Dear friend,

“Does the baby come out of the manger?”

That was my niece’s concern when she learned that her grandma wanted to give her a nativity set complete with a mommy, a daddy, a few animals, and of course, the baby Jesus. It was a great question.

But, it turns out, not such a simple question. When you see nativity sets, more often than not the baby Jesus is permanently attached to the manger.

As I thought about her question, I realized the Jesus many people want around them is the baby glued to the manger. They don’t want a Jesus who comes out of His manger.

Many just want an adorable, sentimental object. They want to feel nostalgic and warm fuzzies all over.

Others want a baby Jesus in the manger because it isn’t threatening. A baby doesn’t challenge behaviours or beliefs.

And then there are those who want a baby Jesus in a manger because for them, the story ends there. This way, they don’t have to face the unpleasantry of the crucifixion.

For these folks, there is no room for Jesus in the inn of their hearts and lives, and they are comfortable with Him being stuck in a manger. They don’t want a Saviour whose life, teaching, and death confronts them with their sin and rejection of God.

The Good News of the Gospel is that the baby Jesus does come out of the manger! He grew up and lived among us, yet was without sin. He tackled the sin that separates us from God by taking our sin upon Himself and dying on a cross as our substitute.

The baby who was carefully placed by His father Joseph into a manger, hewn out of stone, was taken down from the cross as a man and carefully placed by His friend, another Joseph, into a tomb hewn out of stone. Three days later He rose victorious over sin and death. It was because He came out from the manger that Jesus came out from the tomb to be the Saviour for all who believe in Him.

This is the Good News we proclaim every day at Insight for Living Canada. People need to hear about the baby who came out of the manger and, because He did, grants us abundant and eternal life.

We’re able to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel because people like you support this work. You also believe the need to hear this message is great and join with us to get the Word out to as many people as possible.

As 2022 comes to an end, and we anticipate sharing the truth of God’s Word in new and innovative ways, can we count on your continued support?

To finish well and enter 2023 equipped to continuing proclaiming the Good News, we have a year-end goal of raising $420,000.

Please prayerfully consider how God would have you give financially to help get this message out to people who need to know about the Saviour.

In His Service,

Steve Johnson

Executive Director

PS Sending your year-end gift today helps us continue proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ all across the country.