He Deserves Better Than A Manger

For centuries, the debate has been that since Jesus was to be the King of the Jews, He should have been born in a palace rather than a stable. So, why would God the Father allow His royal Son to be born in such a manner as this. After all, this added to the confusion because the Jews were, in fact, looking for someone who would come and sit on David's throne and remove them from the Roman domination. They had heard of the glory days of the past and were anxious to get back to such prestige again. But, Jesus came to this wicked world, it was to fulfill the purpose of God and not the plan of man. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the ceremonial lamb that was slain on the day of Atonement each year, so it was only fitting that He should enter this world beside those sheep and be recognized first by the shepherds, who knew a perfect lamb when they saw one. Thirty years later, when his cousin John was baptizing in the river Jordan, Jesus Himself came to be baptized. When John saw Him approaching, he could easily and rightly have said there is my cousin Jesus, or even here comes the Messiah. But rather than either of those, John very simply said "Behold the Lamb of God" - signifying His purpose rather than His person. Paul speaks of the fact that Jesus humbled Himself and became a man. Yes, in the minds of man Jesus certainly deserved better than a stable. But, that straw filled manger suited the purpose of God just fine.