The Saviour – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! [12] And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.“…They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. [17] After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

Just supposing…the shepherds travelled through the night all the way to Bethlehem. Somehow they managed to find Mary and Joseph among the crowds of travellers staying in town so they could be counted by the Roman officials who have called this census. The shepherds enter the stable. They see the scene before them.

One of them says, “Look it’s the manger the angel told us about.”
“Yes,” says another, “and isn’t it the most beautiful manger you’ve ever seen. The way the straw is so well arranged with just enough flowing over the edges…so artistic!”
“And it’s so well made…is it one of yours Joseph?” asks a third.
“Baaaa!” says a sheep.

As an exercise in missing the point, this goes a long way. The angel was quite explicit…”This will be a sign…lying in a manger.” This will be a sign!
The manger was meant to be a signpost, and what does a signpost do? It points beyond itself to something else, the object of a journey, the end of a search.

In the is case it’s pointing to a baby – Jesus – the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.

If we focus on the signpost, the pointer, and not what it’s pointing to, we miss the point. And, more to the point, we may fail to point others to the thing we’re supposed to be pointing to!

So, what’s my point?

Well it depends on how you personally relate to Jesus. Are you like the shepherds at the beginning of the story, needing to follow signposts to Jesus, or like the shepherds at the end of the story, after they’d found Jesus, when they became signposts themselves, pointing others to what they’d found.

Let me talk to the second group first. You’ve discovered Jesus. You might call yourself a Christian, or a follower of Jesus or by some other label. But the point is, are you a good signpost, because if we’re not pointing to Jesus we’re not doing a great job.

So…does the way I live point to Jesus, the way I treat others (especially the poor, the refugee, the marginalised) point to Jesus? Do the things I say, the way I use my money and possessions point to Jesus. Do I resemble Jesus…do people see his likeness in me?

There are other signposts to Jesus, all good in themselves, but we’re in trouble if we focus on the signposts and not the one they’re pointing to. It can seem to those looking on that we’re focussing on, maybe even worshipping the signpost not Jesus. So in no particular order, the Bible, church attendance, a particular set of beliefs, a particular style of worship or a specific spiritual experience, all, as I said, good signposts, sometimes become the focus of our faith journey and not a help on the way to Jesus.
I hope you get my point!

And to the first group, if you haven’t found Jesus yet, remember first of all that he didn’t stay as baby Jesus…he grew up…lived an amazing life…died on a cross (he said it was for you and me)…then he defeated death itself and came back to life because he was the Saviour, Immanuel (God with us). What’s more, thousands of people down through history and today say they’ve got to know Jesus. We’re either deluded or crazy or maybe, just maybe…

So what about you? What signposts to Jesus are you following? The Bible, church and the other things I mentioned above are all good ways to begin checking out the Jesus story, but by far the best signpost is another person who’s been on the journey you’re on and has found Jesus. Do you have any friends who are like Jesus…who are good signposts? Maybe a conversation with them might be a good starting place.

Don’t miss out…either in following the signposts and finding Jesus or in being a good signpost yourself…there’s more at stake than just losing your way on a holiday trip!