EmmDev 2023-03-22 [Lent Reflections] The Saviour is here.

The Saviour is here.

(We're reflecting on Saturday's Lent Reading - just to round off Advent and Christmas and then we'll continue with the Lent readings... I've appended the rest of the readings at the bottom... Counting from tomorrow it's 15 days until Good Friday...)
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This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke2:12)

If there is a single image that captures the enormity of the Messiah's coming into our world, it's this one:
"A baby, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

• A Baby: What a risk for God to take! To come into our world helpless.
  A child dependent on His mother for food and basic care
  A child who would learn, experience, love and be loved.
  A child who would go through puberty, learn a trade and watch His parents age
  A child who would experience the fullness of human existence and brokenness.
• Wrapped in cloths: While some consider this a symbol of poverty, all babies were rubbed with salt and swaddled in cloths. The idea behind swaddling is that it helps the baby transition from the womb (a very snug place) to the outside world. But it has also been suggested that the shepherds around Bethlehem were watching a special flock - the flock which produced the lambs for Passover. It has further been suggested that the little lambs would be swaddled by the shepherds to protect them from injury until their woolly coats had grown sufficiently to protect them. Salt was also used to purify both physiologically and spiritually. The swaddled baby implied holiness - and pointed to the fact that Jesus was the Lamb of God.
• In a manger: This is the symbol of Christ's poverty. He is not born in a palace, far from everyday people. He is born in poverty and need. He is the victim of bureaucracy (Caesar's census) and knows dislocation, discomfort and disadvantage.

There is a theory (although mostly discounted) that the swaddling clothes also look forward to the burial cloths that Jesus was wrapped in 33 years later. Whether there is a direct link between swaddling cloths and burial cloths or not, the truth remains. This child, born fragile and poor would later die as the sinless Lamb of God.

And we can only say "Hallelujah!"

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READINGS FOR THE REST OF LENT
Thu 23 Mar - 30. God's Invitation: John 3
Fri 24 Mar - 31. Reaching People: John 4
Sat 25 Mar - 32. How to live the Christian Life: John 15
Sun 26 Mar - 33. The Nature of the Holy Spirit: John 14
Mon 27 Mar - 34. Living by the Spirit: Romans 8
Tue 28 Mar - 35. Living by Faith: Hebrews 11
Wed 29 Mar - 36. What really matters: Philippians 3
Thu 30 Mar - 37. Living in tough times: 1Peter 4
Fri 31 Mar - 38. Authentic Christianity: James 2
Sat 1 Apr - 39. We have Work to do Part 1: Acts 1
Sun 2 Apr - 40. We have Work to do Part 2: 2Cor.5
Mon 3 Apr - 41. The Church: Ephesians 4
Tue 4 Apr - 42. The Nature of Love: 1John 4
Wed 5 Apr - 43. Jesus Dies: Luke 23
Thu 6 Apr - 44. Jesus dies -- Why? Romans 5
Fri 7 Apr - 45. Jesus Rises: Luke 24
Sat 8 Apr - 46. Jesus rises -- death dies! 1 Cor.15
Sun 9 Apr - 47. How it all Ends: Revelation 21

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