Good morning, everyone. Today is Wednesday morning, the 24th of... ...happened at the manger. I wonder what happened at the manger. You know, our imaginations can run wild sometimes, but I've often thought about, you know, Martin Luther's cradle hymn, Away in the manger, no crib for the bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky look down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, The little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky, And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh. Well, I believe that whatever animals were there in the stable were probably as much in awe as Joseph and Mary and the shepherds. I'm a dog lover and I have observed dogs and dogs are very, very sensitive. They're very intuitive and they're very oftentimes cognizant of what's going on. And I think God's creation must have been in awe that night of Jesus' birth. We're told in Luke 2.7, 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. We find later on that there was room for Christ in the end, but there was no room for Christ with the Jewish leaders, was there? They didn't want to have any part or parcel with them. There was no room for them. The only one, you know, that song they sing, joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King. I've often said the only ones that are going to receive her king, it's not going to be every man without exception receiving the king. The only ones that are going to receive the king is the children of the king. My mom used to sing that song, I'm a child of the king, a child of the king. With Jesus my savior, I'm a child of the king. My father is rich in houses and lands. He owns a whole world in his hands. Rubies and diamonds and silver and gold, his coffers are full. His riches untold. But there at the manger, it didn't look like Jesus was a king, did it? He didn't even have a nice hotel room to stay in. The only place that was available for him was a a barn, a stable, a manger where they put the feed for the sheep or the goats or the cattle. I'm sure when the shepherds showed up it was kind of a shock probably to Mary and Joseph. Here these lowly shepherds Don't you find it interesting that of all the people that God revealed his son's birth to on that night was the lowliest shepherds in the field? Jesus later on would say, I'm the great shepherd of the sheep. What an example of the angels revealing themselves to the shepherds. While shepherds watched their flock by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came around and glory shone around. He didn't reveal himself to King Herod. He didn't reveal himself to the chief priests in the synagogues. He didn't reveal himself to the political powers of the day. He revealed himself to lowly shepherds. He says he didn't come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance. The high and mighty were not, they did not know about the birth of Christ. Later on, three wise men visited Herod and told him that they had followed his star and realized that he was going to be born in Bethlehem, just like the Old Testament prophet said. I really wonder what went on there at the manger. you know, this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And it says in Luke 2 16, and they came with haste. Speaking of the shepherds, they didn't waste any time and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. That's interesting. I wonder what happened at the manger. Well, it is a wonderful story and the story is true. Jesus Christ came into this world. to save His people from their sins. And of course, there's a lot of people that don't believe that. They don't believe that He is the Son of God. They don't believe that He's the King. Many, many of the Orthodox Jews denounce Jesus Christ as the Messiah and say they only have Moses. They don't look to Jesus as the Messiah. Scripture says that one day they'll look on Him whom they've pierced. But at the manger, I'm sure that when the shepherds showed up, it really got Mary's attention. It says she pondered these things and hid them in her heart. You know? Have you pondered the Christ child today? Have you been in awe of the great incarnation of Jesus Christ being born of the Virgin as it was prophesied in the Old Testament? The birth of Christ has been talked about since the birth of Christ. since the birth of Christ has been talked about, hasn't it? Matthew 1.18, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Luke 1 14 now shall have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth. Many rejoice every year at the birth of Jesus Christ. Well, even though I don't celebrate Christmas, I do celebrate the birth of Christ. Not on December 25th, but I do celebrate the wonderful birth of our Savior. We look forward to his coming again someday. He said, if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you into myself. But where I am, there you may be also. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. Well, There's nothing so awesome as the incarnation of Jesus Christ. And may we always remember that He was born in a lowly stable because there was no room for Him in the end. May the good Lord be with you today in a special way is my prayer. God bless.