No Manger – No Miracle
Do You Believe in Angels? – Part 4
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord shined round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the Angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people.”
11. “For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
12. “And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
13. And suddenly there was, with the Angel, a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying,
14. “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will toward men.”
15. And it came to pass, as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now, even to Bethlehem, and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger.
17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.
Luke 2:8-17, 20
The Meaning of the Manger
There are so many wonderful thoughts that flood our minds and hearts as we reflect on the Savior’s birth. While the world admires Christmas for its pageantry, its splendor, and its holiday festivities; the Christian community celebrates a deeper meaning of the birth of the Savior. It traces back to the miracle of the manger where Christ was born. Our Savior was born in poverty. The accommodations were horrible. The environment in which Mary gave birth were utterly unsanitary and unsafe. Though Jesus was born a King and well-deserving of honor, worthy of a Cathedral, or most royal palace as His birthplace; He was born in an animal’s feeding trough. Why did God allow such deplorable arrangements? Why such filthy conditions for Immanuel’s Birth? Yet, the place and timing of Christ birth was no surprise to God or His Holy Angels. The birthplace of Jesus was representative of His Mission. Mankind’s sinful condition had them living like animals in squalor and utter degradation. Even though many boasted of their riches, their fame, and their accomplishments, in the Eyes of God, they were hopeless and wretched and worthless. Into that condition the Savior came as One born among them and yet without sin. The Pure among the impure; the Holy among the unholy; the Righteous One among sinners came. He had no invitation from man, but He came anyway. He was not recognized by religious leaders, but He came anyway. He was not even wanted, but surely needed, so He came anyway. Into a lowly manger, Jesus was placed and God Almighty said, “peace on earth, good will to all men.” The manger spoke the Amen of God. It was Truth speaking from that lowly state. It was God Incarnate. Emmanuel, God with us. The feeding trough (manger) was simply a vessel in which the Savior was laid. Now the message is clear, if He could speak to the shepherds’ hearts from that manger, think of what He can do speaking within the hearts of men. Like the manger, our hearts are empty, unsanitary, and unholy, but the Holy Savior will accept it as His home.
The Message of the Manger
People of prominence welcome the honor of being announced. When formal introductions are given, it provides information about someone to make a public declaration of their presence. Announcements are also critical for relationships to be formed. When the Angel introduced Jesus’ birth, the shepherds had not a clue who had been born, much less where to find Him. With power and great majesty, Jesus was introduced to this group of nomads. They possessed very little, they carried no political clout, but the Angels had come to them. Jesus was born in a stable so that they could relate to Him. To this group of nobodies, the message of the Chief Shepherd’s arrival was announced from Heaven, and it was glorious.
Probably one of the most memorable announcers of all times was Ed McMann, the announcer for Johnny Carson on the original “Tonight Show.” The intro did not use a lot of fanfare or noble speech, but it certainly stuck with you. Each night, Mr. McMann would step up to the microphone and say, “Here’s Johnny.” While it was certainly a great announcement by a fine gentleman, it pales in comparison with the introduction of Jesus in the Manger. The Mighty Angel of God lit up the night sky outside of the Bethlehem township and made the introduction of the ages. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people” … “For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
It was such a grand announcement that it causes one to wonder why the awful conditions. Was that the best that mankind could produce for the Savior? Yet the manger is typical of the human sinful nature. First, we only want to give God space enough to bless us but not too much space to change us. Second, we want Jesus to make us comfortable but are not concerned about His comfort. Third, we get too busy that we really don’t notice Jesus. It’s ironic that the shepherds were the only ones in Bethlehem to report the visitation of Angels. So, the manger represents the most that people are willing to give God. The same so-called believers demand that God give them everything and more, but only have enough faith to give God the manger. But Jesus came anyway.
While on the one hand, the manger points to man’s callous attitude about the things of God, the manger spoke a powerful message from God’s perspective. Some scholars and theologians assert that the manger was appropriate because Jesus was born in a place where sacrificial animals were raised and kept. His initial appearance to the world perhaps shouted out the Message of God’s Grace and letting mankind know that this Child was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus came anyway,
The Miracle of the Manger
Now that we have focused on the meaning of the Manger and the message of the Manger, let us turn our attention to the Miracle of the Manger. While the Angels presented such a thrilling site, the Manger was the place where the real action would take place. It is amazing that God the Son, first of all, could fit in such small quarters. When the pre-Incarnate Christ appeared at Mount Sinai to the children of Israel, the mountain was set on fire from the Blaze of His Glory, it quaked and trembled at the presence of God. That same God was birthed from Mary’s womb and laid in a manger; and there was complete silence and tranquility. That was indeed a miracle.
His coming was not to judge the world. His coming was not to bring the Law. His purpose was not to condemn the world but to save the world. Thus, the Humble Christ was laid. The Angel told the shepherds, this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” … And suddenly there was, with the Angel, a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying … “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will toward men.” God was in that manger. The Lord who made the forests, was now the Holy One laid in a tree. Jesus came anyway.
That was a picture of another miracle involving a tree. Overshadowing the manger was a Cross. Jesus would visit that tree at the close of His earthly life. He would be nailed to a tree and there perform the great miracle of pardoning the sins of mankind. Jesus presence in the Manger was a miracle. The Angels gave Him Glory. When the shepherds saw Him in the Manger, they gave Him Glory. Now I invite you today to give Him Glory. Although He was born in a Manger, He didn’t stay there. He had to go to Egypt to flee from Herod, but He didn’t stay there. He grew up in Galilee, but He didn’t stay there. He gave sight to the blind. He healed the lame and those that could not talk. He cast out devils. He even raised the dead. Jesus was on the move.
Then One day, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. Even though He had done nothing wrong and was considered not guilty before the Roman authorities, Jesus was condemned to die on a Cross. They nailed the Hands that had touched blind eyes. They nailed the feet that had brought Good Tidings of Peace to all lost souls. They placed Jesus on the Cross, but guess what? He didn’t stay there. He died and they took Him down and laid Jesus in a borrowed tomb. But guess what? He didn’t stay there. On the third day Jesus rose from the grave with all power in His Hands. Our God and Your God lives today. And it all started in the Manger. Were it not for the Manger, there could be no miracle.
The Ministry of the Manger
Our final lesson comes from the shepherds. The Angels had completed their task of relaying the message of the Savior’s birth to the shepherds. The shepherds had now completed their assignment and went to Bethlehem to experience the presence of the Baby in the Manger. I don’t want to read into the text mere thoughts, but based on the text, meeting Jesus brought a change to their lives.
First, they found the message of the Angels to be truly God’s Word. They did not have some unexplained experience. What they encountered was real and it was from God. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger.
Not only did they find the message to be God’s Word, but they also found a new message of Christ to tell others. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. The story was not about just the Angels, but about the Child that was promised by God’s prophets. So that whenever someone asked, what Child is this, they could answer. It is Jesus, it is Jesus for my soul.
Lastly, the shepherds joined with the Angels to worship God who had sent His Beloved Son into the world. Luke 2:20 informs us that they went back to work, but they were now giving God the praise. And the shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.
The Miracle of the Manger should have personal meaning to each of us. If the humble Christ was content to grace a feeding trough with His presence, think of the wonder He would bring if we would invite Him into our hearts. Those who have experienced His presence can now join the shepherds, the Angelic Hosts, and all the witnesses of Jesus Christ to tell the world that we have a Savior. We all join in sharing the message of peace on earth, good will toward all men. Amen.