The Baby: Glory in the Manger

WEEK 4 — 

INTRODUCTION

Hook: Grabbing Attention

When we think of glory, we often think of moments that feel impressive and unforgettable.

Glory usually shows up where people are watching and where significance is obvious.

Think about how many people today are trying to build a personal brand online, carefully shaping their image, growing their platform, and chasing exposure.

Every post is designed to be seen, every moment measured by reach and engagement.

And then we come to the manger, where God reveals His glory without an audience, without a platform, and without applause, reminding us that true glory is not about being seen by everyone, but about being sent by God.

God’s glory is revealed by, of all things, an innocent, helpless, perfect, baby. A BABY!!

This is what Luke 2 invites us to see.

In the ordinary birth of a baby, God reveals the extraordinary glory of the Savior who came to rescue sinners.

Context: Setting the Stage

The BABY Jesus has already been born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger, quietly and without attention.

The world goes on unaware, while the Son of God rests in a feeding trough.

Luke now moves us away from the manger and out into a nearby field, but the manger remains the center of gravity in the story.

Everything that follows flows from what God has already done there.

The baby lying in the manger is the glory of God revealed.

Main Idea: God reveals His glory in the humble birth of our Savior.

The manger reveals the nature of God’s glory.

God makes Himself known through humility, drawing near to us through the incarnation of His Son.

He reveals His glory through a baby laid in a feeding trough, not to make Himself casual or common, but to show that salvation comes by God’s initiative and grace.

We do not ascend to God.

God comes to us, and He invites us to come and see what He has done in the Christ child

Step 2: Ask a Question (Interrogative)

If God’s glory is found in a manger, who does He invite to see it, and how should we respond?

Step 3: Transition Into the First Point

Luke shows us three ways God’s glory shines through the birth of this baby.

1. God’s Glory Appears in Ordinary Places and to Ordinary People (vv. 8–10)

God chooses ordinary people in ordinary places to reveal His extraordinary glory.

Luke 2:8–10 (ESV) 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Explanation: Unpacking the Truth

Luke introduces us to shepherds living out in the fields, watching over their flocks through the night.

This was ordinary work done in an ordinary place by ordinary men, faithfully caring for sheep in the quiet darkness outside Bethlehem.

And there is likely significance here, because Bethlehem sat near Jerusalem, and sheep raised in this region were commonly used for temple sacrifice.

While these shepherds watched over lambs destined for the altar, God was revealing the Lamb who would take away the sin of the world, lying just a short distance away in a manger.

And it is here, in the fields near the manger, that God chooses to reveal His glory.

The glory of the Lord shines around them, filling the night sky and overwhelming them with awe.

Their fear is the response of ordinary people suddenly standing in the presence of a holy God.

The angel speaks words meant to steady their hearts, “Fear not.”

God’s glory has come near with good news, not distance.

The same glory that rests in the manger now shines in the fields, announcing that salvation has arrived.

Argumentation: Proving the Point

God reveals His glory by grace. He does not wait for people to rise above ordinary life to meet Him.

He enters ordinary life and reveals Himself there.

The shepherds receive this revelation because God delights to make Himself known to humble, receptive hearts.

Illustration: Engaging the Imagination

J. C. Ryle reminds us why God chose shepherds as the first witnesses of Christ’s glory…

“The first announcement of the Savior’s birth was made to shepherds. These men were poor and humble, but they were not despised by God. The lesson before us is plain and unmistakable: God looks at the heart, and not at outward condition.” — J. C. Ryle

Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke, Vol. 1, on Luke 2:8–14.

Application: Living the Truth

If God revealed His glory to shepherds in a field, then no place in your life is too ordinary for Him to work.

Pay attention to where you are. God often reveals His glory in the places we are tempted to overlook.

Review

God’s glory appears to ordinary people.

Restate the Big Picture

God reveals His glory by grace, right where people live and work.

Transition

Luke now shows us that this glory does not stop in the fields.

It leads us to the manger, where the identity of the baby explains everything.

2. God’s Glory Is Revealed in the Identity of the Savior (vv. 11–12)

The glory of Christmas is found in the Savior Himself.

Luke 2:11–12 (ESV) 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Explanation: Unpacking the Truth

The angel announces good news of great joy for all people and then focuses our attention on the identity of the child.

A Savior has been born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.

Each title matters.

Savior tells us what He has come to do. He rescues sinners.

Christ tells us who He is. He is the promised Messiah.

Lord tells us His authority. He is God Himself.

Then the angel gives a sign, not something spectacular, but something specific.

The shepherds will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

The glory of God is now bound up with the identity of this child.

The manger becomes the place where heaven’s announcement meets human reality.

Argumentation: Proving the Point

God reveals His glory through the person of His Son.

The humility of the manger is not a detour from God’s plan but the very way God displays His saving purpose.

From the beginning, salvation comes through God drawing near, entering our condition, and revealing Himself through humble means.

Illustration: Engaging the Imagination

Charles Spurgeon captured this emphasis well when he said…

“The sign given to the shepherds was not a crown, nor a palace, but a manger. God would have them know that the Savior was to be found, not amid the glories of earth, but in the depths of humiliation.”— Charles H. Spurgeon 

“The First Christmas Carol,” Sermon No. 107, preached December 20, 1857.

Application: Living the Truth

Receive Christ as He is revealed. Worship Him as Savior, Messiah, and Lord.

Trust the One who came near, who took on flesh, and who now invites us to come to Him in faith.

Review

God’s glory is revealed in who Jesus is.

Restate the Big Picture

The baby lying in the manger is the Savior, the Messiah, and the Lord.

Transition

Luke now shows us how people respond when they truly see the glory of God revealed in the manger.

3. God’s Glory Moves People to Joyful Worship and Obedient Witness (vv. 15–20)

Those who see God’s glory respond with worship and witness.

Luke 2:15–20 (ESV) 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Explanation: Unpacking the Truth

Just like Joseph did when he awoke from his vision from the Lord, the shepherds respond immediately to what God has revealed.

They go to Bethlehem with urgency, and they find exactly what they were told to look for, the baby lying in a manger.

God’s glory leads them straight to Christ.

Once they see the child, their response unfolds naturally.

They speak about what they have heard and seen. Others listen and wonder.

Mary quietly treasures these things in her heart.

And the shepherds return to their fields glorifying and praising God.

Their lives are not redirected away from ordinary responsibility.

They are sent back into it with joy, clarity, and praise shaped by what they have seen in the manger.

Argumentation: Proving the Point

When God reveals His glory, it produces movement.

Worship rises naturally from hearts that have truly encountered Him, and witness flows from lives that have been changed.

The shepherds show us that seeing Christ leads to joyful obedience and faithful testimony.

Illustration: Engaging the Imagination

The shepherds do not stay in Bethlehem, and they do not stay at the manger.

They return to their work, their fields, and their responsibilities.

But the manger has changed how they see everything else.

J. C. Ryle put it plainly when he said,

“A religion that does not affect a man’s daily business is not worth having.” - J.C. Ryle

Practical Religion, Chapter: “Christianity,” 1878.

Application: Living the Truth

Seeing Christ shapes how we live. Worship becomes a settled posture of the heart, obedience becomes a willing response, and witness becomes a natural overflow.

God meets us at the manger and then sends us back into everyday life to reflect His glory with joy.

How has Christ impacted your daily life?

Do you reflect the glory revealed to you through Jesus Christ?

Do you witness to others of what you have seen in Christ?

This is what God desires from ordinary people like us!

Review

God’s glory transforms ordinary people.

Restate the Big Picture

God reveals His glory in Christ and sends His people back into the world to reflect it.

CONCLUSION

Practical Application: A Clear Call to Action

God revealed His glory in a manger, and that glory still calls for a response.

Come and see the Savior. Trust Him fully. Worship Him gladly.

Let the humility of Christ’s coming shape your heart and your life.

Illustration or Quote: A Memorable Ending

Jesus was born to not only save you from eternal Hell but to change you.

To forever alter you from what you were - a child of darkness, to a child of light!

A child of God whose glory pours forth from their very being.

Visualization: Casting a Vision

Imagine a church shaped by this change.

Ordinary people who have seen Christ clearly, whose lives are marked by joyful worship and faithful witness.

Through people like that, God continues to display His glory in the world, just as He did on that first night when heaven pointed the way to a baby lying in a manger.

But that baby would not stay a baby. He would grow to be the Messiah - the Savior who would seek and save that which is lost. Namely, you and me.