What Jesus Taught Us from the Manger

Timothy Gunnells

I love Christmas time. I enjoy the decorations. I enjoy the music. I love observing the giving spirit that overtakes so many people. I enjoy giving gifts. And I enjoy receiving them too because of the thoughtfulness behind each one. However, the main reason I enjoy this time of the year is because people slow down and think more about Jesus. While so many hearts and minds are turned toward Jesus, I want to briefly discuss three lessons that Jesus taught us from the manger. (For the full account, read Luke 2:1-20)

JESUS TAUGHT US HUMILITY

The One through whom the entire universe was created (John 1:1-3) took on flesh (John 1:14), and shortly after birth, was wrapped in old rags and put in a feeding trough. Few people have had such humble beginnings (as a human being) than Jesus experienced on the day of his physical incarnation as a baby.

This was the plan before God formed man out of dust from the ground. One day, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the divine builder of the world, would empty himself of his power and glory and become an infant. He would grow up physically like any other man. The Creator would in fact become like the creation (Philippians 2:3-8).

So many of the problems that plague our lives are because we are not humble. The late Mac Davis sang facetiously “Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” Jesus is the only one who has ever been perfect, and he is also the humblest person who ever lived. His humility was demonstrated plainly in his birth.

If we want to be like Jesus, we will practice humility with all people at all times in all situations. Jesus taught us humility from the manger.

JESUS TAUGHT US DEPENDENCE

No one is at more risk or more dependent on others than a precious infant. Babies require enormous care and concern. Jesus knew this well, He knows all about babies, yet he was willing to become a helpless baby and be at the mercy of two young newlyweds. His well-being was in their hands.

His whole life, however, was spent depending on another. Jesus was always dependent on His Heavenly Father, and so are we. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He showed His dependence on the Father (Luke 22:41-43).

Our independent spirit should never prevail over our spirit’s dependence on God. In the manger, Jesus taught us to be dependent.

JESUS TAUGHT US SYMPATHY

Jesus became like us in every way when he came into the world as a newborn baby. He experienced hunger, fatigue, rejection, affection, disappointment, and temptation (Hebrews 4:14-15). No person can ever rightfully sing, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen” because Jesus Christ has seen and experienced it all.

No one has ever been more maligned. No one has ever known more poverty. No one has ever known more emotional distress. No one has ever known greater temptation. No one has ever been beaten more brutally. No one has ever been tortured more ruthlessly. No one has ever suffered more needlessly. No one has ever been killed more hideously. No one else has seen the trouble that Jesus saw while He was on the earth. No one else can sympathize more earnestly with us than Jesus!

Jesus coming into the world as a baby, lying humbly and dependently in a manger is a great show of sympathy for all humanity. He sympathized with our need for a savior and he was willing to be our savior at any cost.

While the most of humankind pauses for a few fleeting moments this month to think about Jesus as a child, I pray that we will see him plainly as one who taught us humility, dependence and sympathy. More importantly, I hope we will we practice humility, become more dependent on God, and cultivate a heart of sympathy for those who are lost in sin. If so, we will have learned the lessons he taught us from the manger.

Merry Christmas!

Just Because People Say It

Bill Bagents

I enjoy finding flaws in inadequate assertions. Part of that is being a natural contrarian, part is that I enjoy trying to improve my critical thinking skills, and part is that I’m just odd.

Consider the famous inadequate quote, “Only two things in life are certain, death and taxes.”

I find it an assumptive assertion. Those who have no income, own no property, and make no purchases pay no taxes. Biblically, I find it inaccurate. There will be people on the earth, perhaps billions, who never die. They’ll be living and “changed” when the Lord returns (1 Cor. 15:50–52).

If we think of the quote as asserting that only death and taxes are inevitable, we encounter all manner of problems.

The quote fails factually: for all who live long enough to pay taxes, aging is both obvious and inevitable. All who live, by definition, will age. For everyone, change is both certain and inevitable. Life is not static. That’s what makes both Psalm 119:89 and Hebrews 13:8 so powerful and precious.

The quote fails spiritually: several times over: love is inevitable. All are loved and desired by God (John 3:16–17, Rom 5:6–8). Judgment is inevitable; all will be judged by God according to the things we’ve done (2 Cor. 5:9–11). The ultimate victory of Jesus over death and the grave is inevitable (1 Cor. 15:50–58).

The quote fails relationally: unless we are utterly isolated, interpersonal conflict is inevitable (Rom 3:23, Acts 15:36–41). While some fear it too much and others welcome it too readily, it has its merits. Conflict can identify problems, foster communication, and pull us toward teamwork and fairness.

The quote fails philosophically: if we are in any sense self-aware and self-reflective, intrapersonal conflict is inevitable (Rom 7). Generally speaking, I like me and often show considerable favoritism toward myself. I try hard, but even I don’t always agree with everything I do, say, or think.

The quote fails practically: it is certain that we need others (Eccl 4:7–12). That’s stunningly obvious in the earliest months of life—at birth; we can’t do a thing for ourselves. When sick enough or sufficiently injured, we need the help of others. If we get old enough, we’ll need and relish the help of others (Eccl 12:6–8). And those are just the extreme cases.

“Only two things in life are certain, death and taxes.” How do such inadequate truisms weave themselves into the fabric of our culture? I wish I were smart enough to know. Better yet, I wish I knew how to keep that from happening. I don’t know that much and I’m not that smart. But all is not lost.

There are lesser but still outstanding options. We can think. We can ask questions. We can pray. We can seek answers. Underlying all that, we can choose to trust God. Even the longest history of popular acceptance can’t make a false statement true. It can’t make a wrong statement right. And it can’t make an inadequate statement all encompassing. From “crucify Him” to “God is dead” to “the earth is flat” to “man will never fly,” countless human assertions have proven to be stunningly wrong.

Any truism that respects God’s character and accords with His word can be a major blessing. Any truism that doesn’t respect God presents a major danger. Errant groupthink, even passionately treasured shared ignorance, can’t bless us. There are biblical senses in which it’s great to be a sheep (Ps 23, John 10:7–18), but blindly following anything we’re told isn’t one of them.

We’re wise to evaluate every assertion through the lens of Scripture (Acts 17:11). Keep the fish; discard the bones. Trust God more than you trust yourself (Prov. 3:5–6, Rom 3:4). Trust God more than any power on earth (Ps 20:7–8). Trust God completely (Ps 31:14–16). Trust God always (Ps 62:8)!

The Birth of Jesus Christ and Peace

The Birth of Jesus Christ and Peace
Luke 2:1–20

Joel Stephen Williams

An angel appeared to shepherds who were in the fields keeping watch over their flocks to announce the birth of a Savior, who was the Messiah, the Lord. They were told to look for a child wrapped in bands of cloth, lying in a manger (Luke 2:8–12). Suddenly a heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
     Glory to God in the highest heaven,
           And on earth peace among those whom he favors! (Luke 2:14; NRSV)

The shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the child lying in a manger. They glorified and praised God for all that they saw and heard (Luke 2:15–20).

The birth of Jesus Christ meant many things for the world. My focus here is on the connection between his birth and peace. The world of the Roman Empire under Augustus (Luke 2:1) celebrated peace, but the type of peace coming from God through the birth of Jesus was of a different quality and nature. It was akin to the peace (shalom) of the Old Testament. Joseph Fitzmyer says that the Hebrew term shalom “expresses not merely an absence of war or hostilities, but much more the state of bounty or well-being that comes from God and includes concord, harmony, order, security, and prosperity….In a few of the sayings of Jesus the term ‘peace’ has the meaning of the absence of war (Luke 11:21; 14:32). More often it is a figure for the bounty that he and his ministry bring to human beings.”[1] John Nolland agrees when he observes that the “heavenly visitors indicate that heaven is impressed by what God has achieved….It [peace] is not simply an inner disposition or the absence of war, but evokes a whole social order of well-being and prosperity, security and harmony (cf. Pss 29:11; 86:8–10; Isa 26:3; 32:17; 48:18; 54:10; Jer 16:5; Ezek 34:25–31).”[2]

What are some implications of this meaning of “peace” from Christ’s birth for Christians?

Strive to adopt a Judeo-Christian worldview.

Luke, the theologian, very clearly was giving his readers a biblical perspective for understanding the birth of Jesus Christ. Over the last few decades, many Christians have been highly susceptible to adopting cultural views from numerous sources – politics, entertainment, sports, and especially social media – without proper scrutiny of their worth. What is needed is more critical analysis, rational thinking, and biblical theology.[3]

Be a peacemaker.

The absence of war seems to be a basic assumption, a lowest common denominator, for the biblical meaning of peace. The quotes from biblical scholars above demonstrate that the peace of Jesus means much more than the absence of war, but it begins there. If this is true, Christians ought to be peacemakers (Matt 5:9). Have we? Are we known for this?[4]

Do good works.

Since the peace of Jesus means more than the absence of war but also well-being for human beings, as noted in the quotes above, Christians should go about doing good works. The apostle Peter told the household of Cornelius that Jesus “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). The early church followed his example and cared for the poor, the needy, the fatherless, the widows, the hungry, the thirsty, those in need of hospitality, the stranger, those who needed clothing, the homeless, the sick, the outcast, the untouchables, the handicapped, the disabled, the blind, the speechless, those with addictions, those in prison, the persecuted, children, and those who were suffering.[5] May we do the same.

Preach the gospel.

Finally, since the angels announced that the child that was born in the city of David was a “Savior,” then, as Jesus told his disciples at the end of his earthly life, “repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his [the Messiah’s] name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). We, like these shepherds did long ago, should make this story known about the wonderful Savior who brings peace on earth (Luke 2:17).

____________________

[1] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I–X, The Anchor Bible (Doubleday, 1981), 224–25.

[2] John Nolland, Luke 1–9:20, Word Biblical Commentary (Word Books, 1989), 108.

[3] Tawa J. Anderson, W. Michael Clark, and David K. Naugle, An Introduction to Christian Worldview (IVP Academic, 2017); J. P. Moreland, and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, 2nd ed. (IVP Academic, 2017).

[4] Lisa Sowle Cahill, Blessed are the Peacemakers: Pacifism, Just War, and Peacebuilding (Fortress Press, 2019); Ronald, J. Sider, Nonviolent Action: What Christian Ethics Demands But Most Christians Have Never Really Tried, (Brazos Press, 2015); Preston Sprinkle, with Andrew Rillera, Fight: A Christian Case for Nonviolence, (David C Cook, 2013); Stanley Hauerwas, War and the American Difference: Theological Reflections on Violence and National Identity (Baker Academic, 2011); Roland H. Bainton, Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace: A Historical Survey and Critical Re-evaluation (Abingdon Press, 1960); John D. Roth, Choosing Against War: A Christian View (Good Books, 2002); Daniel A. Dombrowski, Christian Pacifism, (Temple University Press, 1991).

[5] Thomas C. Oden, The Good Works Reader (Eerdmans, 2007).