John the Baptist. He came to prepare the way for Jesus. He called people to repent and prepare for the coming of the Lord. He … [Read more…]
So why is our sanctuary decorated with an empty manger? Isn’t this the season to be jolly? Why is our Christian congregation, of all places, not joining in the festivities?