The Significance of Jesus’ Manger Birth : The Business of Christian Education LXXVIII

¹ In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7

           

            When the Magi learned from their observation of the star constellation, they found out that one star stood out.  This was no ordinary star.  That was the star that came only once in the entire life of the universe.  The Magi encountered a unique phenomenon that all other space observers could only envy but would never see it.  This star declared that THE KING of the entire universe was born into the world.  So the Magi quickly set out to follow the star in search of the newborn KING.  This sight had never happened before and will never happen again.  The Magi did not waste any time.  A chance of a lifetime.  Not only their lifetime, but the lifetime of the world.  They did not want to miss this opportunity to meet the greatest king, the only king of the universe.  Soon they arrived in Judea.  The star led them there.  But their assumption took over.  Instead of
continuing to follow the star, they proceeded on their own.  They thought like all would, that a king should have been born in the palace.  So instead of heading to Bethlehem, they headed straight to Jerusalem, the city of kings.  Immediately they went to search for the newborn king in the only palace in Judea, Herod’s palace.  The palace was stunned at the Magi’s presentation.  The king, Herod, was even more shocked when the Magi spoke about the appearance of the unique star that revealed about the birth of the greatest king on earth.  As Herod paid careful attention, the Magi continued to elaborate that this star only came once in the lifetime of the world.  Herod could not believe what he heard.  There was no baby born in the palace.  His wife did not give birth.  So his head was spinning.  Who is this new king?  He could not take competition.  So he called all the wise men, and found out that there was an old prophecy of the coming of a king.  But it had been very long since the prophecy about the coming king was written.  About 700 years had passed and no fulfillment.  In his impatience, Herod ordered to find out where the newborn king would likely be.  So the scribes figured out the answer and delivered to the king that the newborn king would be in Bethlehem.  A small town south of Jerusalem.  Upon hearing the information, the Magi quickly set out for Bethlehem.  There they found the king in a humble hut, very contrary to their imagination of what a king should be.

            Why would the greatest king be born in a manger and lived in a humble hut far away from the convenience of the capital city and the luxury of a kingly palace in Jerusalem?  This was most unusual.  Clearly the prophecy was in line with the reality.  God was also in favor with the fulfillment of the prophecy and the bringing forth of the greatest king into the earth.  But it was so ordained from the beginning that this great king would be born in a humble condition.  Honor and luxury befitted to a king was not intended for this king.  The palace treatment and the kingly protection were not commanded to welcome the KING.  Instead, a manger was prepared for the newborn king.  A small hut became his place of living.  Although the whole world was his, they did not bow before him.  Although all were created through him, they did not honor him.  But the KING did not complain.  The KING did not demand what he deserved.  He took it with joy.  He did not respond with anger.  He also did not use his innate power to gain the kingly luxury as all other kings would.  He even rejected the consensus of the people to anoint him king.  Although he controlled the heaven and earth, yet he never used them for his own advantage.  People were astounded at him.  They marveled at his greatness.  They were in awe of his authority.  But yet the KING never formed for himself an army or a governing body to exercise his power and authority given him as his birthright like all other kings always did.  His demeanor seems strange to the fallen world.  The KING did not behave as the world would expect.  His way defies all behavioral theory our world can offer.  The more shocking finding was that the KING himself chose to be born in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem.  He did not plan to be born in the only place deserving for a king.  He did not plan to grow up in the palace or in the city of kings either.  He grew up in Bethlehem, a small city, and then moved to the city of the unbelievers, Nazareth of Galilee.  All these prompt the question: “Why?”

            Recently, the world’s eyes turned to the royal family of the English Monarchy.  Prince William and the Duchess Kate went to Australia.  Will and Kate brought their newly born son, Prince George.  All eyes looked at the cuteness of Prince George as his mother carried him off the airplane.  The “aws” and “oohs” could almost be heard through the reading of the news about Prince George’s cuteness.  The world embraced the joy and celebrated the royal heir of the dearest royal couple of this century.  Media was following every move of Prince George.  Under the shadow of Will and Kate, George was probably the world’s most famous baby in this century.  His life would be the talk of the media for as long as he lives.  Expectations of his royal prestige and honor would follow him all his life.  There is no escaping the grasp of the entire world of this little Prince.  George received all the royal luxurious treatment the world envies.  He received the best of everything.  Born in the city of kings.  Living in the coveted Kensington Palace.  For sure George will get the best education.  He would receive the unique education fitting for the princes and princesses, kings and queens, who would one day carry the honor of the English Monarchy as has been passed on from generation to generation.  George has been duped to be the third in line to the throne.  Life couldn’t better for a human being brought forth into the world.  For the third in line in the British Monarchy, in which now no longer has the power and authority it once had, all the goodness and luxury, the best of the best the world could give, belongs to him.  But, for the King of kings, who was born 2,000 years ago, all the bad and the poverty, the worst of the worst from the world, was assigned to him.  How vast the gap is between the two.

            Jesus was not on the news media when he was born.  Jesus’ life was not on the spotlight and be the subject of media frenzy.  He was not the talk of the people.  He was born in a silent night.  When he was born, only the lowly group of people came to acknowledge his majesty.  The shepherds, the lowest profession of the day, came to honor the KING.  That was about the only group of people who came to honor the greatest king.  And about two years later, the Magi finally came to Bethlehem to pay homage to the King of kings.  The royalty in the palace in Jerusalem wanted him dead.  Herod ordered the killing of two years and younger in Bethlehem.  The life of the King of kings began with unpopular take by the people.  His life was not under microscope and scrutiny of the world.  Unlike Prince George, who will certainly live with many expectations from the world, Jesus grew up undetected by the radar of the world’s desire.  So Jesus grew up quietly under the supervision of Joseph and Mary.  This was a great advantage to slip under the radar and not be scrutinized by media frenzy.  Leading a quiet life was necessary for Jesus, so he had the healthy time spent with his mother and father alone without the constant expectations from the world of how a king should become and all.  Jesus could grow up as a common human being without the influence and contamination of the world’s idea of kingship.  He could spend time alone with his Father who is the Ruler of all things.  No worldly ideas of kingship could creep into the formative life of the KING by staying away from the palace.  God has ordered it in such a way that the manger birth, the humble lifestyle, the growing up away from the palace, and the hidden-ness from the spotlight, were the best path for leading the KING to be the true king of the entire universe.  Contrary to the worldly values that always pamper princes and kings with the luxurious lifestyle and the constant media spotlight, the life of the KING was very humble.

            For certain, the KING grew up right.  No luxury, no media, no demands from the crowd.  The KING grew up to be the true king.  He did not grow up according to the worldly idea of kingship.  Far from it.  He grew up as the kind of king the world has never known before.  He grew up as the kind of king the heaven always knows from eternity.  He grew up a gentle king who loved his people that he would sacrifice his life for them.  There is no king like him.  He is the one and only KING of the whole wide world.  Thanks be to God that King Jesus was not born in the palace.  Thanks be to God that King Jesus did not get the royal treatment.  Thanks be to God that he grew up humbly.  Thanks be to God that he was born in a lowly manger.  Praise God forever and ever.  Amen!