The Stranger In The Manger

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was  manifest in the flesh, justified in the  Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the  Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16

Christmas Day has come! I just love Christmas! It’s the most wonderful day of the year! It is a day filled with joy, gathering with family, the joy of giving and receiving gifts, enjoy the food, the fun and the love! But, it is also a day filled with questions. As our verse for today says, “Great is the MYSTERY of godliness: God was manifest (revealed) in the flesh.” It can’t be understood. It must simply be believed! Who is this baby in Bethlehem? Who is this stranger in the manger? Is He truly the Savior? Could He really be God in the flesh?

ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS.

The Jewish people have always been monotheistic, meaning they believe in one God. Christians are also monotheistic. The only difference being we understand God to exist in Trinity. The word “trinity” is taken from the words, “tri” meaning three and “unity” meaning one. Our God is the Great Three in One.

God is not three Gods, He is one God… but this one God has revealed Himself in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is crystal clear on this truth as the Spirit and the Son are both called God. In Acts 5:4, the Holy Spirit is directly referred to as God, and in Hebrews 1:8, the Father Himself straightforwardly calls Jesus, “God.”

Some argue that Jesus never claimed to be God, but that is simply not true. In John 10, Jesus made it so plain He was claiming to be God that the angry mob picked up stones to stone Him. When He asked them why, they answered, “For a  good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and  because that thou, being a man,  makest thyself God. For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make yourself out to be God’” (John 10:33). There was no question in their minds concerning the claim He was making (and backing it up with miracles, I might add).

WHO IS THIS STRANGER IN A MANGER?

Who is this one who was born of a virgin? He is the God-man. That means He is as much God as though He were not man at all, and yet as much man as though he were not God at all. John chapter 1 tells us Jesus is the Creator who took on human flesh, and in Colossians chapter 1 it tells us Jesus is the Sustainer who holds it all together. He really does have “the whole world in His hands!”

DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

Indeed it does! There are lots of people who say they love Jesus and follow Jesus but do not believe Jesus is God in the flesh, co-equal with God the Father. They say with a famous and corrupt politician, “What difference does it make!?” Well it makes all the difference in the world! Jesus said, “Unless you believe I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). In most translations the pronoun “He” is in italics. That means it is not in the original Greek manuscripts but was added to make it more readable. So if we omit the “He”, we get this shocking statement, “Unless you believe I am, you shall die in your sins.” I AM was one of the first personal names God mentions for Himself when He speaking to Moses (see Exodus 3:14). Unless you believe Jesus is the Great I AM, you have missed who He really is. Do not be deceived. A person doesn’t truly know Jesus until that person comes to know Him as God in the flesh . . . because that is who He really is!

A few years back, we had a man attending our church. He was a very educated man. He approached me one day and said, I believe in Jesus, but I just can’t  believe in the virgin birth or that Jesus was God.” He went on to say, “I believe Jesus was a good man, but not God!”

My response to him was twofold. First, I asked him, “Do you believe Genesis 1:1 where it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth?” He replied, “Of course!” I said, “Well If you believe Genesis 1:1, the rest of the Bible should be very easy to believe!” I continued by saying, “You say you believe Jesus was a good man and a good teacher. Jesus, Himself, said He was God. If He wasn’t God, then He was a liar, and if He was a liar, He wasn’t a good man.”  You can’t have it both ways!”

Then I asked him, “Do you believe God created Adam and Eve as the Bible says?” He said, “Of course!” I said, “If you believe God could make a man without a woman and a woman without a man, why is it so hard for you to believe God could make a man with just the woman, Mary? It’s not that you can’t believe, it’s that you refuse to believe!”

EMMANUEL!

There is a reason why we are told His name is Emmanuel. Jesus is God with us! He had to become a man to die in our place! He had to be God to be our Savior! Would you take time today to thank the God of the universe for leaving His throne in glory to take on human flesh and suffer, bleed, and die to save a wretch like you? No wonder they call it “amazing grace.”

Think it over . . .  

Doug Pierce is a Church planter and a pastor. In 2003 he started, and continues to pastor First Independent Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. His #1 priority is to glorify God in all aspects of ministry. He does this through teaching his congregation to Love God, Love One Another, and Love Others to God. Prayer, outreach, and church growth through evangelism are vital parts of his ministry. He and his wife Suzanne live in Madison, Mississippi where they also enjoy their children and grandchildren.

Image by Jim Cooper from Pixabay