I'm sure that most of us are familiar with the opening verse of this iconic Christmas carol: "Away in a manger, no crib for a bed; the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head. The stars in the sky look down where he lay; the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay."

Of course this verse, and the subsequent myriad of carols regarding Jesus' manger, are typically extrapolating the circumstances of Jesus' birth found in Luke 2:1-20. Where, the only details of His birth that are given are found in verses 6 and 7:

"And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

The imagery provided in the context of these verses paints a happier, cleaner and perhaps misleading portrait of the whereabouts of Jesus' birth.

Let's begin by addressing what exactly a manger is. A manger is, according to Merriam-Webster, "A trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock." Coupling this information with verse 8 of Luke 2 can alter our perception of how Jesus came into the world: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."

Given that shepherds were actively overseeing flock in the fields where Jesus was born, we can safely assume that the manger he was born in was, well, in use. Meaning that He was born in a trough that likely was eaten out of the very same day, and could have even still had feed in it at the time that Jesus was laid therein.

Not to mention the nature of what happens when animals are feeding from a manger, as well as occupying a stable, they eventually have to relieve themselves.

So contrast this with the scene illustrated by songs such as "Away in a Manger," earlier. They portray a picturesque scene regarding the birth of Jesus, but based on Luke's account of the events in the Bible, it seems as though the real scene may have actually been grotesque.

The Savior of the world was born into a trough holding feed for livestock, surrounded by animal urine and excrement, blood and the pungent stench of farm animals. So why is it important to recognize this distinction, rather than the family-friendly Nativity scene that we observe outside of churches every Christmas season?

Because understanding the circumstances of Christ's birth help us to understand His purpose for being born in the first place. He entered this world into a filthy and unclean mess, in order to save us from a filthy and unclean mess, otherwise known as sin.

So, the real Christmas story may not be as charming or aesthetic as the various retellings of it that we are familiar with, but I think knowing how He entered this world can give us a greater appreciation for the way that He left it.