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Sunday 12/22/24
Title: The Message in the Manger
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The Message in the Manger
To some degree it’s curious that Jesus’ birth was never really celebrated by the church of the 1st century. That time period in which a good number of initial Christians were eye-witnesses of Him, didn’t celebrate His birth.
By the 2nd century it began to be celebrated but it was not until 23 years after Constintine the Great made Christianity the official religion of Rome in 313 A.D. that the church settled on December 25th as the official date on which to recognize and celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Now this is not to say Jesus’ birth was not a point of doctrine that was important nor that they did not rejoice in the gift of God- Who was the Child in the manger. Only that it was not a point of special celebration as it later came to be observed and it was never observed as it is today until much, MUCH later.
Nevertheless, celebrating the fulfillment of God’s promise to Eve and Abraham to bless the world through the promised seed who was Messiah is a very appropriate thing to do.
God IS faithful to His Word. He watches over it to bring it to pass and does not allow any of His good and gracious promises to go unfulfilled.
From the beginning God has loved communion with His people. As far back as Adam and Eve, the voice of God would come and walk and talk with them in the garden in the cool of the day. No doubt this was the highlight of the day for all involved. God rejoiced over his man and woman and they in communion with Him.
It wasn’t until another voice entered the garden that things went sideways.
This voice spoke words of doubt and of the need to watch out for one’s own best interest. In following this advice, mankind fell from eternal union with God. The intimacy of the voice was gone. Not the voice itself. God has always spoken to His people but the intimate communion with the person of that voice was lost to us.
Mankind lost communion with their Creator and God lost communion with the children He had made in His likeness. The cool of the day was never the same for any of them.
What we are focused on this morning is God’s heart expressed in His words. In particular God’s message in the manger.
God loved His walks with Adam and Eve. He looked forward to His talks with them. They with their questions and He with His answers which always took the shape of investments of His Own person into them in the form of “word seeds”.
Even as Jesus would say many, many years later in what has become a very famous parable of the sower and the seeds or as we like to call it here in our church, the parable of the heart soils.
God would speak His words into the fertile soil of Adam and Eve’s hearts – committing the seeds of His eternal, and glorious nature into the developing hearts of these creatures who more than any others, were most like Him.
I mentioned the word of promise God gave to Eve and to Abraham.
I know most are familiar with the promise to Abraham that from Isaac, the child of promise, would eventually come a Messiah through Whom the entire world would be blessed.
But the first time God mentioned this promised child was to Eve. In fact that promise was given in the same breath as He pronounced her punishment for sin which would fall on her and all the future daughters of men.
The promise was that God would crush the serpent (or the devil) through the offspring of the woman or the “seed of the woman” which signified His virgin birth. That the one who through doubt and self seeking closed the door for intimate union with God would through submission and trust become the doorway through which that intimacy would be restored.
So this morning we are taking a fresh look at the message of the manger which for us begins with the lesson of the manna. That first lesson God taught the fledgling nation of Israel as they took their initial steps out of Egyptian bondage and into the fellowship of God in the wilderness.
Who remembers the lesson as God taught it to them?
They had one gone a few day’s journey into the wilderness when they became hungry and began, not to seek God for provision in trust, but to complain to Moses that clearly God had brought them out into the wilderness in order to kill them by hunger.
God in HIs goodness and instruction rained down manna from heaven to feed them and teach them.
His instructions were to gather only what they needed for the day – each day for 5 days. If they gathered more, then what they took in excess of their immediate needs became putrid and spoiled with worms. Which did happen.
On the 6th day however, they were to gather enough for two days and trust that the extra which was to be their provisions for the Sabbath on which they were to do no work or gather any food for provision – that this extra manna would not go bad as it would on all the other days.
The lesson was one of obedience and trust, but ultimately it was about God’s word.
When that generation all died in the wilderness due to their lack of trust in God’s words, Moses spoke to the second generation telling them about this first lesson.
It is recorded in Deuteronomy 8:2 & 3.
Deut. 8:2-3, “(2) Remember that the LORD your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. (3) He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” – Holman
The word manna means “what is it?”
The word “live” means more than just staying alive; it is a verb that encompasses meanings of flourishing, safety and preservation of life.
As it is stated in this passage however, it would seem to favor the idea of life itself coupled with flourishing.
The word “bread” is leḥem.
It’s a masculine noun meaning bread or food. It refers in a general sense to anything God has given for nourishment and sustenance of man (Gen. 3:19; 25:34; Psalm 147:9). However, it often indicates grain which was used for preparing bread.
Now since we are focusing on the birth of Jesus this morning, you may wonder what the connection between all of this and His coming.
Well you know that God LOVES to teach through object lessons and metaphors and relationships and plays on words and this is no less true regarding the birth of Jesus.
As I told you the word “bread” in Deuteronomy 8 is the Hebrew word “lehem” and so God wanting to make certain truths about our relationship to Jesus very clear to us, sovereignly foretold the location of His birth 400 years beforehand through the prophet Micah as being in Beth – “lehem” which is a compound word. Beth means “house of” and is often used before the name of modern Jewish synagogues.
- Beth Chayim – House of Life
- Beth Yeshua – House of salvation
- Beth Sholom – House of peace
- Beth El – House of God (which by the way, was also the name of a Jewish city in the Bible. It was named by Jacob after God appeared to him and in response he said, “surely this must be the house of God” (Beth-lehem) – Gen. 28:17)
So Bethlehem means house of bread. This was God’s way of telling us that Messiah was the Bread from heaven. That in Messiah was life and like the Manna, the people would not recognize Him (what is it?)
As I told you earlier, God’s words are seeds, planted into our hearts. They are the Spiritual bread mankind lives on or by which we thrive in relation to God.
Turn with me to John 1 which without a doubt is my favorite Christmas passage of all time and one which I am afraid is largely overlooked at Christmas time.
In John 1 and later in John 6 we see a connection between God’s spoken word and the bread from heaven upon and by which we live and thrive.
John 1
“(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(2) He was with God in the beginning.
(3) ALL THINGS were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.
(4) Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.”
This WAS the “good news” the angels foretold to the shepherds in the field the night of Jesus’ birth and that too was another lesson from God.
You remember how one day as Jesus was teaching, He mentioned that their present generation would not believe regardless of how the message came. For John the Baptist came neither eating much food or drinking any wine and they said he has a demon.
And Jesus came both eating and drinking and they exclaimed – “Look He is a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” – (Matt. 11:15-19)
In like manner the birth of Jesus was heralded by both Shepherds and Astronomers (wisemen).
Astronomers (not Astrologers as they are often called), who by the way date back to the time of Daniel when he without question, influenced the wise men of Babylon and Persia and from whom they no doubt learned of Balaam’s prophecy that a star would announce Messiah’s birth.
These magi were highly educated and well esteemed men who stood before kings as their clerics and counselors.
In stark contrast to this God also announced the birth of Messiah through the Shepherds who at the time of Jesus’ birth were of the lowest repute. Their reputation was so tarnished that it was literally not permitted to accept their testimony in a court of law.
So God used both the most respected and the least to proclaim the “good news” of Messiah’s birth. But the good news was not just about His birth, but about what His birth meant!
IN this bread… this baby was LIFE!
In John 17:3 we are told by Jesus Himself that eternal life is to know God in a relationship of intimate union. Much like the relationship Adam and Eve enjoyed with Him in the garden before the fall.
In Jesus was relationship with God of the most intimate nature and that relationship of knowing and being known WAS the light or the revelation to mankind!
Man can be in right relation to God and enter into eternal and intimate union with Him.
THAT was the message of Jesus’ birth, life and ministry.
Jesus Himself said, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. (45) And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. (46) I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. (47) If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. (48) The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. (49) For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. (50) I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” – John 12:44-50
THAT was the message of the man and the manger!
John 1 goes on to say…
“(5) That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. [or overwhelm it]
(6) There was a man named John who was sent from God. (7) He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. (8) He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
(9) The true Light, Who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
(10) He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. (11) He came to His Own, and His Own people did not receive Him.
(12) But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, (13) who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
(14) The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (15) (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed, “This was the One of whom I said, ‘The One coming after me has surpassed me, because He existed before me.'”) (16) Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness, (17) for although the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son–the One who is at the Father’s side–He has revealed Him.”
Many times I have referenced this very precious song written by Michael Card called ‘The Final Word’ but I think it very clearly captures all this passage is saying and I want to read it before connecting Jesus as the incarnation of the word God spoke to mankind and His being the bread God sent from Heaven.
Hopefully though, you are already beginning to see the connection between the life man receives from the words God speaks and Jesus being the word God spoke to mankind?
The Final Word – Michael Card –
You and me, we use so very many clumsy words
The noise of what we often say is not worth being heard
When the Father’s wisdom wanted to communicate His love
He spoke it in one final perfect word
He spoke the incarnation and then so was born the Son
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one
Spoke flesh and blood, so He could bleed and make a way divine
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine
And so the Father’s fondest thought took on flesh and bone
He spoke the living luminous word, at once His will was done
And so the transformation that in man had been unheard
Took place in God the Father as He spoke that final word
And so the light became alive
And manna became man
Eternity stepped into time
So we could understand
He spoke the incarnation and then so was born the Son
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one
Spoke flesh and blood, so He could bleed and make a way divine
And so was born the baby who would die to make it mine!
Now let’s turn to John 6:25-71,
This is the time Jesus fed the multitude on the shore of the sea of Galilee and then walked to the disciples on the water. That same multitude went looking for Jesus the next day and finally found Him on the other side of the Galilee.
This is what happened…
“(25) When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they said to Him,
“Rabbi, when did You get here?”
(26) Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for Me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted.
(27) Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on Him.”
Though stated differently this is essentially what God told the Israelites in the lesson of the manna.
Life has many distractions and often we are faced with feelings of having to go it alone. Provisions of food, friendship, family relations, work – even worship can feel as if we are the ones pursuing what has to be caught in order to be a provision for our needs.
Jesus tells us here as well as in His teaching on not being anxious for food, clothing or housing found in Matthew 6 and Luke 12 that these strivings are to live as if we did not have a heavenly Father Who knows we have real and constant need of these things and Who speaks to them.
Jesus then told them to seek the true treasure which is the Kingdom of God and right standing with God in that kingdom and all of these earthly concerns would be addressed and met by our Father in heaven!
John 6…
“(28) So then they said to Him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?”
(29) Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires – to believe in the One Whom He sent.”
And of course we realize that the word trust or believe here means to rely upon. To enter into a relationship of knowing and trusting with Him.
“(30) So they said to Him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? (31) Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
(32) Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father IS GIVING YOU THE TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN.
(33) For the bread of God is the One Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
(34) So they said to Him, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!”
(35) Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The One Who comes to Me will never go hungry, and the One Who believes in Me will never be thirsty. [Remember the words He spoke to the woman at the well]
(36) But I told you that you have seen Me and still do not believe.
(37) Everyone whom the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never send away.
(38) For I have come down from heaven not to do My Own will but the will of the One Who sent Me.
(39) Now this is the will of the One Who sent Me – that I should not lose one person of every one He has given Me, but raise them all up at the last day. (40) For this is the will of My Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
(41) Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” (42) and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
(43) Jesus replied, “Do not complain about Me to one another. (44) No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
(45) It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’
Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to Me. (46) (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the One Who is from God – He has seen the Father.)
(47) I tell you the solemn truth, the One Who believes has eternal life.
(48) I am the bread of life.
(49) Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
(50) This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat from it and not die.
(51) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
(52) Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
(53) Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.
(54) The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
(55) For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.
(56) The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood resides in Me, and I in him.
(57) Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes Me will live because of Me.
(58) This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate, but then later died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”
(59) Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
(60) Then many of His disciples, when they heard these things, said, “This is a difficult saying! Who can understand it?”
(61) When Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about this, He said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? [Stumble to the point of falling away from the faith]
(62) Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where He was before?
(63) The Spirit is the One Who gives life;
human nature is of no help!
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (64) But there are some of you who do not believe.”
For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.)
(65) So Jesus added, “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.”
(66) After this many of His disciples quit following Him and did not accompany Him any longer.”
… and in this is another lesson within our lesson.
Jesus knew this message offended them and yet He spoke it to them anyway. He knew it would cause them to fall away from the faith and He told them anyway. WHY?
Because faith is really a relationship of knowing and trusting. If there exists within you a point at which you would be offended and walk away, then it is best to reveal that and get it over with. Those who falls away only possess limited faith, based upon limited love and devotion to Him.
This is why we are called upon to love God with ALL that we are and to have no earthly treasure greater than Him. If we do, we cannot follow Him.
Said in more modern terms – as much as I loathe them – these will not go to heaven and they would find no peace or happiness there if they could for Jesus and Jesus ALONE is our treasure and our exceedingly great reward. If one does not truly love Jesus for Who He really is here on earth – then eternity with Him would be no prize at all.
Jesus will call you out. He will challenge all within you that would hesitate at investing all you are into this relationship.
“Do you love your securities, your health, your sense safety more than Me?” is the question.
What is it your heart truly treasures for whatever it is – if it isn’t Me will keep you from Eternal Life.
I didn’t say heaven for that is the future location in which we will enjoy eternal life. I mean eternal life – knowing and being known in true and intimate vulnerability with God. To embrace what mankind recoiled from in the garden out of distrust to God’s words!
See in the next verses how Jesus presses the issue even further with His most devoted followers…
“(67) So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”
(68) Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to Whom would we go? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE.
(69) We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God!”
(70) Jesus replied, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?”
(71) (Now He said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for Judas, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.)”
So now, we can see that the Baby in the Manger was God’s final word to mankind. The Word became flesh. Eternity stepped into time.
Intimate union with God in a human being was the message of the man and the manger.
Man CANNOT live… Cannot thrive on earthly provisions alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. And everyone here has, at one point or another, chosen to believe in Him.
We have chosen to eat His Flesh and drink His blood through our union with Him in His death. We have died with Christ, yet nevertheless, we live and the life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the One Who loved us and gave Himself up for us. We do NOT set aside the words and grace of God!
So it is this morning that I invite you to eat and drink of Him afresh.
- Don’t just reflect on the coming of Messiah.
- Don’t just celebrate the birth of the Savior.
- Commune with Him and enter again this day and every day into your oneness with Him with freeness of will and genuineness of heart.
The communion table is not an empty or meaningless ritual but neither is it what it represents.
Communion is to enter into Beth-lehem – the house of bread OR the living word of God.
In the same way the written word of God represents what God would speak if He did speak for it is what He in fast has said, it is an invitation to come to Him and hear Him for yourself. Unlike our forefathers who drew back in fear from the mountain where God’s voice was heard. We press in to hear His words and embrace the One Who spoke them.
In similar manner, the communion table is NOT a life lived in communion with Jesus but only represents that living union. So for us to claim participation with Christ in His death and resurrection, while living like the world we are lying against the truth.
The scriptures tell us…
“(27) Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord. (28) Let a man [thoroughly] examine himself, and [only when he has done] so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For anyone who eats and drinks without discriminating and recognizing with due appreciation that [it is Christ’s] body, eats and drinks a sentence (a verdict of judgment) upon himself. (30) That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason many of you are weak and sickly, and quite enough of you have fallen into the sleep of death.”
The danger of this is NOT just when we take communion but everyday. It isn’t talking JUST about our participation in the sacraments which represent reality, it is talking about reality. HOW DO YOU LIVE?
The scripture goes on to say..
“(31) For if we searchingly examined ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we should not be judged and penalty decreed [by the divine judgment]. (32) But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal punishment along] with the world.”– 1 Corinthians 11:25-34
As we take the bread which symbolizes Jesus’ flesh we remember His words to His disciples
“After Jesus had given thanks He broke the bread and said, “This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me affectionately to remembrance.”
This is called communion which is from the Greek word Koinonia which means a sharing in – a participation in the brokenness of Jesus’ body. If I would take His broken body into mine, then I proclaim that I have died with Him. That everytime I have a choice between union with Him and communion with the world I choose Him EVERY TIME!
As you take the bread – break it and consume it proclaiming your communion and partaking of Him in His death.
As you do, I want to read to you another song. It’s a song from a Christian artist I had not thought of in a very long time. The artist is Steve Camp and the song is called, “Living Dangerously in the Hand of God”.
Now, take the cup and hear the WORDS of our Lord and Savior as He spoke them to His disciples on the night HE lived dangerously in the hands of God and offered Himself up to be crucified.
“Similarly when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance. (26) For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are representing and signifying and proclaiming the fact of the Lord’s death until He comes [again].” – 1 Corinthians 11 [Amplified]
As I told you, we are not just learning about Jesus – we are participating with and sharing with Him this morning.
Blessings!
