The Lone Manger – The Real Story of Christmas
Luke 2:1-14; Isa 9:1-7
Introduction
When I was a kid growing up I used to watch the TV show The Lone Ranger
He was a Texas Ranger that was one of 13 that had been ambushed and left for dead
He was the only one to survive – hence Lone Ranger – it was on that day that a type of savior if you will was born
He was on a mission to thwart evil; to capture the bad guys; to save people from those that tried to rob, hurt, or kill them
We all love that kind of story – the good guys vs. the bad guys
Well, the story of Christmas is kind of like that…it’s a story of good vs. evil
That’s why I have entitled my message “The Lone Manger - The Real Story of Christmas”
How many other manger’s have you read about? None!
This manger is significant in that there was a Savior born that came to thwart evil; to capture the bad guys; and to save people from those that tried to rob, hurt, or kill them
That’s what I want us to see today as we explore The Lone Manger
Read passage / Pray
1. The Need for Help
We see in Isa 9:2 that people were walking in darkness and refers to a time before the Messiah was born
Darkness is generally symbolic of evil in the scriptures; no matter how hard people tried, they could not get away from evil
For as we all know, we can’t get away from evil because it dwells in us…it is a part of us…we are born into evil… it’s called SIN
Psa 51:5 “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me”
This evil causes us to disobey God…hate each other…abuse each other…kill each other
John 3:19 says that “men loved the darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil.”
Darkness gives evil a place to hide
John 3:20 says “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed”
We need help! We all are being left for dead…to die an eternal death in hell…man was living in the darkness of evil
Not only that, but there is one who lurks in the darkness that desires to destroy us
1 Pet 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some to devour”
John 10:10 Jesus says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”
We need help! We need a rescuer!
Trans: God saw that…no matter what He tried to do…man’s darkness still prevailed until He sent a baby…a great Light to be born in A Lone Manger who came…
2. To Rescue His People
Isa 9:2 “…on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned”
God did not keep His plan secret…He had been telling people His plan for hundreds of years of His rescue plan
Gen 3:15 gives us the first account that He was coming to rescue His people
Gen 22:18 God told Abraham “In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed…”
Deut 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me from among your brothers”
Isa 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”
Isa 9:6 “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulders and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace”
Isa 40:3 “The voice of the one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!”
We can see that God has a plan…He has been telling of it for years and years
Now, in the Lone Manger, God executes His plan to rescue His people
All the prophets and priests that He had established before…evil had still prevailed and people were still in darkness
Finally, God sends the last hope for mankind…born as a human and yet fully God…born as a baby
Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger…”
Luke 2:11 “ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And what was this baby to do?
Matt 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”
Mind you, evil knew of this coming Savior…even as a child…evil tried to have the child killed
Herod slaughtered thousands of 2 year old and younger baby boys trying to kill the rescuer…mind you…it wasn’t Herod but it was Satan behind the scenes
Yes…In a Lone Manger…A Savior was born….the last of man’s hope…the one Who was born to live among us as a man…Emmanuel God with us!
Masked as a carpenter’s son…until one day His Father said “It’s time”
A time in John 10:10 where Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”
A baby, born to ultimately rescue those who would believe, to deliver them from evil, which is ultimately themselves and from Satan himself!
Conclusion
This is the true story of Christmas—not giving of presents or decorating the tree—but that a rescuer was sent
He was sent to be born in a humble, obscure and Lone Manger
Sent in the form of a baby…born to a virgin…born of God and not of man (flesh and sin)
Born so that He could ultimately die and so rescue His people; thwart evil; to capture the bad guys; and to save His people from the evil of sin
Ultimately, the bad guys is you and me…we are our worst enemy…our sin, the evil in us, is what had to be captured, defeated, to save us from the bad guys – which is US!
That’s the real story of Christmas and may we never forget He came to us by the way of the Lone Manger!
Pray
