Title: The Miracle of the Manger Script: Mt 2 & Lk 2
Type: Advent Series Date: Christmas Eve 2025
Intro: Christmas is all about the joy of finding the Miraculous hidden in the mundane. Back in 2018, a French family found an unexpected treasure. There was a vase, that had been kept in a shoebox in their attic. When they finally stumbled upon the vase they really didn’t like it that much, but didn’t have the heart to simply throw it away. In time, a friend saw the vase and encouraged the owners to have an expert examine and possibly appraise the the piece of art. Appraise they did! When examined by experts, the vase turned out to be from the 18th century Qing Dynasty in China. Appraised as being in perfect condition with remarkable artistic details, the vase sold at auction for $19 million! (Today in the Word, 12-15-25). There was something, nay, Someone, that was found in that manger the first Christmas Eve that was and is a priceless Treasure often overlooked and unappreciated both then and now. May I remind you this Christmas Eve that the contents of the manger in Bethlehem was of inestimable value? In fact, it was miraculous.
Prop: Let’s take time this evening to examine the miraculous manger of Jesus Christ.
BG: Over the four weeks of Advent we have been made aware of so many of the miracles surrounding the events leading up to Christ’s birth. A miraculous star in the sky never seen before. Seemingly miraculous appearance of strange visitors from the East following that star. Miraculous visitations of angels. Miraculous dreams and visions announcing the events and individuals to come. The miracle of a pregnant virgin! And the greatest miracle of all—the Incarnation! God would come to this earth as a child in order to live amongst His creation, ultimately suffering and dying for the sins of those who despised and rejected him!
Everything about the first Christmas reminds us that it was a strange night of miracles and mystery.
But the most compelling mystery and amazing miracle of Christmas is THE Miracle OF THE MANGER.
I. The Miracle of the Manger: Man Rejects his Messiah
A. Ironically, Christmas Begins with Rejection.
1. The Manger of Bethlehem Takes Place as a Result of Rejection.
a. Our story unfolds that first Christmas Eve. Joseph and Mary have now walked 80-90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem at the 9th month of pregnancy! Arriving at the quaint village located about 5 mi from Jerusalem, it is possible that Mary was already experiencing contractions. Who wouldn’t help a woman in labor? Apparently their times were just as heartless, self-absorbed, and sinful as our own.
b. Vv.6-7 “because there was no room for him in the inn”. You see, there was no room for Jesus in the inn. There was room for BUSINESS in the inn.
There was room for PLEASURE in the inn. There was room for OTHERS in the inn. But there was no room in the inn for Jesus. So Joseph had to find some place of shelter for Mary and the baby, and most likely someone, seeing their desperate situation, offered his stable where he kept his animals.
2. The Prophet Isaiah had predicted the Messiah would be Rejected.
a. Written 700 yrs before the events of the narrative we read tonight, Isaiah miraculously predicted extensive details about the life of Christ. In Is. 53:3-5 we read (READ) -Did you hear those words: “despised”, “rejected/abandoned”, “no regard”.
b. But it all happened because of rejection—because there was no room in the inn. That’s not really so surprising, is it that even at His birth, His very entrance into the world, he would be rejected? The Bible tells us that all His life, Jesus was rejected. John 1:10-11 confirm this truth: He came to the very world He created and His very creation rejected Him. Then John drills down even deeper: “He came to His own and those who were His own did not receive Him.” Friend, the Pharisees rejected Him! The Sadducees rejected Him! To this very day the vast majority of Jews continue to reject Him! The Gospels tells us that even up to a certain point in His life and ministry, members of His own family rejected Him!
B. Christmas Speaks of the Love God has for Those Who Have Experienced Rejection in Life.
1. Illus. – A young woman went into a bookstore and was looking through the Christmas cards. – Suddenly, she threw a Christmas card to the floor and stomped angrily out of the store, saying, “Imagine bringing religion into Christmas!” Friends, the cultural Marxists of our day will not rest until Christ is removed completely from Christmas, because they have rejected the Christ of Christmas. The battle continues over whether to say, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas!” God forbid we use a word with the name “Christ” in a respectful way. Yet friend, let me ask you a personal question this evening: Have you repented of your sin and placed your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ? If not, you and I are rejecting Him today just as much as the citizens of Bethlehem at His birth or Jerusalem at His death.
2. Many a man or woman bears the full brunt of rejection at this time of year. When rejected, the holidays become painful, lonely, and beyond what we can endure. We see the lights, joy, happiness, and families and KNOW everyone else has the blessings of the holidays, but not us. Inside of us, we believe we are rejected, not wanted, and not valued.
C. Applic: Dear one, that simply isn’t true! The miracle of the manger is not that man rejects his Messiah. No! The miracle is that the rejected Messiah ACCEPTS you and me! Rom. 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
II. The Miracle of the Manger: An Infant Who Was Infinite vv.11b (Who is Christ the Lord)
A. This is the Mystery of Christmas.
1. The Manger is Our First Glimpse of the Incarnation of God.
a. The miracle of the manger is this paradox of an infant Who is infinite. The paradox of God becoming human—the eternal, all-powerful Creator who takes the form of a vulnerable baby, embodying infinite divinity in the finite containment of flesh. This speaks to the immense wonder of God entering the world as a humble infant, needing a mother's care while simultaneously holding the universe together! God enters into his own creation and takes on flesh in order to redeem that which was lost.
b. In Phil. 2:7-8, the Apostle Paul says of this mystery: “He was born in the likeness of men…found in human form” This is the marvel and miracle of the incarnation. The eternal God unites himself with our human nature. Astronomers have said that our sun is just one of 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. There are at least 100 billion galaxies in the universe. All of this was a result of the spoken word of God (Hebrews 11:3). “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus, the creator of the universe becomes a creature.
2. The Manger Holds Our Attention with Wonder and Astonishment.
a. Jewish scholars knew about the Messiah but expected Him to reign on David’s throne. With names like “Wonderful Counsellor”, “Mighty God”, “Everlasting Father”, and “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), the Messiah would free His people from the oppressive Roman rule, the Jews thought, and elevate Israel to its rightful place as God’s chosen people. And yet this little baby, born in such a humble status would shock and surprise the world in time. But they misunderstood and misinterpreted the prophecies about Christ. Christ came to free His people, yes, but from something much bigger than the mighty Roman Empire.
b. Illust: This mystery is great this paradox is astounding. Over 150 years ago, William Chatterton Dix attempted to explore that thought when he 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.” 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?
B. The Mystery of the Infinite Infant Is That He Came For You and Me!
1. The Manger Contained the Miracle of God Made Man!
a. Illust: Charles Spurgeon said, “What will Christ Jesus not do for us? The lower He stoops to save us, the higher we ought to lift Him in our adoring reverence. Blessed be His name. He stoops, and stoops, and stoops, and when He reaches our level and becomes man, He still stoops, and stoops, and stoops lower and deeper yet.”
b. The Confessionals of Nicaea (325) & Chalcedon (451), both present an answer to the question: Who is Jesus? Jesus is the divine Son, the second person of the triune Godhead, the Lord of Glory, who in time assumed a human nature, so that now and forevermore he is the eternal “Word made flesh” (John 1:14). For this reason, Jesus is in an exclusive category as the unique, exclusive, and only Lord and Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
2. At Christmas We Need to Mediate on the Infant Who Became Infinite.
Illust: When Sinclair Ferguson was younger, pastored in Glasgow. developed a personal tradition on Christmas Eve. He’d park a little distance from the church and walk across the brightly lit and decorated city square as he headed to the late-night service. It was a way of quieting his heart to prepare for the service. One year, he noticed two police officers standing beside the life-sized nativity scene in the square. “Guarding the manger?” I he said to them, thinking that a friendly conversation might begin. He was surprised when one officer replied: “Yes. Last year, someone stole Jesus.” Those were prophetic words, for that police officer was saying more than he likely realized. He had put his finger on the heart of the problem: We’ve allowed Jesus to be stolen at Christmastime (and the rest too!).
C. Applic: “Infinite, and an infant — eternal, and yet born of a woman — Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast — supporting the universe, and yet needing to be cradled in a mother’s arms — king of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph — heir of all things and yet the carpenter’s despised stepson. Wonderful are you, Oh Jesus, and shall your name be forever.” (Spurgeon)
III. The Miracle of the Manger: A Predictive Picture of His Redemption vv. 10-12
A. The angel of the Lord Announces the Miraculous Message of Christ’s Redemption.
1. The Miracle of the Manger Announces the Miracle of Salvation for Fallen Man!
a. V.11 – “there has been born for you a Savior” A Savior has been born for YOU! Let that thought take root in your heart, your soul, your mind!
b. Christ is the English for Christos, which is means “anointed one,” which is the meaning of “Messiah” (John 1:41; 4:25). This is the one long-predicted, long-awaited, the one anointed above all others (Psalm 45:7). The final anointed King. The final anointed Prophet. The final anointed Priest. In him all the promises of God are yes! (2 Corinthians 1:20). He would fulfill all the hopes and dreams of godly Israel. And more, vastly more. Because he is also . . .“ the Lord.” “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The ruler, the sovereign, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. The rough-hewn feeding trough contained the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe! What a miracle!
2. The angel of the Lord announces to the shepherd this birth is a sign!
The first sign was “you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.” When a baby was born into a common person’s home in that day, the mother would bind him tightly with linen cloth until all but his little face was covered. He looked something like a miniature Egyptian mummy! “Swaddling clothes,” were linen cloth, and very different from the fine silks used in the homes of the wealthy to cover their children. Now the fact that the shepherds were told to look for a baby in swaddling clothes was not unique. All babies of common people were wrapped in swaddling clothes! However, the second sign was what must have seemed rather strange indeed to these shepherds, and proved to be a dead give-away they had found the right child. The baby would be “lying in a manger.”!
B. This Predictive Picture of Redemption Christ’s Birth Is Miraculously Tied to His Death.
1. We read of the first set of visitors to the Nativity of Christ: The shepherds.
a. Again, remember that a manger was an animal feeding trough, mostly for sheep. How appropriate for the Lamb of God to be born where sheep were kept and to be lain in a feeding trough for sheep. Think about that—to be put in a feeding trough for sheep, and then to be found first by people whose occupation was the care of sheep. I actually believe there is evidence that these were not just ordinary shepherds, but a select group who specifically grazed the temple flock in this very area at this very time of year. John the Baptist certainly saw the parallel when he said: – John 1:29 – “ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
b. What does John mean by this? In the OT, a lamb was shed in sacrifice to atone for sins. The New Testament teaches that these animal sacrifices did not actually atone for sin, but they pointed to the one who would atone for sin—Jesus Christ. As a lamb was slain in the OT time, symbolically, the sins of the one sacrificing were transferred from the sinner to the innocent lamb, and so Jesus would be the innocent lamb slain on the cross to pay for your and my sins.
2. In Mt. 2 We Read of the Second Set of Visitors to the Creche of Christ.
a. Here we see the wise men, the magi, visitors from afar, coming to the manger to crown the King! When the wise men found Jesus, they brought three gifts. One brought GOLD, a gift befitting ROYALTY, for Jesus would someday be the King of the Jews and, the Bible says that someday, “every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Another brought FRANKINCENSE, a perfume used in WORSHIP. – How fitting— for as VERY GOD, Jesus was worthy of worship and adoration. But the strangest gift of all was the gift of MYRRH. Myrrh was a spice that was USED TO EMBALM THE DEAD. Isn’t that a rather peculiar gift for a newborn child?
b. But really, this particular Magi was indeed a “wise man,” for his gift was a recognition that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords came to DIE. He was born to die upon Calvary! He was born to be the sacrificial Lamb of God to take away sin and to provide the way to God and heaven.
c. Applic: GK Chesterton famous stated: “Now Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” Too many people have the wrong picture of Jesus at Christmas: They only see Him as a helpless child, lying in a stable, with sheep and oxen and a donkey standing around in wonder and amazement. Possibly a little drummer boy, and the “littlest angel.”! Yet these romanticized pictures often obscure the real message of Christ’s birth. The real picture we ought to see is Jesus as the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed on Calvary’s cross. Jesus came to earth to die as the Lamb of God—for your sins and for mine. And in this we see the true “Miracle of the Manger”. Merry Christmas! And in the words of Tiny Tim “God bless us everyone!”
The Christmas story is a story of miracles—God’s power not just displayed around us, but brought near to us in Jesus. From the sovereign plan that moved Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, to the miracle of Emmanuel born in a manger, God shows that He is both in control and deeply present. The angels’ announcement to shepherds reveals that this good news is for everyone, and their hurried journey to encounter Christ reminds us how we’re meant to respond. Even when our hearts grow numb, Christmas calls us to remember God’s miracles, recognize His sovereignty, and move toward Jesus again with wonder. The true miracle of Christmas is that the God of the universe came close—Emmanuel, God with us—and still invites us to encounter Him today
(Credit: Ideas for two main points came from Chuck Sligh)
