This quote comes from the “Sower Notes,” a wonderful family Bible study guide with comments for young children, elementary school aged children, and older children. It was written by New Church minister William Worcester and can be found online at the Swedenborg Digital Library. Here is a quotation about the Lord’s birth and the kindness and gentleness of the way He chose to come into the world:
“There is beautiful meaning in all particulars of the story. Let someone find and read the passage in E. 706, which begins with the words, “If it had pleased the Lord, He might have been born in a most splendid palace,” which goes on to show that such a birth would not have been truly representative of the spirit of His coming. Notice in particular the swaddling clothes and the manger which the angels gave to the shepherds as a sign, and which evidently to them were full of deep significance. In general they bore witness to the gentleness of the Lord’s coming, His Divine accommodation to the humble states of men. There was nothing terrible, nothing unapproachable, nothing to keep from Him the sick, the sinful, or the children. The swaddling clothes in particular represent the accommodation of His truth, the manger the accommodation of His love. All through the Gospel story the Lord’s garments are emblems of the words in which He gave expression to His love. The swaddling clothes of the little Child represent the simplest expressions, such as He Himself could give as a child, and such as children and those of simple and childlike hearts can understand. He spoke in human language; He clothed His truth in parables. The manger was the place where gentle animals found their food, and these animals represent gentle, useful affections of human hearts. The Lord was laid in the manger, because He came to feed and strengthen every innocent gentle affection. More strictly, the manger shows the mercy in which the Lord brought the Divine goodness, the food of life, within reach of all simple good affections, and the swaddling clothes show the mercy in which He brought the Divine truth to the understanding of the children and of all childlike minds. We may believe that these signs of Divine humility were to the angels a revelation of mercy. They saw in them assurance of the accomplishment of the Divine saving work. (E. 706)”