Title: The Star and the Manger
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Sunday. What kind of picture do you draw when you think of Christmas? What image comes to mind? White Christmas, Christmas tree, Santa Claus, gifts, cards, and more will come to mind. However, these were all made later and were brought to the fore for commercial reasons, not the original Christmas images.
The original image of Christmas is the most original, and if I were to pick a biblical image of Christmas, I think that one is a 'star' in the sky and the other is a 'manger' on the ground. In the dark night, the great star shining brightly above the stable in Bethlehem, and the baby Jesus who is the light in the stable, is lying in a manger. This time, we want to reflect on the meaning of Christmas while thinking about the stars and mangers, which are the symbols of Christmas in heaven and on earth, and to examine our attitude in our religious life in front of Christmas.
1. It is a star.
In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was born, a great star in the sky was rising and shining. As I said last week, the planets may have been a large gathering. Or maybe it was a supernova. What matters is why the stars? is to do Many people saw the star, but did not know its true meaning. No, many people have never seen it. There may also have been people who saw it but didn't care.
However, the wise men of the East saw the providence of God when they saw this star. And the eyes of their spirits were opened, and they knew that the star was the star of the Messiah. And I was guided by that star. We, too, need to raise our eyes to see parting. So what does the farewell of Jesus' birth mean?
First of all, this star is a symbol of hope.
Stars rise in the dark night. You can't tell how bleak it can be without a single star on a dark night. But even at night, when the stars are shining, I feel comforted and courageous. The star is a symbol of hope.
The Lord Himself says in the book of Revelation that He is the morning star. “I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star” (22:16).
The morning star has always been a symbol of hope. It is to give people hope that the dark night will soon be over and the dawn will come. The reason the wise men came to see the stars was because of the hope for the future that the stars gave them. The stars tell us the future and have the power to lead us toward the future with hope.
The Lord is the star of hope. I hope you look to the hope of my life in Jesus Christ. The hope of this world is Jesus, the hope of our country is Jesus, and the hope of our families and families is only Jesus and Jesus.
When I see Jesus who is the light of hope, I go to him and meet him, he becomes my King, the good shepherd, a true friend, and gives me hope. I believe that He will make all the wounds, disappointments, and despair of my life recede and brighten it with hope.
Dear saints, Are there any saints in despair?
I hope you hold onto Jesus, who is your hope. Raise your eyes and look upwards to receive the Christmas starlight.
Look at this star like the wise men. Please see this star and follow it. There is hope. Then this year's Christmas will be a Christmas full of eternal life and happiness.
Moltmann's Theology of Hope has this to say:
"God lifts up man and gives him a vast prospect, but man retreats and despairs. God makes man his promise, but man refuses to believe in his expectations. This is a sin that threatens believers." Therefore, we should not be discouraged or despair under any circumstances or circumstances. Let's look to Jesus Christ. Let's look at the star of life who came to this sinful world to save all people. Believers have hope in any circumstance and situation.
We should not be discouraged because we are poor. Do not be discouraged if you are seriously ill. We should not despair that we have committed a great sin. There is a way to life. There is always hope in Jesus Christ. We must know that human despair is the moment when hope in God begins.
Second, the star is a symbol of glory.
A star shines high in the sky. The throne of God is the highest, but it is a symbol of the highest in creation. So that's what I heard when I was in the military. It is said that the meaning of military rank badges such as diamonds (weed grass), flowers (horse dung) and stars means that the stars are full of light and in glory.
It is not known what kind of star the Magi discovered and visited. However, the important thing is that a faint star that looks very small to us is a star that is brighter than the sun when we know it, and it is a star that is about the size of a millet, but is actually a huge star. Even a small star is actually huge. When we look at a star in the night sky, it looks like a tiny star that we can barely see. But you can see that they are very large and very bright stars.
The star of Bethlehem that shines at Christmas is not a small star. It is the light of the Son of God who will light up the darkness of all mankind. It looks small, but it is actually 10,000 times brighter than the sun. The star is a symbol of amazing glory. Christmas is the glory to God in the highest. On earth there is peace among those with whom he is pleased.
Everyone wants to be a star because they want to be in a position where they are glorified. A star in the military is a great honor,
It is said that celebrities in the entertainment industry, even in the dark, boast how many stars they have. But the Christmas Star teaches us. It is showing that it is 'Jesus alone' who will receive glory and honor. Therefore, we must live a life that only brings glory to Jesus. When we look to the glory of the Lord and give him honor and glory, the Lord will put us in the place of glory.
2. The manger.
But here's something to think about. The opposite is the fact that the Lord, who came to become a star, was not lying in a manger in a stable, not in a palace or castle. So what does the manger tell us?
First, the manger is a symbol of lowliness.
The birth of Jesus was utterly humble. Mary, who was born through him, was but a poor virgin who lived in Nazareth in Galilee. His fianc e, Joseph, was likewise a very poor carpenter in Nazareth.
Jesus was born into the family of these people. Moreover, the Lord was so miserable that he searched for a place to fly and could not find it. He was born like an animal in a place where animals are born, and there was no place to lie down.
The manger is a symbol of the Lord's humility to glorify God the Father. It is an expression of the humility of the Lord. This means that he came to this earth to serve the least of them. He did not come to show off himself, but to serve as a servant of suffering, so he was born on this earth like a small star, like a small mustard seed, like a grain of wheat.
Second, the manger is a symbol of sacrifice.
The fact that Jesus was born in a 'manger' has another meaning. What is a manger? It's a cattle trough. That is, the Lord came to be a sacrifice, that is, to be the bread of life.
The Lord said, 'I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever', 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to him will never go hungry.'
If you eat Jesus, the Bread of Life, you will live forever. That's right. Jesus is the bread of life. The name Bethlehem is a compound word of 'Beth' and 'Lehem'. Beit means 'house' and lehem means 'bread'. So Bethlehem means 'house of bread'. Bethlehem was a small mountain village about 20 li south of Jerusalem, where tourists' taverns were located.
In this bread house, there is not 'bread' made by man, but the bread that God Himself gave, and that is Jesus Christ (John 6:48). Through Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, who was born in a manger in Bethlehem, we have been forgiven of our sins and have been saved. And you can live forever. Hallelujah! Also, if you eat the food of life called Jesus, you will receive new strength, you will gain courage and will, and you will become a person who rejoices in hope.
Now, as those who ate this bread, we must build the kingdom of God through sacrifice. Like Jesus, we too must give ourselves up as food. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God. He said that when a mustard seed is planted, it sprouts and grows, it later becomes a large tree where birds nest. He said that the kingdom of heaven is like this. He said that if a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it bears 30, 60, and 100 times more fruit.
Although the birth and death of Jesus Christ seem like a trivial failure and a failure, the results achieved there show that the kingdom of God is huge beyond imagination. The work of the gospel that we plant, sow, and nurture with tears here today will finally build the great kingdom of God.