Yeshua wasn’t born on December 25^th, but it is the day that the world traditionally celebrates His birth.  During this time of year, pictures of the nativity depict Him as the baby in the manger.  Still, who is this baby in the manger?   How was He different than every other baby ever born?

As Christians, we know “He is the Son of God,” but is not all He is.  If He were applying for a job, what would His resume include?

Let’s take a look at who He is and what it cost Him to come to earth as this innocent babe.

Over these past few weeks, I’ve been prompted to begin a series about His identity.  Holy Spirit led me to start with the fact that He is our Creator.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  Okay, I don’t think many of us have trouble believing this verse. Let’s dig a little deeper.

Let’s look at Colossians 1:13-17 where Paul writes,  He (God the Father) has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

He (God the Son-Yeshua) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

This baby in the manger, the Son of God, created all things.

How about some more of the texts?

Genesis 1:26-27  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

By all accounts, there appears to be more than one entity involved here.  “Let US make man in OUR image.”  The word ‘God’ in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim, which is a plural title–a hint of the Trinity.

Isaiah 42:5 is a declaration: Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it.  Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it.

Isaiah 45 is another wonderful chapter:

Verses 5-7 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.
I will gird you (God is speaking to Cyrus here), though you have not known Me,
That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’

Verse 9a – Woe to him who strives with his Maker.

Verse 11a & 12 – Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker…I have made the earth and created man on it.  I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded.

And verse 18 — For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

There are many more texts and if you want to look them up, here are some references: Psalm 148:1-6; Isaiah 40:28, Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 32:17; and Malachi 2:10.

But the New Testament nails down His identity:

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Did you get that?  “Without Him nothing was made that was made.”  NOTHING–that pretty much takes care of everything visible and invisible.  WOW!

And Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

This baby in the manger is Creator of ALL.  Our very breath depends on His power at work in us.  Still, unlike some of the politicians, athletes, movie stars and yes, some of us Christians, He did not come riding in on a white horse bragging about who He was or demanding our worship and allegiance.  Instead, Philippians 2:5-11 reveals the nature of our God:

 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Even though He was equal with God, He set aside His identity and its benefits, submitted Himself to the status of an ordinary baby, and was born in a humble animal stable in a feeding trough.  His first visitors?  Humble shepherds, some of the lower, less-acceptable class of society, received heaven’s first invitation.

This week, let’s take time to sit quietly and consider the goodness of our Lord and Savior.  May we worship Him with greater appreciation, not only for what He’s given us but for who He is.  May we celebrate our Creator. The Creator of all now lives in us recreating us in His image.  But we will get to that later.   Let’s worship Him and share His love with all we meet.

Shalom, have a blessed Christmas with your family.

You may also want to look at:

Unto Us A Child is Born

And His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

And His Name Shall Be Called Counselor

And His Name Shall Be Called Mighty God

His Name Shall Be Called Everlasting Father

He Shall Be Called Prince of Peace