Lessons from the manger

1. Lessons fromthe manger- 23rd December 2015
“Thiswill be a sign to you: Youwill finda baby wrappedin clothsand lyingina manger” (Luke 2:12).
Christmasposesayearlychallenge tothose of uswhohave heardthe storysince we were children.
Afteryouhave attended manyyearsof listeningtoat leastthat manyChristmassermons,andheardand
sungeveryChristmascarolsandservices, whatmore isleftto be saidthat hasn’tbeensaidbefore? If
one knowaboutChristmasat all,youknow about Mary and the angel Gabriel,aboutthe dangerous
journeytoBethlehem,aboutCaesar’sdecree,aboutHerod’sinsane jealousy,aboutthe innwitha“No
Vacancy” sign,aboutthe angelsandthe shepherds,andaboutthe mysteriousWise Menfromthe east,
and the last-secondflightintoEgypt.All of these foundinthe gospels are sowell knownthatwhenwe
hearthemagain,we don’treallyhearthematall because we’ve heardthemall before.We hearbut
actually we don’thearbecause ‘familiarity can breed,if not contempt,atleast a kind of casual
disinterest’.But the storyof Christmasisindeedfull of surprises.There are unexpectedmiracleson
everyhand.Andafterall,ittellsthe mostamazingstory:That God invadedhumanhistoryinthe formof
a tiny,helplessbaby.
By lookingcloselywe maysee the whole thinginanew light.Withthatinmind,let’sfocusourattention
on justone verse of Scripture andsee whatit saysto us. The verse isfrom the firstChristmassermon—
preachedbyan angel to some veryfrightenedshepherds.AfterannouncingthataSavior had beenborn
inBethlehem, the angel tellsthemhowtofindthe baby. “Thiswill be a signto you:You will finda baby
wrapped incloths andlyingin a manger” (Luke 2:12).
We have heardthis verse readhundredsof times,usuallyaspartof a longerquotationfromLuke 2. The
angel hasjust declaredthe bestnewsanyone haseverheard: “Foruntoyou is born this day in the city
of David a Savior, whichis Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). We forgethow utterlyunpreparedthe
shepherdswere tohearthose words—andhow awesome itmusthave sounded.A Saviorhasbeen
born!The Messiahhascome!The Lord fromheavenishere!AndinBethlehem! How will theyfindthe
baby?That’s where verse 12 comesin.Whenthe angel speaksof “the sign”he usesa wordthat
generallyreferstoa supernatural signfromGodthat no one couldmiss.Like the partingof the Red Sea
or walkingonwateror in the ultimate sense risingfromthe dead.Those eventsare “signs”thatthe God
of the universe hasintervenedinhumanhistory. Butthe “sign”fromGod on thisoccurrence was:You
will findababywrappedin“swaddlingclothes”andlyingina manger...
Several questionscome tomind.Inwhatwayis a baby a “sign”from God? WhydidGod choose to enter
the humanrace like this?And whydoesthe textmentionthe partabout“swaddlingclothes?”Andwhat
doesthe mangersignify?Afterall,Jesuswasalmostcertainlynotthe onlybabyinBethlehemthatnight.
We knowthatlater onHerod hadall the babyboysunderthe age of two put to death.Sothere must
have beenotherinfantsandtoddlers.What’ssospecial aboutababyin a manger?Luke 2:12 is telling us
thatthe particularcircumstancesof Jesus’birth are important.Theyare part of the message fromGod.
Afterall,Jesuscouldhave beenborninanycircumstancesGodchose.What isthe message of the
manger?What isGod sayingto us? What dowe learnaboutthe wayGod works?AboutwhoJesusis?
What signdidGod choose to signifyhiscomingtothe earth? He chose a baby wrapped in strips of cloth
lying in a manger.The earlychurchfatherChrysostomcalledit“a tremendousandwonderful sign.”He

2. referredtoI Timothy3:16, whichtellsusthat “Greatis the mystery of godliness:Godwas manifestin
the flesh.” He goesonto say that we shouldlove thisholyday(Christmas)because itmeansthatthe
Word was made fleshandcame to earthto dwell amongus.But somehow the world atthattime missed
God’ssign. The Jewswere lookingfora Messiah.EvenHerod’sscribesknew that andpredictedthat
Christwouldbe bornin Bethlehem.Whydidn’ttheyrecognize himwhenhe came? They could notsee
the divinein theordinary.They missed himaltogether! Theywantedsomethingspectacular,apolitical
messiahwhowoulddeliverthemfromRomandomination.The Jewswanted“asign,”buttheyweren’t
expectingababyina manger.Godgave thema signand theymissedit.Itwastoo simple thenandfor
manypeople itisstill toosimple today.
Justfor a moment,let’ssuppose we don’tknow anythingelseaboutChristmas.If Luke 2:12 were the
onlyverse we had,whatwouldwe know aboutthe birthof Christ? Youwill find a baby” It isa totally
ordinarywordusedto describe the birthof a child. Thistells us thatChristcame into theworld justas
we all do. Eventhoughwe oftenspeakof the virginbirth,itshouldbe rememberedthatthe real miracle
occurredat the momentof conceptionnine monthsearlier.Jesus’physical birthwascompletely
normal—orasnormal as it couldbe giventhe unique circumstances. The above veers teachesusthat
the Lord from heavenenteredthisearthasa tiny,helplessbaby.
Thisverse teachesusabout His Helplessness—"Wrappedincloths”Inthatdaynewborn babieswere
wrappedinstripsof clothto protect themfromthe harsh elements.Lookingatthe babythisway,no
one can say he came onlyforthe richand powerful.Andnoone cansay that he usedhisheavenly
prerogativestomake aneasyentrance intothe world.He came not forthe faithof a few butto be the
Saviorof all.He was boundthatwe mightbe setfree. Thenagainthisverse teachesus His Humility—
"Lyingin a manger” whichis simply a feeding-trough forthe cattle andsheep.Thisbabylyinginan
exposedstable,restinginafeeding-troughisGod’sappointed“sign”tousall.Thisis a true Incarnation.
God has come to the worldina mostunlikelyway.ThisiswhatPhilippians2:7meanswhenitsays that
he “made himselfnothing,taking the very nature ofa servant, beingmade in human likeness.” One
wouldhave concludedthatthiswasjusta baby bornto a pooryoungcouple downontheirluck.Nothing
aboutthe outwardcircumstancespointedtoGod.
That nightif you hadhappenedtowalk by,nothingwouldhave seemedsupernatural.Mangerswere not
the beautiful,cleanplaceswe see inourChristmaspageants. To Christians it is profoundly reassuring
thatbehind Christmasstandsa God of great blessingsfilled with surprises.He doeswhat He wants and
He doesn’taskforhumancounsel.Andfromour limitedperspective, Hiswayssometimesmake no
sense atall.Thisis a great comfort for Christians because itreminds usagainthatHe is God and we are
not...
“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).