Introduction:
A. C.S. Lewis, the famous British writer and literary scholar, who was an atheist for many years, wrote:
“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
1. As you know, he was referring to the birth of Jesus in a stable and Jesus’ first bed was a feeding trough for animals – how’s that for a humble beginning?
B. Most of you are aware that the date for Christ’s birth remains a mystery.
1. December 25 has been designated by some as a day to recognize the birth of Jesus.
2. We know that the Bible does not reveal the day Jesus was born and in truth the Bible doesn’t even reveal the year Jesus was born.
3. Scholars believe it was somewhere between 6 BC and 4 BC.
4. But one thing is clear: if God felt it was important for us to know the exact date of the Savior’s birth, He certainly would have told us in His Word.
5. The Gospel of Luke gives very specific details about the event, even down to what the baby was wearing – “swaddling clothes”—and where He slept — “in a manger” (Luke 2:12).
a. These details are important because they speak of His nature and character, meek and lowly.
b. But the exact date of His birth has no significance whatsoever, which may be why God chose not to mention it.
6. The most important facts are that Jesus was born, that He came into the world to atone for our sins, that He died, was buried, then was resurrected to eternal life, and He’s alive today sitting at God’s right hand in heaven.
7. This is what we should celebrate, as we are told in the Old Testament in such passages as Zechariah 2:10: “‘Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the LORD.”
8. Additionally, the angel that announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds declared “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10).
9. Jesus’ coming into the world and everything Jesus has done for us is the cause for our celebration of Him every day of the year.
I. What the Shepherds Witnessed in the Field
A. Let’s imagine that you were one of the shepherds working in the fields that night.
1. You were just doing your job as always in fields outside of Bethlehem.
2. Because of a lack of seniority, you were assigned the night shift.
a. The hours were bad, but the work wasn’t too hard.
b. The sheep stayed contently in the enclosed fold and you guarded the gate from predators.
3. The worst part of the job was trying to stay warm during the long cold nights.
B. But then one night an unbelievable thing happened.
1. As you were standing with some of your co-workers, out of nowhere a glorious, angelic creature appeared.
2. You could scarcely look at him because of the brilliant light flowing from his tall and powerful form.
3. His glow lit up the entire field.
4. To say you were stunned is to put it mildly; to say that you were “greatly afraid” is an understatement.
C. When the creature spoke, his voice was terrifying and yet comforting at the same time.
1. Instead of words of judgment, he spoke of peace and he told you not to be afraid.
2. He said: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2:10-12)
D. Immediately after that beautiful creature uttered those words, the sky and the field became ablaze with a whole multitude of what could only be described as a sea of angels.
1. There was a tremendous sound as they all at once began to praise God.
2. They declared, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (2:14)
3. And then, as suddenly as they had appeared, they were gone, and the night was dark and silent again.
E. You and the other shepherds stood motionless and speechless.
1. Your brains worked furiously trying to comprehend what you had just seen and heard.
2. When the shock wore off you began to process it - “Did you just see what I saw?” “Yah, and did you hear what I heard?” “Yes, I did!”
3. The message was clearly embedded in everyone’s mind, and what you had to do at that point was not in question.
4. You all had to go to Bethlehem and find the Savior, the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.
5. All your life you had heard the prophecies of the coming Christ who would be the Savior of Israel.
6. You had always imagined that the Savior would be a mighty warrior riding into Jerusalem on a beautiful white stallion.
7. You had imagined him having the miracle-working power of Elijah, the wisdom of Solomon, the leadership of Moses, the faith of Abraham, and the military prowess of Joshua.
8. But rather than that, this angel just said he would be “a babe” and furthermore he would be “wrapped in cloths” and of all things be found “lying in a manger.”
F. Then you and the other shepherds ran as fast as your legs could carry you and you found the stable behind the Inn.
1. There by the light of a lamp you saw a young woman with her husband, and then you saw the baby wrapped in cloths lying in the straw.
2. You immediately dropped to your knees, and as the world around you faded; you were lost in the worship of this special infant.
G. Let’s step back from the scene and try to understand what those shepherds must have been thinking as they got that first glimpse of the Christ-child.
1. What must have been going through their minds?
2. The Bible doesn’t tell us what they thought, but it does tell us what they did.
3. After they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what they had been told about the child.
4. Then they returned to the fields, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.
II. What The Shepherds Witnessed at the Manger
A. So, what had they seen? They had seen MAJESTY IN THE MANGER!
1. Luke chapter 2 tells us about the shepherds seeing the baby Jesus, but Hebrews chapter 1 tells us who the baby in the manger was.
2. Over 150 years ago, William Dix penned the words to the classic hymn, “What Child is this, who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, the Babe, the son of Mary.”
3. William Dix asks the same question that the shepherds must have been asking, and that multitudes have been asking since then: What Child is This?
4. I want to use Hebrews 1:1-3 to explain the truth about the child in the manger.
B. What Child is This? The Baby in the Manger is the HEIR of All Things
1. The baby in the manger was both the son of Mary and the Son of God.
2. Jesus had no human father. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
3. As the son of Mary, He was heir to very little, but as the Son of God He is heir of all things, because God owns all things.
4. In Psalm 2:6-9 God says this about His Son, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill. I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘you are my Son; today I have become your father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
5. In Psalm 89:27, the Father says of Jesus, “I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.”
6. Being the “firstborn” does not mean that Christ is not eternal, rather it speaks of his legal right as the Son of God to be the heir of all things.
7. But the really good news for us is that Jesus is not going keep his inheritance to himself, He promises to share it with us!
8. Look at Romans 8:16-17: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, the we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
9. Yes, Jesus is the heir of all things and we are joint heirs with him. Praise the Lord!
C. Second, What Child is This? The Baby in the Manger is the CREATOR of All Things.
1. Hebrews 1:2 says that it was through Jesus that God made the universe.
2. Over and over the Bible teaches that it was Jesus, the Son of God who created the world.
a. John 1:3 says: Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
b. Look at Colossians 1:16: For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
3. It is interesting to note that our text from Hebrews says that Jesus made the universe.
a. The word used that the NIV translated as universe is aions which corresponds to the English word eons or ages.
b. See, Jesus not only created the physical realm that we can see, but He also created time and space, energy and matter.
4. How ludicrous are the scientists who try to teach our children that the world just simply came into being, and that no one designed it or made it.
a. How could things as complex as subatomic particles, as vast as the cosmos, and as functional as the human body simply happened by accident.
5. Scripture declares that Jesus created everything.
a. Jesus designed the womb in which His body was formed.
b. When Jesus was born, He was laid in a manger made of lumber from a tree He created.
c. He created the atomic structure that held the manger up and the gravitational force that held it down.
6. Jesus created every aspect of the physical universe that He chose to enter as a helpless baby.
D. Third, What child is this? The Baby in the Manger is the Radiance of God’s Glory.
1. In times past, God had revealed some of his glory to men.
a. Moses, the lawgiver once asked to see God’s glory.
b. God told him that no one could see His face and live, but He would allow Moses to see His glory as he passed.
c. So, Moses saw the train of His glory, like the glimpse of the train of a bridal gown.
d. This quick glimpse was so intense that Moses had to wear a veil over his face for days.
2. The people of Israel saw the glory of God during the wilderness wanderings as they saw the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
3. When the tabernacle was finished they saw the glory of God come down upon that place.
4. Isaiah the prophet saw the glory of God as it filled the temple one day.
5. Throughout the OT we see glimpses of God’s glory, but in the NT we see God’s glory fully revealed.
a. John said it well in Jn. 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
b. The glorious truth is that one day the glory of God came, not in a cloud, not on a mountain, not in the temple, but wrapped in swaddling cloths, then He walked the dusty roads of Palestine, hung from a cross, and then was raised from the dead!
6. The radiance of God’s glory was seen in Him.
E. Fourth, What Child is This? The Baby in the Manger is the Image of Father
1. Hebrews 1:3 also says that Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being.
a. The phrase “exact representation” comes from a term used to describe the impression made by a stamp or seal.
b. In times past, important papers were often sealed with wax and the signet ring of a noble.
c. Today, important documents must be witnessed and sealed by a notary public.
d. The seal ensures the authenticity.
2. Colossians 1:15 says something similar when Paul writes that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God...”
a. The Greek word for “image” means a precise copy or an exact reproduction.
b. Jesus is the perfect picture of God.
c. Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” (Jn 14:9)
d. Jesus is the wonderful physical expression of God, Col 2:9 says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity (Godhead) lives in bodily form.”
F. Fifth, What Child is This? The Baby in the Manger is the Upholder of All Things
1. Jesus not only made all things - He is right now sustaining and upholding all things.
2. Our text for today tells us that Jesus is “sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
3. The verb “sustaining” is in the present tense, which implies continual, ongoing action.
4. Jesus right now is continually holding all things together.
5. Col. 1:17 says: Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
6. Amazingly, Jesus does all that He does with just the whisper of his voice - His command is so powerful!
G. Sixth and finally, What Child is This? The Baby in the Manger is the Purger of Our Sins
1. The Hebrew writer continues in his description of Jesus, “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
2. We are all sinners and because of our sin we deserve physical death and we deserve spiritual death - we deserve eternal alienation from God.
a. But thanks be to God that Jesus took our guilt and our punishment upon Himself and died in our place!!! Amen!!
b. That baby born in Bethlehem became the perfect once-for-all sacrifice for our sins.
c. Revelation 13:8 describes him as “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.”
2. The death of Jesus on our behalf was no surprise to him.
a. It was certainly not a stop-gap move.
b. It was in the plan of God from the very beginning.
3. We have the wonderful hope of eternal life because Jesus is the purger of our sins.
4. Let’s be sure not to miss one last insight from this passage: after Jesus had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
a. One interesting thing about the ancient temple is that there was no place to sit.
b. The priests never sat down because the work of making sacrifices for sin never ceased.
c. Jesus sat down because the work was done.
5. From the cross, He himself said the incredible, momentous words: “It is finished!” (Jn 19:30).
a. And it is finished.
b. He is the author and perfecter of our faith.
6. We are saved by grace because of what He did for us! He is the purger and purifier of our sins.
Conclusion:
A. So, let’s review what we have seen today.
B. When the shepherds entered that stable that night, what did they witness? They saw Majesty in a Manger.
1. They saw the Heir of all things.
2. They saw the Creator of all things.
3. They saw the Radiance of God’s glory.
4. They saw the Image of the Father.
5. They saw the Upholder of all things.
6. They saw the Purger of our Sins.
C. Whenever we look at Jesus, while He was in the manger or at any time throughout His life, let’s recognize who He really is.
1. Jesus is God.
2. He is the image of the Father and the heir of all things.
3. He is the creator and upholder of all things.
4. And He is the Savior – the purger of our sins.
5. Therefore, we should stand in awe of Him and love Him and serve Him.
6. We should never be ashamed of Him, but should stand up for Him and share Him with others.
D. Let me end with a story:
1. Once there was a woman who wanted to give her circle of friends some special Christmas gifts.
2. Unfortunately, time slipped away and she just was not able to shop for gifts.
3. At the last minute she gave up on finding gifts and just decided to buy everyone the same beautiful Christmas card.
4. She went to the store and hurriedly went through the now picked over stack of card boxes.
5. She saw a box of fifty that had just the picture she was looking for, but she didn’t take time to read the message inside, rather she just assumed it would be appropriate.
6. She quickly signed and addressed them and put them in the mail.
7. A few days later she was cleaning up the mess she had made and was about to throw out the few remaining cards in the box when it occurred to her that she had failed to read the message inside.
8. She opened the card and read, “This Christmas card is just to say, a little gift is on its way.”
9. That lady had not realized what she had gotten herself into with the cards she had sent.
E. That is not the case with the gift of Jesus.
1. God knew exactly what He had gotten Himself into when He gave us the gift of Jesus.
2. Jesus came deliberately to live and to die for us.
3. He came in the form of a helpless infant, but He died in the form of a willing adult.
4. And why did he do it? Because He loved us and didn’t want us to spend an eternity in hell separated from the goodness and glory of God.
5. So, during this holiday season as everyone focuses on the infant in the manger, let’s be sure to remember who this child is and what this child became.
6. Jesus certainly was majesty in the manger, and He continues to be majesty in heaven.
7. You and I can share in His majesty if we believe in Him and live for Him.
