When I was a little boy, ballpark 7 or 8 years old, my older brother, sister, mom and dad, were tasked with leading the Christmas Eve service in our church. That meant taking turns reading from the bible and more specifically, the story of Jesus’s birth. We also lead the congregation in song, and helped people with the acquisition of candles for the candlelight portion of the service. Even at such a young age, I remember to this day the pride I felt for my family at being given such an honour.

Dead centre on the front stage, a hand-crafted barn-type structure had been erected, complete with a crude-looking wooden manger—the exact kind I saw in the pages of my Sunday School children’s bible. Asleep in the manger was a doll wrapped in swaddling, white cloths, aka baby Jesus, the young Savior waiting for just the right moment in the script to be picked up and presented to the wide-eyed people in the sanctuary.

It was my posting to extract baby Jesus from the manger as the candles were being lit and the choir sang. I might have well-been Joseph himself, because at that moment, with all eyes upon my little arms reaching down into the manger, I felt extremely privileged at being given such a monumental responsibility. Fearing I might drop Jesus and cause myself and my family a heap of embarrassment, I kept my movements slow as instructed, and, I’m happy to report, I did it—perfectly!

I wonder to this day what it would have been like to reach into the real Christmas manger in Bethlehem, to lift the Son of God from his resting place and present him to all mankind. To stare into the eyes of a newborn baby is miraculous, but to gaze into the soft loving eyes of Jesus, my Savior and yours, would be mind-blowing!

Just imagine the joy the shepherds felt when they got this angelic message while abiding over their flocks by night. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2, 10-11 KJV)

I’m not sure about you, but I would have fallen off my camel at that news!

Know something else really cool?

You can meet the Savior right now, right this minute, and at Christmas no less! There’s no better gift you can receive than when you place your faith and life into the hands of baby Jesus—who lived, was crucified dead and buried for your sins and mine, and then gloriously resurrected! You can accept the FREE gift of eternal life, by grace through faith!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJV)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)

If you don’t yet know the baby in the manger, what are you waiting for? Invite Jesus to be Lord over your life. You won’t have a better Christmas, ever! And that’s a heavenly guarantee you can bank on! (Check out the Saviour’s Call! Do it today!)

Paul Smyth