Who is Invited to the Manger

2023 SBBC

Luke 2:8-20

Who is Invited to the Manger: A Shepherd’s Response

Now, I don’t know when Jesus was born. I don’t know the exact dates of his birth or his death. We have our dates as times set apart to remember and celebrate these realities… but we don’t know exactly when these events took place.

I personally believe that Jesus was born closer to October than December because of my belief that Jesus came to fulfill the Feast of Trumpets and Tabernacles which is celebrated in October and that date was set up by God in the Old Covenant.

What is important? What is the point? Jesus was born. Immanuel came.

All of this is something to study… but in the end… all that matters is that Jesus was born through a virgin, lived a perfect life, was crucified for our sins, was buried and was raised again. The dates are not the main thing… the Person and work of Jesus Christ is what is important.

No Look at This:

When a king or queen comes into a place, into a meeting place with other people… who do we find in the room with them? Do you see the children of the slums of India at their feet? No. Do you see the workers of their land invited into their presence? No. You only see the dignitaries. You only see the rich, the other royalties; you only see the “kings” and great wise men.

But… in this story… when the King of the universe steps into the world… Who is invited to the manger? Is it just the kings, or the wise men? Is it royalty only? Is it dignitaries only? No.

God didn’t stop there… He invited the poor, and the nobodies. God invited the ones that could recognize the signs of the times and who world follow by faith to the manger’s side. And God called and invited the poor, the common man, to meet the King of Kings and Lords of Lord…

Verse 8 – Jesus comes into the world and it seems important to God, the Father, to send an angel, a messenger, to a group of shepherds who are out working this night, watching over the herd.

Verse 10 makes my point clear: “I bring good tidings (news) of great joy which will be for all the people.” John 3:16– For God so loved the world… the whosevers. Man, woman, Jew and Gentile, black and white, slave and free… The message is for all. The Gospel is for all. Christ came for all His sheep.

As I thought about this, I thought about the attitudes of the clergy, the priests and pope of early centuries that said that the Bible was only for the elite, only for the educated. “No, we must keep the language in Latin. The common man cannot have it in the common language. It is only for the elite.”

And many people saw the reality of God’s heart through passages like this… and set out to spread the message of the Bible in languages for the common man of the common day, so that the farmer would know more about God than the priests and kings did.

The message has always been for everyone. The story, the Word, the promises… Jesus is for all. Not just for the elite, the wealthy… and not just for the poor and the outcasts…

Verse 11 – For today… in the city of David… where is that? Bethlehem. Why is that important? The King and Messiah would come from the line of David and according to Micah 5:2-5 – He would come from Bethlehem, in the land of Judah… for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd God’s people, who will be great to the ends of the earth… and this One will be our peace.

Sounds like Isaiah 9:6 – For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to His government or of His peace…

Could it be that today is day, that tonight is night… That God will bring His promise to us? How can we be sure?

Verse 12-14 – This will be the sign: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, or a feeding trough… If there was a time for doubting the message… This description of the Messiah could have brought on a doubt or two…

But then… With this bizarre sign… The other angels that were already there, became visible… and broke out in song. Suddenly there was a heavenly multitude (How many? A lot. A multitude) of angels praising God saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace… good will toward men!”

Peace is coming to the rich and poor. Peace is coming to all the nations of the world. Peace is coming to the hearts of men, as the Savior of the World has now come to put an end to the war that exists between God and men. Jesus is going to make peace between us so that we can be One with God just as the Father and the Son are One always.

World peace is coming, as the Savior of the World will reign and rule will an iron fist one day. All enemies will be placed under His feet. All sickness, death and pain will be removed from the earth. Satan and all His forces will be destroyed. Peace will reign at last and forever.

And as the believer dwells upon this person and abides in His word, they may dwell in peace, with eternal peace, while they wait for the second coming.

Until then… we can live in peace as Christians. Christ did come to give His people peace and to leave us with peace. John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you…” Jesus is our Peace today. Jesus stills our hearts and we find comfort and rest for our weary souls in Him today.

When the storms rage and the floods roar… when the mountains are high and I am on the valley floor… The Lord, Immanuel, is my Shepherd and I shall not be in want… for the Lord in with Me and His rod and His staff they comfort me. He is our Shepherd… and we have peace in the valley… peace in His presence today.

So… the shepherds look at one another and say “shazam!” And they take off towards the House of Bread. No, Jesus was not born in a bakery… this is what Bethlehem means “house of bread.” That is where the shepherds would find the Living Bread, all wrapped up… to be taken into their lives. (John 6)

So… Verse 17 – What did they do next? When they had seen Him… Listen… “they made widely known” the message/Good News they were told.

They did not keep it to themselves, but they shared what they had witnessed and became witnesses for Jesus to all who would hear.

That is the example for all of us, I believe… here and now… over 2000 years later. This is what we do.

Whether you are poor or rich… The Father has led you to the Son, to experience His life, healing and joy.

This message is one to first receive, to celebrate and to live out of… and it is also one that we do not keep to ourselves.

We go… We go and tell it on the mountains, on the highways and hedges, in the home, cities and towns we live in.

We meet our Jesus and spread our Jesus. We meet our peace and spread our peace, making it widely known so that all may come to Jesus side.

All are invited to the manger to meet their peace.

Does everyone know this?

Make sure that they do.