God in a manger?

Christmas is a time when we often see images of Jesus as a newborn baby.  When we do, it is kind of hard to imagine all that Jesus was and is.  Yes, Jesus was born to Mary in Bethlehem, but that was not the beginning of the second person of the Trinity.  He is eternal. He has no beginning and no end.  He was never created for He is self-existent.  In the book of Isaiah, Isaiah tries to describe when he saw the Lord, which was at least 700 years before Jesus was ever in a manger scene.

“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him stood the seraphim.  Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called to another and said:  ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’”

Wow! This same Jesus, who we sometimes picture as in a manger, is seen here in His glory.  It is such a powerful and amazing event that Isaiah is dumfounded and comes apart at the seams as he beholds the magnificence and glory of God!

That is what makes Jesus such a big deal.  Because He is not just a baby, or even just a man, He is also God!  The very one who spoke and created the whole universe!  However, He humbled himself to be born as one of us, and to live as one of us.  Why?   So that He could pay the price, which we could never pay, for our sin.  Jesus was God and man, who lived a perfect sinless life.  He died on the cross to take on the punishment that we deserve, and pay the price for our sin.  

So, next time you see baby Jesus in a manger, remember there is a whole lot more to the story.  That little baby is our one and only way to be saved from our sins!

“And they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).”  Mathew 1:21

—Trey Talley

Trey is the Assistant Pastor/Student Minister at Northview Baptist Church and a leader of Team Impact Ministries. He’s a gifted motivational speaker who has a unique ability to speak compelling truth to young people with love and sincerity, and the author of “Teen Construction Zone: Building a strong foundation for a great life”. www.TreyTalley.com