Soul Scientist

John 1:14 CEB The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 7:19 AMPC For the Law never made anything perfect—but instead a better hope is introduced through which we [now] come close to God.

When I was two years old, Mother bought me my first manger set so I could be up close with baby Jesus at Christmas without worry of breaking anything. And now, 54 years later, King Jesus calls me closer and closer every day, including today as I’m setting up that same manger set in my living room.

When I was young, Mother and Daddy encouraged me to play with, talk about, and write down ideas with the manger set as a means of cementing faith into my heart. And today, my Good God prompts me to do the same as ways to draw others into faith with their hearts and minds.

Even though my manger set, my parents, and I are all showing our age in chipped edges and broken or missing pieces, our presence evokes memories of choosing love and what’s truly important in the now and not-yet – our Jesus made flesh so that we might be made righteous (see John 1:14 and 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Speaking of missing pieces, even though all the sheep from my manger set are now lost, I know that my Jesus will never lose me nor ever turn away or turn me aside (see John 10:28 and Hebrews 13:5). He knows me better than I know myself, even if I might feel lost or overlooked amidst the bright lights of the season or in the long dark nights nobody knows about.

For my Jesus doesn’t just know about me, He comes close and fixes me. And the lavish love He uses to repair my life is just as distinctive as the superglue on the donkey in my manger set who experienced a disastrous trip to the grocery store with one of my sons when he was around two years old learning about baby Jesus up close.

But that scarred donkey, missing sheep, and sagging stable roof of my manger set still point to my Jesus and the glorious gift of Him coming to dwell with me over 2,000 years ago. And His scarred hands, many sheep, and empty manger and cross still point to my Jesus and the glorious gift of Him calling me to come and dwell with Him today.

Yet my Jesus is doing the same for you today – can you hear Him calling you to come closer?

To come closer – not just to see the manger and cross but to live with Him in the same love that brought Him close to us then and keeps Him close today. To come closer and dwell in the shadow of the stable and to abide in the conviction of the cross. To come closer and thus, settle into the tension of the chipped reality of today and the perfect realization of the hope of tomorrow.

For this baby Jesus of the manger is the once and coming King Jesus of all peoples and all times. The Glorious One Who was, and is, and is to come – the Almighty. He is the One Who conquered all for all of us for today and every day, whether we are setting up manger sets with baby Jesus in our living rooms or setting out into a new and unknown path of trusting obedience in following our King Jesus with our lives.

(In case you were wondering, the picture shown above is this same manger in my living room this year…and hopefully for many years yet to come…)

Written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, 2023.