Book samples The Curious Sign | Page 47

CS-2016-txt-ART.indd 45 A sign of the work he comes to do The baby born in a stable is a Saviour. He has come to perform a rescue. This is the first description we are given of him as the angels speak to the shepherds in Luke’s story about his birth. Yet THE MANGER 45 Review copy only—not for distribution. The Christ-child begins his life in rejection and hardship. If the manger reminds us of anything, it reminds us that the God of glory chose to come to earth, and in coming he chose to lay his glory aside. God chose humility and the circumstances of poverty, hardship and rejection for his arrival. But what do we learn? In these circumstances we learn that despite all the hate-filled atheistic railing against God, and despite all the accusations of ignorance and enslavement, the consistent truth about the God of the Bible is that the greatest mark of this God’s glory is his unrelenting and steadfast love. What does the curious sign of the manger mean? It means that God loves you so much that he will step away from majesty and choose humility for your sake. 12/09/2016 1:02 PM