The following is from The Crossroads Community Church message series "Real Jesus" by Pastor Shawn Kemp.
We’ve been looking at some of the popular images of Jesus that are out there and comparing those images with the real Jesus. Now, today, we are going to look at sweet little baby Jesus in a manger. Remember, the first week, I told you about this scene from Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby is saying the prayer with his family, and he says, "Dear little baby Jesus in the manger..." And he continues to address Jesus throughout the prayer as "Dear 8lb 6oz baby Jesus ... Dear tiny God ... use your little baby Jesus powers." Well, at one point in the prayer, his wife gets frustrated and says, "Ricky, I don't know why you keep referring to Jesus as a baby. He was a grown man, you know. He had a beard, for crying out loud." To which Ricky Bobby responds, "I like the baby Jesus best. When you say the prayer you can pray to teenage Jesus or grown up Jesus or whichever Jesus you like best." He likes sweet little baby Jesus in a manger the best. And a lot of people do.
Now, this image of Jesus is just what it says. It is the image of Jesus as an adorable, peaceful, serene little baby, lying in a manger, just as sweet as he can be.
Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with this image. There are just certain sights and smells and sounds and experiences that we always associate with Christmas. And one of the most familiar images of Christmas and certainly the most important is a manger scene, a nativity, Joseph and Mary, the baby Jesus lying in a manger, a feed trough, in a stable, surrounded by livestock, shepherds surrounding them.
So, it’s an important image, it’s just not all there is to the story. The Son of God has come, and He is born in a stable and laid in a manger.
We’ve been looking at some of the popular images of Jesus that are out there and comparing those images with the real Jesus. Now, today, we are going to look at sweet little baby Jesus in a manger. Remember, the first week, I told you about this scene from Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby is saying the prayer with his family, and he says, "Dear little baby Jesus in the manger..." And he continues to address Jesus throughout the prayer as "Dear 8lb 6oz baby Jesus ... Dear tiny God ... use your little baby Jesus powers." Well, at one point in the prayer, his wife gets frustrated and says, "Ricky, I don't know why you keep referring to Jesus as a baby. He was a grown man, you know. He had a beard, for crying out loud." To which Ricky Bobby responds, "I like the baby Jesus best. When you say the prayer you can pray to teenage Jesus or grown up Jesus or whichever Jesus you like best." He likes sweet little baby Jesus in a manger the best. And a lot of people do.
Now, this image of Jesus is just what it says. It is the image of Jesus as an adorable, peaceful, serene little baby, lying in a manger, just as sweet as he can be.
Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with this image. There are just certain sights and smells and sounds and experiences that we always associate with Christmas. And one of the most familiar images of Christmas and certainly the most important is a manger scene, a nativity, Joseph and Mary, the baby Jesus lying in a manger, a feed trough, in a stable, surrounded by livestock, shepherds surrounding them.
So, it’s an important image, it’s just not all there is to the story. The Son of God has come, and He is born in a stable and laid in a manger.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. … And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 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.” Luke 2:1-7 (KJV)
I think we tend to romanticize what happened that night. Our manger scenes are a lot more peaceful than it probably was that night. Mary is obviously pregnant. She is eight months, 29 days, and 23 hours pregnant. Do you know what I mean? I mean, I’ve had a wife who has given birth four times. I have some understanding of what this point in pregnancy is like. There is nothing about Mary that is comfortable at this point. Her feet are swollen; her back is hurting; she’s not getting much sleep at night. They’ve been on the road for the last couple of weeks as they have traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. And now, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. You know what that is? That’s a pretty way of saying “she went into labor.”
And can’t you just imagine the conversation at this point?
And can’t you just imagine the conversation at this point?
Mary: (in labor) Joseph.
Joseph: Yes, dear.
Mary: It’s time.
Joseph: It’s time?
Mary: It’s time.
Joseph: Now, by “it’s time” you mean …
Mary: (growing more irritated) Joseph!
Joseph: Okay, okay. I just wanted to make sure. I’ll start looking for a place.
Mary: Joseph, if you don’t pull over right now and find a place for me to have this baby, I’m going to have it on this donkey!
Joseph: Okay, honey. But I don’t know where I’m going to stop. All the hotels say, “No vacancy.”
Mary: Just stop at the next place and ask them if they have anywhere that we can stay. Surely they won’t turn away a pregnant woman who’s about to have a baby!
But that is exactly what happens! Joseph comes to the inn looking for a place to stay, but he is turned away because there is no room left. Can you imagine? I mean, it’s no secret to anybody what Mary’s condition is at this point. But they can’t find a place for her. Nobody is willing to give up their space for the night for a woman in labor, about to have a baby. And so, Joseph, I’m sure, is frantic at this point and finds the best place he can come up with on short notice.
Now, we’ve kind of white-washed the story at this point. Most of the images of the manger have it in a stable, a barn. But according to tradition, the manger was not in a stable, but in a cave on the outskirts of town. And that’s how the Son of God came into the world, born in a cave because nobody would make room for him, and laid in a feed trough.
Now, if you are going to understand Real Jesus, then you have to understand why a manger. Why would God choose this way for His Son to come into the world? Why was the Son of God born in a cave and laid in a manger? If Jesus is as we believe, the one and only Son of God, why was He born in such humble circumstances? I mean, it seems like it should have gotten a lot more attention. I mean, it seems like it would have had more impact if it had been an internationally televised event, with billions of people watching. And Jesus could have come down on a lightning bolt right through the hole in the roof in Texas Stadium with an entourage of angels dressed like Secret Service Agents with the black suits and shades and earpieces surrounding Him. And then He could have said in a loud, booming voice, “I am the Son of God.” And the crowd would go wild, and everybody would worship Him.
But that is not how God did it. So why was the Son of God laid in a manger? Why did the angels announce His birth to shepherds and not the powerful rulers in Jerusalem and Rome? Why was He born into the family of a peasant carpenter and his wife instead of in the home of a king or a rich man?
Well, to understand how it is that Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Son of God was born in a cave and laid in a manger first requires that we understand why there was the need for a Savior at all. And to understand that, we need to go way back in time to the very first man and woman and see how it all began. In the very beginning, in Genesis, there was a man and a woman in love. And God said to them: “You can have it all.” Genesis 2:16-17: “The Lord God commanded him, ‘You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!’” Then the woman met someone who came along named Satan who said, “You won't die! God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.” This is actually where the Christmas story begins: Eve reached up and took a bite of the fruit, and then gave some to her husband and he ate as well. And Adam and Eve who had enjoyed a perfect, personal relationship with God (can you imagine it?) suddenly ran to hide themselves from their loving Father. And God Himself came to walk with them and called out: “Where are you?” And Adam replied, “I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” And guilty and full of remorse and anxiety, all things Adam and Eve had never ever experienced before.
But instead of making them pay a price that day, because God had said, “On the day you eat thereof you will surely die,” God had mercy on them, took an animal, probably a lamb and killed it, and with its fleece made clothing for Adam and Eve. Now don’t miss this—Adam and Eve though they had sinned did not immediately die. But their sin DID cause a death, that of the lamb. The first lamb of sacrifice. Right there, right in the Garden, that soon.
So, what happened next? Well, let’s skip forward in time a little bit to a man named Abraham. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children. He had all the sheep he wanted, all the flocks and herds, all the wealth. But he had no children. And he was obeying God; he was walking with God. And one day God said to him:
Now, we’ve kind of white-washed the story at this point. Most of the images of the manger have it in a stable, a barn. But according to tradition, the manger was not in a stable, but in a cave on the outskirts of town. And that’s how the Son of God came into the world, born in a cave because nobody would make room for him, and laid in a feed trough.
Now, if you are going to understand Real Jesus, then you have to understand why a manger. Why would God choose this way for His Son to come into the world? Why was the Son of God born in a cave and laid in a manger? If Jesus is as we believe, the one and only Son of God, why was He born in such humble circumstances? I mean, it seems like it should have gotten a lot more attention. I mean, it seems like it would have had more impact if it had been an internationally televised event, with billions of people watching. And Jesus could have come down on a lightning bolt right through the hole in the roof in Texas Stadium with an entourage of angels dressed like Secret Service Agents with the black suits and shades and earpieces surrounding Him. And then He could have said in a loud, booming voice, “I am the Son of God.” And the crowd would go wild, and everybody would worship Him.
But that is not how God did it. So why was the Son of God laid in a manger? Why did the angels announce His birth to shepherds and not the powerful rulers in Jerusalem and Rome? Why was He born into the family of a peasant carpenter and his wife instead of in the home of a king or a rich man?
Well, to understand how it is that Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Son of God was born in a cave and laid in a manger first requires that we understand why there was the need for a Savior at all. And to understand that, we need to go way back in time to the very first man and woman and see how it all began. In the very beginning, in Genesis, there was a man and a woman in love. And God said to them: “You can have it all.” Genesis 2:16-17: “The Lord God commanded him, ‘You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!’” Then the woman met someone who came along named Satan who said, “You won't die! God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.” This is actually where the Christmas story begins: Eve reached up and took a bite of the fruit, and then gave some to her husband and he ate as well. And Adam and Eve who had enjoyed a perfect, personal relationship with God (can you imagine it?) suddenly ran to hide themselves from their loving Father. And God Himself came to walk with them and called out: “Where are you?” And Adam replied, “I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” And guilty and full of remorse and anxiety, all things Adam and Eve had never ever experienced before.
But instead of making them pay a price that day, because God had said, “On the day you eat thereof you will surely die,” God had mercy on them, took an animal, probably a lamb and killed it, and with its fleece made clothing for Adam and Eve. Now don’t miss this—Adam and Eve though they had sinned did not immediately die. But their sin DID cause a death, that of the lamb. The first lamb of sacrifice. Right there, right in the Garden, that soon.
So, what happened next? Well, let’s skip forward in time a little bit to a man named Abraham. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children. He had all the sheep he wanted, all the flocks and herds, all the wealth. But he had no children. And he was obeying God; he was walking with God. And one day God said to him:
“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. … I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.” Genesis 17:3-7 (NIV)
Now, Abraham was 99 years old when God made this promise to him, and he still didn’t have a son, but God promised him that he was going to make him into a multitude of nations through a son that He was going to give him. And the Bible said that Abraham believed God.
Now, not much later God came to Abraham and again said, “I am going to give you a son.” And do you know what Sarah, Abraham’s wife, did? She fell down laughing! Because she was 90 and Abraham was 100. “Are you kidding? What are you saying, God?” But God said, “You and Sarah really are going to have a son. And not only are you going to have a son but through him, through his line, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Remember, Sarah’s 90.
But you know what? Nothing is too hard for God. And Sarah had a son, and they named him Isaac. Well, more time passed. Isaac was now a young man. And God came back to Abraham and said, “If you trust me, you’ll take your son up on Mount Moriah and offer him to me as a sacrifice.”
Now, not much later God came to Abraham and again said, “I am going to give you a son.” And do you know what Sarah, Abraham’s wife, did? She fell down laughing! Because she was 90 and Abraham was 100. “Are you kidding? What are you saying, God?” But God said, “You and Sarah really are going to have a son. And not only are you going to have a son but through him, through his line, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Remember, Sarah’s 90.
But you know what? Nothing is too hard for God. And Sarah had a son, and they named him Isaac. Well, more time passed. Isaac was now a young man. And God came back to Abraham and said, “If you trust me, you’ll take your son up on Mount Moriah and offer him to me as a sacrifice.”
“Later on God tested Abraham's faith and obedience. 'Abraham!’ God called. ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Here I am.’ ‘Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you.’” Genesis 22:1-2 (NLT)
Isaac? Sacrifice Isaac? This is the promised son. This is the son through whom God is going to bless the whole earth. This is the son that Abraham loves and cherishes, the son who means everything in the world to him. And yet Abraham continued to believe God, and he got up the next morning to do what God asked him to do. And Abraham, Isaac and some servants headed up toward what is now Jerusalem to Mount Moriah. And the Bible says after a three day journey they could see it. Now three days from their starting point would have brought them near to Bethlehem making their last stop near what is now Bethlehem.
And the Bible says that Abraham and Isaac left the servants there and went on alone. Father and son begin to make the journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Now Abraham put the wood for the sacrifice on the shoulders of his son. The boy’s father laid the wood across the shoulders of his only, much loved son and Isaac carried it himself. Abraham, the father, carried the fire and the knife. And Isaac said, “Here’s the fire. Here’s the knife. Where’s the lamb?” And Abraham replied, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." And Abraham went straight ahead and bound up Isaac, laid him on the altar, raised the knife. And we are told in this incredible story that the voice of the Lord said, “Don’t lay a hand on the boy! Because you have believed me enough to offer your only son, you will be blessed beyond what you can imagine.”
So the ropes are cut loose. And as Abraham and Isaac are embracing each other and weeping together, they hear something in the thorn bushes. It was a ram, and his horns were caught in the thicket. And the ram was taken and sacrificed instead of Isaac. Just like Abraham predicted: “God Himself will provide the sacrifice.” Again, don’t lose sight of this fact: Isaac’s life was spared, but not without cost. The ram still died to complete the sacrifice!
And really, that summarizes the belief of the Jewish people throughout the Old Testament: that all those lambs, and goats, and turtle doves, tens and hundreds of thousands of sacrifices offered to the God of Israel, covered the sins of those who disobeyed God. In fact, in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.”
There are countless other instances of lambs of sacrifice. We could talk about the Passover lambs whose blood spared the lives of the first born of the Hebrews in Egypt when the first born of the Egyptians all died. And all the sacrifices around Mount Sinai and all the sacrifices before the tabernacle and still later, all the sacrifices before the Temple of the Lord on the Temple Mount on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.
Now consider this: At the time of Solomon’s Temple Bethlehem was the location of what was known as the Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock. It was the center of the raising of the sacrificial lambs. In fact, all the perfect, first born male lambs, born to the Temple flocks around Bethlehem were KORBAN, set apart from birth to be sacrificed in the Temple. Consider such a lamb, less than a year in age, perfectly formed and completely innocent, taken up to Jerusalem retracing the steps of Abraham and Isaac taken to the great Temple to be sacrificed for sin.
Now, I come to the temple to offer a sacrifice, and I buy one of those lambs and I come to offer it for the forgiveness of my sins. I take the lamb and I hand it to one of the priests at the temple. But the last thing I do before they sacrifice that lamb is I lay my hands on that pure, innocent lamb of Bethlehem, and I confess my sins, my faults, my guilt, my remorse, my separation from God, and He forgives me. But don’t miss this, the lamb still dies in my place.
Now listen to Luke 2:6-7 again, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” God Himself looked at the pastures and fields of Bethlehem and remembering all the clues, all the hints, all the foreshadowing, all the prophecy, He brought it all to fulfillment that night. The perfect lamb, the first born male, born in Bethlehem set apart from birth to be The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Son of God was not born in a palace not even in a cozy birthing room with a cheery fire but in a stable; a lambing cave. Why? Because where else would the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world have to be born? And what is the confirmation that this conclusion is correct? To whom was the miraculous birth first announced? To the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night, the shepherds of the Temple flocks, the keepers of the lambs of sacrifice who saw, not a newborn lamb lying on the straw but a human and divine baby, lying in the manger. And scripture says that they spread the story everywhere! No doubt they carried the news up to Jerusalem with the next flock of lambs.
Thirty-three years later He walked that same road – the same road of Abraham with Isaac – the same road as thousands of lambs of sacrifice… to the Cross!
WHY A MANGER? It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Because Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins.“God will provide for himself a lamb for the burnt offering.” “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” What a price? What it cost God for the blood of His only beloved Son to cover our sins… to pay for our salvation!
Now, what is your response to that sacrifice? Come to the manger. Claim the gift of God’s Son. Claim that lamb; that perfect sacrifice; as your own. Lay your hands on him and say, “I accept this great gift of your love and salvation.” No matter who you are…. No matter what you have done… no matter what your life is… no matter what your doubts are… You can receive the gift of God’s love and forgiveness and you can be a part of His family. Why a Manger? The Son of God was born in stable and laid in a manger as the perfect lamb of sacrifice… for you.
And the Bible says that Abraham and Isaac left the servants there and went on alone. Father and son begin to make the journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Now Abraham put the wood for the sacrifice on the shoulders of his son. The boy’s father laid the wood across the shoulders of his only, much loved son and Isaac carried it himself. Abraham, the father, carried the fire and the knife. And Isaac said, “Here’s the fire. Here’s the knife. Where’s the lamb?” And Abraham replied, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." And Abraham went straight ahead and bound up Isaac, laid him on the altar, raised the knife. And we are told in this incredible story that the voice of the Lord said, “Don’t lay a hand on the boy! Because you have believed me enough to offer your only son, you will be blessed beyond what you can imagine.”
So the ropes are cut loose. And as Abraham and Isaac are embracing each other and weeping together, they hear something in the thorn bushes. It was a ram, and his horns were caught in the thicket. And the ram was taken and sacrificed instead of Isaac. Just like Abraham predicted: “God Himself will provide the sacrifice.” Again, don’t lose sight of this fact: Isaac’s life was spared, but not without cost. The ram still died to complete the sacrifice!
And really, that summarizes the belief of the Jewish people throughout the Old Testament: that all those lambs, and goats, and turtle doves, tens and hundreds of thousands of sacrifices offered to the God of Israel, covered the sins of those who disobeyed God. In fact, in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.”
There are countless other instances of lambs of sacrifice. We could talk about the Passover lambs whose blood spared the lives of the first born of the Hebrews in Egypt when the first born of the Egyptians all died. And all the sacrifices around Mount Sinai and all the sacrifices before the tabernacle and still later, all the sacrifices before the Temple of the Lord on the Temple Mount on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.
Now consider this: At the time of Solomon’s Temple Bethlehem was the location of what was known as the Migdal Eder, the Tower of the Flock. It was the center of the raising of the sacrificial lambs. In fact, all the perfect, first born male lambs, born to the Temple flocks around Bethlehem were KORBAN, set apart from birth to be sacrificed in the Temple. Consider such a lamb, less than a year in age, perfectly formed and completely innocent, taken up to Jerusalem retracing the steps of Abraham and Isaac taken to the great Temple to be sacrificed for sin.
Now, I come to the temple to offer a sacrifice, and I buy one of those lambs and I come to offer it for the forgiveness of my sins. I take the lamb and I hand it to one of the priests at the temple. But the last thing I do before they sacrifice that lamb is I lay my hands on that pure, innocent lamb of Bethlehem, and I confess my sins, my faults, my guilt, my remorse, my separation from God, and He forgives me. But don’t miss this, the lamb still dies in my place.
Now listen to Luke 2:6-7 again, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” God Himself looked at the pastures and fields of Bethlehem and remembering all the clues, all the hints, all the foreshadowing, all the prophecy, He brought it all to fulfillment that night. The perfect lamb, the first born male, born in Bethlehem set apart from birth to be The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Son of God was not born in a palace not even in a cozy birthing room with a cheery fire but in a stable; a lambing cave. Why? Because where else would the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world have to be born? And what is the confirmation that this conclusion is correct? To whom was the miraculous birth first announced? To the shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night, the shepherds of the Temple flocks, the keepers of the lambs of sacrifice who saw, not a newborn lamb lying on the straw but a human and divine baby, lying in the manger. And scripture says that they spread the story everywhere! No doubt they carried the news up to Jerusalem with the next flock of lambs.
Thirty-three years later He walked that same road – the same road of Abraham with Isaac – the same road as thousands of lambs of sacrifice… to the Cross!
WHY A MANGER? It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Because Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins.“God will provide for himself a lamb for the burnt offering.” “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” What a price? What it cost God for the blood of His only beloved Son to cover our sins… to pay for our salvation!
Now, what is your response to that sacrifice? Come to the manger. Claim the gift of God’s Son. Claim that lamb; that perfect sacrifice; as your own. Lay your hands on him and say, “I accept this great gift of your love and salvation.” No matter who you are…. No matter what you have done… no matter what your life is… no matter what your doubts are… You can receive the gift of God’s love and forgiveness and you can be a part of His family. Why a Manger? The Son of God was born in stable and laid in a manger as the perfect lamb of sacrifice… for you.
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