Why was Jesus born in a manger?

Response

During Christmastime, it is often said that Jesus Christ was “born in a manger.” In reality, He was not born in the manger itself, but that was where Mary placed Him after His birth “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”, (Luke 2:7). While the exact birthplace of Jesus is uncertain, it is known to be near Bethlehem, where a manger or feeding trough was present.

The promise of the Savior’s virgin birth came immediately after the first sin of mankind in the Garden of Eden “and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”, (Genesis 3:15). Centuries later, the prophet Micah prophesied the birth of Christ in the humble town of Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”, (Micah 5:2). This prophecy came to pass when Jesus’ earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, were summoned to Bethlehem for a census of the entire Roman territory.(Luke 2:1-5). While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Jesus to be born: “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.” (Luke 2:6).

Because of the crowds that had come to Bethlehem, there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7). While tradition says that the inn was a sort of hotel, we don’t know that for sure. In fact, the Greek word translated as “inn” (kataluma) could be translated as “guest room.” This fact has led some to believe that Jesus may not have been born in a stable or barn, but in a house with a lower floor serving as a nighttime shelter for the families’ animals. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a manger located in that area of the house. When Luke states that there was no room in the kataluma, he could mean there was no room on the upper level, which would have been full of other people sleeping.

In any case, Jesus was born at night, in some sort of place for keeping animals. After Jesus was delivered, Mary, His mother, wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7). Later that same night, shepherds from nearby fields found Him just as the angels told them they would (Luke 2:10-12).

So, why was the Savior and King born in a place where animals were kept? And why wasHe then lay in the animals’ food trough? Surely, God’s Son deserved a high-profile birth in the most elegant of surroundings. But, instead, God’s own Son made His appearance on earth in the lowliest of circumstances. This humble birth conveys an amazing message to creation: the transcendent God condescended to come to us. Instead of coming to earth as a pampered, privileged ruler, Jesus was born in meekness, as one of us. He is approachable, accessible, available—no palace gates bar the way to Him; no ring of guards prevents our approach. The King of kings came humbly, and His first bed was a manger.