“A Way In A Manger”
Luke 2:8-20
Intro.
This month more than a billion people will celebrate Christmas. Amid candlelight, carols and the smells of cedar and incense, the old story will unfold again: Gabriel’s visitations, the journey to Bethlehem, the arrival of the baby in a stable, the glorious announcement to the shepherds in the night, the star in the East, the mission of the Magi. The story is familiar, and in a world of great religious diversity where there is great doubt and disbelief about all things biblical, it is not doubt or disbelief that you and I who have gathered here must typically guard against. The danger we face each year is simply familiarity: knowing the story all too well, so well in fact that we miss its wonder.
During a Christmas pageant, one child had been forced to be in the program by his parents. The young teen continued to voice his concerns as they practiced. He would utter things like;
• "How can people believe that Jesus is the Son of God?"
• And "just what makes everyone believe that this is the way to heaven?"
• He finally said "how do we know He was the Messiah and that He was the way to Heaven"?
Then a small girl spoke up, and She said, "We believe it because the song said it". And he said, "What song", the teen huffed back.
She politely said, "You know what song I’m talking about, that one that God made, and he said again, what song, and she said, “A WAY IN A MANGER”.
God made "A way in a manger!" What a brilliant message. A message that the Savior of the world was born! That the Savior, the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us has come to make a way for us. Remember, it was the angels message, "For see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: “for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.... wrapped in bands of swaddling cloth and lying in a manger”.
And with the angel of the Lord appeared with a "multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace among those whom he favors”. A host of angels proclaiming a message that God had made A WAY IN A MANGER!
Now "What if":
• What if, God spoke to you the way He did Mary? (to go tell the disciples that is has risen)
• What if, God gave you a mission like He did the Magi? (to go a follow the north star until they find the baby child Jesus)
• What if, God gave you a witness like He did the Shepherds? (be not afraid, go tell the others this day a child is born). But now the most pressing question of all is.
• What if, God gave you a message like He did the Angels? What would you do? Don’t answer, cause you might tell on yourself.
It is a rhetorical question of course, because the message of the angels is the same one we are still to proclaim today, that the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord, has been born to be the Savior of the World.
A message that God made A Way in a Manger!
So, what if God gave us this message to proclaim, and He has, how are we to respond?’ If we respond a little like the angels, it will be something like this:
Even in a manger:
I. He’s still a Way Maker! (Have He ever made a Way for you)? Don’t fool me now.
• Have He ever open doors for you that was closed in your face.
• Have you ever paid your bills when you knew you didn’t have enough money to pay it with, but you got it paid any way.
• Have you ever put into a uncompromising position only to have Jesus give you a way out. That’s the Way Maker
It’s time for the message to be spoken about in our daily lives as individuals, and when and where possible, we should join together as a multitude, the body of Christ proclaiming a message that the Messiah has come! It is the Church in corporate witness to the world! Some people ask, "why do I need the Church"? And I do believe we need the Church, for spiritual growth, for accountability, for nurture; but I also know that the Church of Jesus Christ needs you, because together we can accomplish so much more than we can individually. Our witness and the proclamation of the message of the good news of Jesus Christ must be individual and it must be a join effort as one body in Christ.
Because He is the King of kings, He’s the Lord of lords, He’s the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Give God some praise!
Even in a manger:
II. He’s still a Make A Way! (Won’t He Make A Way For You)? Have He ever made a way for you? Don’t play with me now.
• Have you ever needed something and did not know where it’s was going to come from, but He made a Way.
• Have you ever felt like someone or a loved one was in trouble, and you start praying for them, and God made a way for them.
• Have you ever been sick and the Lord touch your body and healed you (come on somebody should be shouting by now) did He make a way.
(1)"J.S. Bach said, "All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub." He headed his compositions: "J.J."
"Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei Gratia" which means "To God alone the praise." Our message, should be one
that proclaims the “Glory of God”. As Christians our message and witness to the world should be one that brings Glory and Praise to God, not one that degrades others, or bring each other down. Our message should be clear, like that of the angels, "To God be the Glory and alone the Praises belong to Him". Why? Because:
• He’s the Rock of Ages
• He’s a bridge over trouble waters
• He’s the Great I Am
• He’s A Way Make
Somebody give Him the praise!
Even in a manger:
III. He’s still The Way, The Truth and The Life! (Well what are you saying preacher, He still The Way, The Truth, and He still The Life, and nobody can come to the Father but by Jesus)!
Charles Wesley once wrote: "I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade, my grief expire, my troubles cease; Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace. We are messengers of the peace of God. And yet how much of our day are often filled with discontentment, with strife, with hatred for one another, family members and co-workers, and yet call ourselves showing the love and peace of God!
God forbid, He keeps letting us wakeup day after day, just hoping that we get it right with one another. He allows us to wakeup each and every day, because He loves us so, so, so much, that He died for us. Why, because He’s The Way, The Truth, and The Life! That’s why the message should be told.
Finally, our message is to proclaim that "The Son of God has been born".
The Angels message is our message! The message is the same, a child has been born, a Savior of the world!
On the History channel there was a featured, a decisive battle that took place on Nazi lines just near the end of the war. A unit, made up of a rough and tough mixture of New Yorker’s charged up a hill, moving much farther than their flanking units and were soon within and surrounded by the enemy. A large number of wounded and casualties was increased when the allied forces began pounding, not only the enemy line, but one of their own position with artillery. They tried to send a messenger, but they didn’t get through.
Finally they sent a courier pigeon, and as it flies off it seems to be wounded in the firefight. All hope seems lost. Sometime later, a grazed, slightly wounded pigeon lands in an exhausted state at Headquarters and word was sent down the line "cease fire - cease fire". If the message did not get told to them, more and more lives would have been lost! So what does this story has to do with us preacher? Well, I’m glad you asked.
The same is true for us today, if the message of the Jesus Christ have not been told and re-told, more and more lives might be lost. We must proclaim the message of the angel’s, "For unto us this day a Savior, which is the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord is born."
• He’ll make you clean inside
• He’ll take your sins away
• He’ll be a friend closer then a brother
Why? Because He ‘s The Way, The Truth, and The Life! We got to tell the story, tell the story! What story you may say, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
* Talk about His Life, (how He lived)
• Talk about His Death! (How they took Him from place to place, beat Him, mocked Him, spit on Him, How they hung Him on a old rugged cross. But we know he did not stay there. Cause on the third day, you can talk about His resurrection. (How He got up, not only did He just got up, but He got up with all power in His hand.
Why! Because He’s:
• Jehovah Elohim – He’s my Creator!
• Jehovah El Elyon – He’s The Most High God!
• Jehovah Adonia – He’s my Master!
• Jehovah El Olam – He’s The Everlasting God!
• Jehovah Jireh – He’s my Provider!
• Jehovah Rapha – He’s my Healer!
• Jehovah Nissi – He’s my Banner!
• Jehovah Shalom – He’s my Peace!
• Jehovah Shaphat – He’s my Judge!
• Jehovah Zidkenu – He’s my Righteousness!
• Jehovah Raah – He’s my Shepherd!
• Jehovah Elyon – He’s my Blesser!
• Jehovah Shammah – He’s my Everpresent God!
Tell the Story! Tell the Story! What ever you do, just “TELL THE STORY!”
Amen!
