Celebrating Christmas--The Stable

We all know that the Savior of the world was born in a lowly stable,

but most of us picture that as a western wooden barn type structure. 

But a stable for Mary and Joseph would have most likely have been a cave. 

Thus, in a stable-cave Mary gave Jesus mortal life,

and from a sepulcher-cave Jesus came forth to give Mary and all mankind immortal life.   

Both caves are reminders that Jesus 

descended “below all things” (see 1 Nephi 11:16; D & C 88:6).

Theologians call this the condescension of God, 

and Paul describes it like this: 

He was God “but made himself of no reputation, 

and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7).   

The King James translators chose to translate the Greek word used here as reputation, 

but a more accurate translation is that Jesus “emptied himself.”  

 He was God, yet He emptied himself of power to begin anew, 

growing from grace to grace.   

He was the Word, and yet He came as a wordless infant.  

 He was the Almighty One, and yet helplessly He took nourishment at Mary’s breast.  

 He was King of kings, and yet He came as the servant of man. 

He, the great I Am, condescended to be the beast upon which all burdens would fall,

born among animals in a stable-cave.