The Manger King 
Terry R. Baughman

“Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child” (Luke 2:4-5 NKJ).

Bethlehem became host to many travelers in the first century. The response to the order of Caesar Augustus that all should be registered in their home country brought people from every corner of the land. Anyone with an ancestral lineage to the city of David was required to come there to register for the census. 

For some it was more like a homecoming, especially if they still had close relatives dwelling in Bethlehem. For others, they came to fulfill their obligation and then they would be off, heading back to their homes in an effort to keep their livelihoods intact. 

For the betrothed couple is was difficult to travel, since Mary so close to the time of giving birth. Then, after the birth it was impossible to travel with a newborn child with the constant need for attending to him. Apparently, after the initial crush of people in the city, someone must have vacated a guest room making an available place to take the small child. Joseph possibly found temporary employment to make enough to provide for their basic needs. 

Nevertheless, all came together at the same time in Bethlehem of Judea (or Bethlehem-Judah). The Hebrew name literally means the house of bread and praise! Regardless of the reason for travel there or the occasion that required their visit, all were there on the fateful night when heaven kissed the earth. Though many were unaware of the event, this was to be the most important night of history. The King of Glory stooped to earth and took on the flesh of an infant to provide salvation for all humanity. 

The Bread of Life came to The House of Bread to satisfy the craving of every soul. The perceptive ones came to worship and the manger became the focus of their adoration. Shepherds and the curious came. Wisemen and wanders walked in and worshipped. Decedents of David, of the tribe of Judah, came to praise the humble place where animals were sheltered. 

Together we come. Our place of worship may be more polished. Our surrounding may be more serene, but may we also find the One worthy of our worship, The Manger King!

When we gather for worship or for communion, it is a special place, a sacred moment to remember and to rejoice in the God of our salvation who came to feed the world the Bread of Life. Our small sacrament is just a token of the incredible sacrifice He gave to redeem us from sin and justify us with God. 

As we come for communion worship, let us be overcome with the beauty of the moment and the revelation of the sacred community in which we share. God still shows up in our impromptu meetings, and in our humble surroundings He is present. Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! 

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Theme passage:
“There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NKJ).

The Manger King 
Terry R. Baughman

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2 NKJ).

Multitudes of people worldwide follow the lives and stories of the Royals in the United Kingdom. Their lives are often plagued with the ever-present paparazzi flashing pictures and recording video of their every move and actions. The wedding of Prince Charles to Diana Spencer in 1981 was viewed on global television by 750 million people while 600,000 spectators lined the streets to catch a glimpse of their arrival at St. Paul’s cathedral. The birth of two sons, William and Harry, were the constant source of news and tabloid fodder. Now, another generation later, people are still intrigued by the lives of the royals and the birth of William and Kate’s children, George, Charlotte, and Louie. 

What a stark contrast between the births of these children of privilege when compared to the birth of Jesus on that first Christmas eve. No one crowded around to catch a picture, or to get the scoop for tomorrow’s news headline. There were no reporters, spectators, or important people lining up to pay their respects to the newborn. Instead there was no room and no provision for this future king to make His entrance into this world. 

He chose a birthplace of obscurity. He intentionally came as a servant and sought no acclaim for Himself. Even when the kings from distant places came seeking Him, they wrongly assumed He would be in the palace, in a place for royalty. It was scribes that resorted to the ancient text to reveal that Bethlehem would be the birthplace. The Prophet Micah wrote, “Bethlehem …, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, ….” (Micah 5:2 NIV).

Though it was not readily apparent, the greatest gift of all came wrapped in the straw of a feeding trough, a manger, in an obscure place, a stable in the outskirts of a small town in Judea, Bethlehem. A ruler, a king, was born in humble surroundings, only to be revealed as the future King of Israel. 

The contrast remains. He requires no lineage of royalty, or no pedigree of prestige to be acknowledged by Him. He calls the lowly, the underserved, the disenfranchised. All are welcome at His manger … and in His regal presence. The servant was really a King. The manger was really His throne. His Glory brought peace to the whole world. We could use some of that right now… and it’s available. Jesus said, and still says, “Come unto me and find rest for your souls.” (See Matthew 11:28.)

Join the wise men from the East and come to worship Him, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.


Theme passage:
“There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NKJ).

The Manger King 
Terry R. Baughman

“And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12 NKJ).

The sign predicted by Isaiah to Judah’s King wasn’t the only sign given of future expectation. Embedded in prophecy was the anticipation of the coming Messiah. That was abundantly evident when the angel who spoke to Joseph in his visionary dream declared that the coming child born to Mary would be the long awaited sign of fulfillment. He said, “‘The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23 NKJ). 

 God desired to communicate with His creation. He sent prophets with personal messages, created beautiful scenes of nature to show His glory for our pleasure, and provided supernatural signs and events for a confirmation of His divine presence. It is God’s pleasure to make Himself known to humanity. His coming was to reveal His glory among the people. John wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NKJ).

Shepherds were on the lower rungs of society in ancient Egypt. (See Genesis 46:33-34.) Ironically, God chose shepherds under starlit skies near Bethlehem to announce His arrival. To this humble group an angel appeared with the news, “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11 NKJ). The Messiah had been born! The anointed one was proclaimed to humble shepherds. 

God gave these shepherds a sign, “You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12 NKJ). The newborn baby would be found in a feeding trough, bundled in strips of cloth, in an obscure shelter for animals. This unexpected birthplace gave way to a heavenly celebration as a magnificent multitude of angels praising God with a song, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14 NKJ).

Isaiah had also prophesied many years before this event that a child would be born and a son given who would be called, “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
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Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NKJ). After 600 years the sign was fulfilled and shepherds witnessed the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus was the child, the son, and the fulfillment of all these descriptions. He is the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father! The Manger King was all of that and more … the King of kings, and the Lord of lords! 



Theme passage:
“There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NKJ).

The Manger King 
Terry R. Baughman

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 NKJ).

A virgin birth is an undeniable miracle, yet for many it is beyond belief. For them it is impossible. They look for an explanation, or surmise to other conclusions. Yet, Scripture records the prophesied birth of a child to a pure young woman that would be a sign to an unbelieving king in Judah, the wicked King Ahaz. Furthermore, the proclamation of the name of Immanuel (God with us), was an affirmation that indeed, God was with them. 

This prophecy was far more than a sign to a faulty king, but a prediction of another King who would come to the restored nation of Israel in future generations. This miraculous sign was more than a miracle for the moment, but a declaration of God’s intent. He would be born in the world He created, to live as a perfect example and then prepare to give Himself as a sinless sacrifice. He would be born of flesh, yet only have the blood of His mother. He would come to a world of sin to provide escape from its bondage. He would live as a servant, the son of man, and become the Savior of the world, as the Son of God. 

Prophecy was predicted 600 years before its fulfillment in Bethlehem of Judea. A virgin girl was promised to be married to a carpenter in Nazareth, when she was visited by an angel, another miracle! The message Gabriel delivered was that she was the chosen one to give birth to the Messiah. His message continued, “You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33 NKJ). Not only would Mary bear a son without having a sexual relationship with a man, her child was destined to become the everlasting King and be the fulfillment of countless prophecies. 

Joseph would also have to be in on the secret. He would be required to believe her story if she where to be protected from the penalty of the law. He would suffer the tarnish of a stained reputation from those who would never believe their story. So, the angel also appears to Joseph and assured him, “Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NKJ).

The birth of Jesus was more than a supernatural birth, this event was fulfillment of the promise of ages. A Savior King was born who would defeat the power of sin and provide redemption for the world! Christ’s coming was more than a miracle, but was the provision of a multitude of miracles which are still happening today. Every time a repentant sinner turns to God for forgiveness, every prayer of faith that sees unbelievable answers, and every impossible situation in which God provides a solution, the miracles happen again. God has a miracle for all who come to Him and believe! 

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Theme passage:
“There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NKJ).