We see signs all around us. Most of them we ignore, but a few catch our eye. The purpose of a sign is to catch our attention and then to deliver a message.The angel appeared to the shepherds and said, “And this will be A SIGN for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). In verse 11, their message was that they would find a Savior in Bethlehem.The sign that they were to look for was three items: 1. a baby, 2. wrapped in swaddling clothes, 3. lying in a manger. All this was to catch their attentions and would serve as proof that the message was true.Now finding a newborn baby isn’t such a novel incident, even wrapped in swaddling clothes—which was normal in those times. But the third item was unusual—a feeding trough! But that was in important clue as to where to look.Bethlehem is in hilly country and there are caves around the town. Apparently, houses on the outskirts of town used the caves as shelters for their animals. So near their house, they would build their flock pen around the cave so they would have more shelter from weather and wild animals. Now archeologists have found “stone” troughs in the area. Stone troughs were used for both watering and feeding.So there is a high probability that our Savior was born in a cave used for the protection of the animals and laid in a stone manger. The sign the shepherds were to find. The sign was all about the Savior! So, what does it mean that Jesus is our Savior? Well, Jesus came to save us from our sins.Paul tells us that sin robs us from God’s promise of heaven. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom. 5:8-10).If we do not need a “Savior” then the message and the sign was a lie! But it wasn’t—we need a savior.When God appeared to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai the people trembled and ...
