-
The Significance Of The Manger
Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 9, 2023 (message contributor)
If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of the object you’re trying to point to. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many people make when reading the Christmas story in Luke’s gospel.
We tend to think about the manger in this way - the Christmas crib. The most famous animal feeding trough in all history. You see it on Christmas cards. Churches make elaborate cribs and sometimes encourage people to say their prayers in front of them. We know about the animals even though Luke never mentions any nor is there any indication that the shepherds or Mary and Joseph brought any with them.
To concentrate on the manger and to forget why it was mentioned in the first place is like the dog looking at the finger rather than the object. Why has Luke mentioned it 3 times in the story?
The answer is: that it was the feeding trough, appropriately enough, which was the sign to the shepherds. It told them which baby they were looking for. It showed them that the angel knew what he was talking about. The reason Luke has mentioned it is because it’s important in giving the shepherds their news and their instructions.
Why is this significant? Because it was the shepherds who were told who this child was. That he was the saviour, the Messiah, the Lord. The manger isn’t what’s important. It’s a signpost, a pointing finger, to the identity and task of the baby boy who was lying in it. It may also have confirmed for Mary and Joseph who Jesus was to be because up until this point it had been their secret.
(NT Wright. Luke: For Everyone. Westminster John Knox Press: Kentucky. 2004. Page 21-22.)
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
A Wealthy Businessman, Who Was Well Known For ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 8, 2005
A wealthy businessman, who was well known for being ruthless and unethical, told Mark Twain that before he died, he wanted to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He said that when he got there he wanted to climb to the top of Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments, and there read ...read more
-
A Little Boy Was Standing By His Father Watching ...
Contributed by Kent Kessler on Dec 27, 2006
A little boy was standing by his father watching him trying to put a floppy disk into his computer. The father was having trouble getting the disk to go in all of the way. The little boy said to his father, “Maybe it has a penny in it?” Sure enough, when the father fished around inside where the ...read more
-
Don't Think That There Is Any Better Answer To ...
Contributed by David Smith on Apr 21, 2005
don’t think that there is any better answer to that question than the one given by the great painter Renoir. In old age the great French painter, suffered from arthritis, which twisted and cramped his hand. Henri Matise, his artist friend, watched sadly while Renoir, grasping a brush with only his ...read more
-
In Our Basement We Have A Piece Of Paper Stapled ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 8, 2005
In our basement we have a piece of paper stapled to a door frame. About twice a year I bring all the grandkids to the basement and they stand against the door frame to measure how tall they are and how much they have grown. The paper is covered with lines, beside which are their names and dates. ...read more
-
25 Years Ago A Baby Was Born In A Hospital. He ... PRO
Contributed by Ed Wood on Jun 23, 2005
25 years ago a baby was born in a hospital. He weighed only a few pounds. He had to be pampered and coddled to enable him to live. Now he is 6’2" tall and weighs 200 pounds. There is a vast difference in the baby and the man. Yet the life he now has is the same life he had 25 years ago. Our ...read more
Related Sermons
-
"'the' Birthday Celebration
Contributed by Maria Saunders on Dec 22, 2016
It’s poor etiquette to attend a party and don’t bring the host/honoree a gift. We should feel privileged to receive an invitation to attend. Therefore, it’s extremely important that we bring the right gifts to the honoree.
-
The Sunday After Christmas Sermon Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on Aug 20, 2015
How did Christmas 2014 feel to you? Maybe your Christmas wasn’t all you expected. Now that Christmas is over, maybe the excitement has passed and life is already returning to some kind of normal. Whatever normal might be in your life!
-
A Servant's Heart (Updated) Series
Contributed by Dennis Lee on Jun 6, 2016
We are looking at the heart of a servant, which Jesus said should be our goal if we want to be great in the kingdom of God. To have such a heart will cost and goes against everything we’re taught. It conflicts with our self-centeredness and personal desires. But in the end, there’s a reward.
-
Lessons Learned From Wise Men
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Dec 5, 2013
Some important lessons can be learned form
-
Christmas
Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Dec 15, 2016
The celebration of the birth of Jesus by Christians.