Relevant Church

I never really put much thought in to how important the manger is to the story of Jesus’ birth. Like most people, I just assumed that there was nowhere else so Mary and Joseph simply settled for what they had available. We like to say that God has a reason for everything, but until this sermon I honestly did not know of any significance to the manger.
Paul explained several ways that the birthplace of Jesus is deeply meaningful to his purpose in our world. He spoke of the manger being a feed trough for the animals and how Jesus is our spiritual nourishment. We also learned that the word used in the Bible for “inn” translates to “a place where burdens are lifted” and how Jesus is the ultimate burden lifter. Paul also told us of the meaning of Bethlehem (House of Bread) and how Jesus became the bread of life for all of us. I would like to plus these analogies with one more. I learned in Micah 5:2 that the ancient name for Bethlehem was Eprathah (just don’t ask me for pronunciation.) This ancient word means fruitful. There are many places throughout the Bible in which the term fruitful or bearing fruit is used. In the New Testament alone there are over 20 verses that mention fruit. Jesus used the idea of bearing fruit in his parables as well. An example of this is found in John 15:1-8.

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”

So from a place which means “fruitful” a baby is born who will become the man who represents our only method of bearing fruit for the Lord. We must strive to stay close to Him and to work on becoming better disciples. Then and only then will we bear the fruit that will glorify God. I challenge you to do some introspective analysis and ask yourself, “Are the fruits that I produce all they can be?” If your answer is no, the simple solution to improvement is to get closer to Jesus.

-Bill