The newborn baby laid in the manger wasn’t wearing the well-made, beautiful clothes of a high priest; rather, he was wrapped in cleaning cloths for animals. He didn’t look glorious or important, but his job was the most important in the world—to give himself throughout his life and in his death on the cross to save a people from the righteous judgement of a good and holy God.

Modern conveniences are wonderful. When my husband and I welcomed our little one into the world, we did so in a clean private room surrounded by all the technology to track my delivery and the health of the baby, tended by a team of nurses and midwives. Not only that, but this particular hospital had a tradition of playing a lullaby for the baby as mom and child left the birthing ward and journeyed down the hallway to the private room they would occupy for the next two days as everyone was cared for. What a sweet way to celebrate the birth of precious child!

Jesus, our great high priest, was born in the flesh in a humble stable.

The birth of Jesus couldn’t have been further from this experience. Don’t even think of a clean hospital or a comfy home birth—there was not even an available bed in an inn already packed with strangers and travelers. Instead, a stable would have to do, full of smelly animals. As idealized as the picture is often painted, I can’t imagine Mary was feeling that her situation was ideal. And this child was no ordinary child, he was a high priest—one who would have received great honor and recognition, one set aside for an important and life-giving task.

The Levitical priesthood had the distinction of serving God in the tabernacle and in the temple. The high priest had special and beautiful clothing, and a unique job only he could perform before God for the people:

“Then [the High Priest] shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. (Lev. 16:15-16)

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