Why Does the World Sing About a Baby in a Manger?
What makes the humble birth of a baby so extraordinary that it still inspires songs of worship and awe two thousand years later?
Christmas is a wonderfully paradoxical time of year. Pop stars who might dress as Satan during the Super Bowl Halftime Show next month are, this month, singing hymns of praise about Christ the Lord. People who rarely consider God or salvation turn on the radio and sing along with joy. While Santa Claus often overshadows Jesus in popularity, few seem to remember that the real Saint Nicholas of Myra worshiped Christ. The irony would be amusing if it were not so tragic.
In recent years, my family has made watching The Star a holiday tradition. The movie tells the story of Jesus’s birth from the perspective of the animals—the donkey Mary rode to Bethlehem, a sheep from the shepherds’ flock, and the wise men’s camels. Though it takes creative liberties as expected, it remains surprisingly reverent for a film not produced by Christians. The voice cast includes celebrities like Keegan-Michael Key, Zachary Levi, Gabriel Iglesias, Kelly Clarkson, Anthony Anderson, Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfrey, and others. How many of them are believers, I can’t say, but I wonder if they even read the script. Do they realize this animated story is not about a talking donkey but the Savior’s incarnation?
My favorite scene comes at the end. Joseph and Mary sit beside their newborn Son, who lies in a manger. The animals and shepherds gather around as the brightest star in the sky beams through a hole in the roof. “O Holy Night” begins to play:
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
At the song’s climax, the wise men arrive, offering their gifts to the baby they declare to be the long-promised King. Everyone bows before the child in reverence as the music crescendos: “Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices; O night divine, O night when Christ was born.”
Though The Star is a children’s cartoon made by mostly unbelieving filmmakers, it beautifully reminds us of the profound truth of what happened two thousand years ago in Bethlehem. Jesus was no ordinary child. As Isaiah foretold:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. (Isa 9:6–7)
It is not surprising that the secular world celebrates Christmas with festive traditions. Decorating trees and exchanging gifts appeal to everyone. But what do they think when they hear “O Holy Night” or watch a movie like The Star? Are they not puzzled by the image of grown men traveling great distances, bowing on a barn floor to worship a baby? The paradox deepens with the details. Jesus was not born to royalty or wealth. His earthly father, Joseph, was a humble carpenter from Nazareth, a town of no great renown. Jesus entered the world in a stable, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and laid in a manger. Yet, the scene depicts people kneeling in submission as if this child held supreme power and authority.
It all seems improbable—unless Isaiah was right. Jesus was no ordinary child. As for me and my house, we believe the prophet’s words.
The Names and Nature of the Promised Messiah
Jesus is, first of all, the “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa 9:6). His wisdom surpasses that of the wisest among men, and he is wonderful in that he is miraculous. The word Isaiah uses is the same used throughout the Old Testament to describe the mighty works of God.
Secondly, he is “Mighty God” (Isa 9:6). Jesus is not merely human. While he is fully human, as Paul affirms when he writes that “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,” he is also fully divine (Gal 4:4). He shares the nature of God himself.
Third, Isaiah calls him “Everlasting Father” (Isa 9:6). In the ancient world, kings often referred to themselves as fathers of their people, caring for their subjects as fathers care for their children. Yet, Jesus is far more than a fatherly figure. He is everlasting, having no beginning or end. His birth in Bethlehem was not his beginning.
Jesus himself said, “The Son of Man came,” implying he existed before his coming (Mt 20:28). He also said, “The Son of Man descended from heaven” (Jn 3:13). The apostles confirm this when they write that Christ “was manifested in the flesh” and “was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake” (1Ti 3:16; 1Pe 1:20). Jesus, who already existed, entered history, born of a woman, to dwell among us (Gal 4:4).
Paul articulates the mystery of Christ’s incarnation with unparalleled clarity: “Though [Christ Jesus] was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Php 2:6–7).
Jesus, fully God, willingly took on the likeness of man. The Mighty, Everlasting God became a man (Isa 9:6).
Lastly, Isaiah identifies him as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). Though Jesus appeared humble during his first advent, he is a man of ultimate power and authority, using that power to bring peace. Isaiah declares, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isa 9:7).
The Gospel Begins in the Manger
Jesus was no ordinary child. He came to accomplish what no one else could. The angel told Joseph, “[Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Only God himself, taking on human flesh, could bring about salvation. If Jesus were merely human, he would have been a sinner like the rest of us, unable to save anyone.
Matthew explains that this child fulfilled the prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” (Mt 1:23). The Savior had to be God to provide a sinless sacrifice, and he had to be a man to represent humanity. Peter writes, “You were ransomed … not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1Pe 1:18–19).
This paradox—God becoming man—is at the heart of the Christmas story. The King of kings entered the world as a humble infant lying in a manger.
The angel’s announcement to the shepherds captures the wonder of this moment:
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:10–12)
The angel was joined by “a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Lk 2:13–14).
The humility of the manger was only the beginning. Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Php 2:8). He bore humanity’s sin, suffered God’s wrath, and died in our place, “for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 6:23). As Paul says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal 3:13).
After three days, God raised him from the dead, declaring the sufficiency of his sacrifice. Forty days later, he ascended into heaven, where he now reigns in glory and authority.
Through Christ, God fully pardons, justifies, and reconciles all who repent and trust in him. This is the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
Without Christmas, there would be no Good Friday, no Easter, and no salvation. If we fail to recognize the identity and purpose of the baby in the manger, we miss the true meaning of Christmas. Salvation hinges on who that child is and whether we will fall on our knees in worship.