The Empty Manger

Look at this face. This is the innocent face of my grambaby Avery. I can't imagine my feelings knowing that one day...my world.... will be without him or his without me. Honestly those are not words I wanted to write.

In Matthew 26 - 28, the death and resurrection of Jesus is recorded. Jesus had a mother named Mary. She she gave birth to him on Christmas day. That was just a few months ago remember how you celebrated? Now....Jesus is dying on the cross and there are many that have come to satisfy their curiosity. One of those had to be his mother.

How would you handle this scene? Yes, I know she understood His purpose. From the day she conceived she knew the reason that she was with child. Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people form their sins". But surely she didn't sign up for this kind of "saving". And how does she get past the fact that her own son is on the cross because of her own sin? Mary...did you know?

I am trying to wrap my mind around what she might have been thinking that moment when she saw her son nailed to a cross with blood dripping everywhere. I can't get past this. As a mom, I know the heartache of something broken, but not to that extent. This was not something that Mary could just put a sponge-bob square pants band aid on, kiss it and make it better. No...she was looking death in the face. Mary...did you know?

At that moment she must have gone back to the manger in her mind. All mothers remember the second their babies were born into this world. She remembers holding him, comforting him, and looking into his most innocent eyes. I am sure she remembers how Joseph came and put his arm around her tired frame and promised their new little family that his love would remain forever. I am sure that she remembered the hopes, dreams and fears of the raising a King. Now as she faces those innocent eyes again, and sees grief nailed to the cross, she all but understands that the last thirty-three years of tiny precious baby boys' life have been marching the beat of a heavenly drum.

The fact is that she is still human, and she is his mother. Those feelings of motherhood never go away. She is watching her son die, her heart is breaking. God is watching His one and only die His heart is broken. This has to be the most difficult moment in history. She will never meet all those who put him there, but at that moment she saw love. Mary...did you know? The manger is empty now.