The Miracle of Christmas - The Miracle of the Manger

During this Christmas season we’ll explore the miracle of Christmas from different viewpoints.

• December 3 – The Miracle of the Message
• December 17 – The Miracle of the Moment
• December 24 – The Miracle of the Method
• December 31 – The Miracle of the Manger

In each message, we’ll consider how the miracle of Christ’s coming into the world changed history, brought peace and offers the hope of salvation. 

During the final service in his series, we considered the miracle of the manger, focusing on the simplicity of the birth. A recording and the text of the message are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m. (EST) 

Christmas is just about over, and PTL, we have all survived. In fact, all the stuff we had to get done two weeks ago is now becoming a distant memory, at least until next year. And all we have left to do right now is to pay for all those presents we bought and to put away all those decorations we set out and of course, my favorite, to eat all those cookies we baked. Stick a fork in it; Christmas 2023 is just about over.

And you know, that’s also true of the series we started at the beginning of December. I mean, during three worship services, we talked about the miracle of Christmas. And during that time, we considered the miracle of the message, how it was about hope and peace, joy and love. And we talked about the miracle of the moment and how it was expected and is radical and will last. And then last week, we looked at the miracle of the method, and discussed how God entered our time and space, and why it’s important. Now, that’s what we’ve done.

And this morning, we’re going to put a bow on it by focusing on the miracle of the manger, you know, how the incarnation of God was done through an extremely simple birth. And I’ll tell you, that’s one of the reasons we sang Away in a Manger right at the beginning of this service. You see, personally, I have always loved this song, because, for me, it’s incredibly simple. And you know, looking back, that’s the reason it may have been the first Christmas carol I learned,  probably before I could even read. I mean, even though Jingle Bells or Rudolf or Frosty may have been first, Away in a Manger was right up there. In fact, every time I hear it played, I always think about children singing. And that just makes sense. My goodness, the melody is easy to follow. And the words are easy to remember. And the meaning is easy to understand. Why? Because it’s really, really simple. And for that reason, although it may not be my favorite carol anymore, it will always have a special place in my heart. 

And like I said, that’s why I picked it for a service during which we’re considering the simple way Jesus was born. And so, with that in mind, for the next ten minutes or so, we’re going to focus on the miracle of the manger and talk about how it can remind us of the simplicity that surrounded the birth and the simplicity that was the focus of Jesus’s words and work and the simplicity that can define our faith. Now, that’s what we’re going to do. And hopefully, by the end, we’ll have a better idea about why that simple manger can be so very important as we try to keep moving forward with hope and direction in a world that often seems far too complicated. 

And of course, like I said a moment ago, it all starts with the simplicity that surrounded the birth. You see, that’s the first thing I think we can say about the miracle of the manger. In other words, the way God entered our time and space was natural and genuine and modest, without a lot of fanfare and bluster and bravado. And even though I think we all know the basic story, this was how the Evangelist Luke described the birth of Jesus. He wrote,

About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 

Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.

Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn. [Luke 2:1-7, CEV]

Now this was how the birth was described. And even though artists through the centuries have tried to put their own almost supernatural spin on it, with animals talking and lights shining, there’s really nothing remarkable happening in this very brief description, is there: just a young woman giving birth in a stable because that’s the only place she and Joseph could find and then her wrapping the baby up in what she had and laying him on a bed of straw. In fact, when you think about it, Luke spent more time describing why they had to go to Bethlehem than in the delivery itself. I’ll tell you, it was a simple birth.

And as to the announcement, I don’t think you could find any people more simple to hear about what had happened than a bunch of shepherds. Again, this was what Luke wrote:

That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, “Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:

“Praise God in heaven!

Peace on earth to everyone

    who pleases God.”

After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. [Luke 2:8-16, CEV]

Of course, I’ve got to admit the way the announcement was given is anything but simple. I mean, I don’t think most of us have ever had the chance to hear angels talking, much less singing. Now, that’s what I call a pretty big deal. Still when you consider their audience, man, those shepherds were just about as common as dirt. I’m telling you, these guys were near the bottom of the social ladder. In other words, if I’d have been living back in the day, I sure wouldn’t want Maggie getting engaged to a shepherd. And yet, they were first to hear. And they were the first to come. And they were the first to see. And I think this is really important, because I believe simplicity really surrounded the birth. And that’s one thing we can take from the miracle of the manger. 

But you know, that’s certainly not all, because, second, I believe simplicity was also the focus for the words Jesus said and the work Jesus did. I mean, with a few exceptions, not only was it reflected in both his style and attitude, I think it was most clearly seen when you look at the content of his lessons and actions. You see, based on what he said and did, Jesus came for the simple. He came to lift up the humble and the poor and the powerless, in other words, he came to help the very folks that the world often ignores and overlooks. Of course, for those of us who know the story, this isn’t a surprise. Man, we knew before he was even born that he came to show special attention to those who often fall between the cracks. I mean, just listen to what his mother said about Jesus before he was even born:

Mary said:

With all my heart

   I praise the Lord,

and I am glad

    because of God my Savior.

God cares for me,

    his humble servant.

From now on,

all people will say

    God has blessed me.

God All-Powerful has done

great things for me,

    and his name is holy.

He always shows mercy

to everyone

    who worships him.

The Lord has used

    his powerful arm

to scatter those

    who are proud.

God drags strong rulers

    from their thrones

and puts humble people

    in places of power.

God gives the hungry

    good things to eat,

and sends the rich away

    with nothing. [Luke 1:46-53, CEV]

Now that’s what the mother of Jesus said before he was born. And I’ll tell you, even though we may ask in song, “Mary, did you know,” let me tell you something; she knew. She knew exactly what Jesus came to do: to scatter the proud, to drag down the powerful and to lift up the humble, to feed the hungry with good things and to send away with nothing those who usually eat the best. You see, that’s what her son came to do, and Mary knew it. 

And you know something, we know it too, because that’s exactly what Jesus did. I mean, he didn’t give even more to those who actually had too much. My goodness, he didn’t give tax cuts to billionaires. Instead, he helped those who had nothing. For example, when John the Baptist started to have some doubts about whether or not Jesus was the one and so he sent some messengers to ask him, “Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People who have leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news.” [Luke 7:22, CEV] You see, he helped those we might consider simple. And when he was teaching his closest followers about the way the world would someday change,

Jesus looked at his disciples and said:

God will bless you people

who are poor.

    His kingdom belongs to you!

God will bless

    you hungry people.

You will have plenty

    to eat!

God will bless you people

who are now crying.

    You will laugh!

But you rich people

    are in for trouble.

You have already had

    an easy life!

You well-fed people

are in for trouble.

    You will go hungry!

You people

who are laughing now

    are in for trouble.

You are going to cry

    and weep! [Luke 6:20-21, 24-25]

You see, that was what Jesus came to do, to show through what he taught and what he did, that the time was coming when everything was going to be turned upside down. I’m telling you, since he came, a reversal is about to take place, and “everyone who is now last will be first, and everyone who is first will be last.” [Matthew 20:16b, CEV] And why did Jesus teach that this was going to happen and those who were simple folk could have hope? Because simplicity was also the focus for the words that Jesus said and the work that Jesus did. And for me, that’s something else we can take from the miracle of the manger. But again, that’s not all. 

You see, since it surrounded his birth and was also the focus of his words and work, third, this same kind of simplicity can define our faith. In other words, it can define who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. For example, it can certainly shape how we approach God. I mean, since we know that God likes people who are simple and unassuming; therefore, he isn’t impressed by our fancy words and great displays; since we know this, maybe we’ll be able to understand what Jesus was getting at when he told this parable:

Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:

Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”

The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”

Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.” [Luke 18:9-14, CEV]

You see, knowing that God has a soft spot for those who are simple, maybe that will enable us to feel comfortable putting a side of lot of stuff that we might think will impress the one who knows us far better than we know ourselves and then approaching our heavenly Father with humility .And by doing that, our relationship with God can grow.

And as to our relationship with others, well, maybe we can be more open to actually helping those whom Jesus called blessed. As a matter of fact, in every aspect of our lives, maybe we’ll feel free to follow the advice Jesus gave concerning those who should be invited to a dinner party. 

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” [Luke 14:12-14, CEV] 

Now that’s what Jesus said, and just imagine the kind of lives we’d be living if we applied it to other things that we do. And so, since both his birth and his words and work involved the simple, maybe this same kind of simplicity can also define our faith. And that's something else we can take from the miracle of the manger. 

Now y’all may not know this, but according to the official church calendar, the season of Christmas started last Monday and will end 12 days later, on January 6. But you know, even if we don’t take down the tree or finish up the cookies until mid-January, for most of us, Christmas ended when we packed up the wrapping paper and put away the left-overs. But as we move into a new year, let’s not leave behind what may be some of the most miraculous aspects of Christmas. I mean, let’s make an effort to remember the significance of the message and the moment and method. And of course, let’s remember the miracle of the manger, and I’m talking about the simplicity that surrounded the birth and the simplicity that was the focus of Christ’s words and work and of course, the simplicity that can define our faith. You see, let’s try to keep these things in mind as we enter and move through 2024. Because, I’ll tell you, if we do, we’ll be taking the miracle of Christmas with us.