Who Was that Baby in the Manger?

The Christmas story is one of the most beloved in human history: a baby born in a manger, heralded by angels, visited by shepherds, and eventually adored by wise men. But that baby wasn’t just any baby—He was Jesus, whom Christians throughout the centuries have believed to be God in the flesh. Yet today, fewer and fewer people hold to this belief. According to a recent LifeWay survey, a majority of Americans no longer believe that Jesus is God.

This marks a significant cultural shift. For much of history, particularly in the West, the prevailing view affirmed that Jesus was the Son of God. But with the rise of Enlightenment thinking and modern skepticism, many began to see Jesus only as a wise teacher or moral leader. By the 20th century, liberal theology and postmodernism had further chipped away at traditional Christian beliefs, leaving some to dismiss miracles like the virgin birth or resurrection as symbolic (at best) rather than literal.

The Debate About Jesus

This skepticism isn’t new. Figures like Thomas Jefferson rejected the miraculous aspects of Jesus’ life, focusing instead on His ethical teachings. More recently, writers like John Dominic Crossan and Richard Watts have argued that Jesus wasn’t God but a revolutionary human figure addressing social injustices. Even popular fiction, such as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, perpetuated the idea that Jesus’ Deity was a later invention, supposedly concocted by Constantine at the Council of Nicaea.

But is this true? Was the belief in Jesus’ divinity a later addition, or is it deeply rooted in the early church?

The answer is clear. Long before Constantine, Christians worshipped Jesus as God. For example, the Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote to Emperor Trajan in A.D. 112, describing how Christians gathered to sing hymns to Christ “as to a god.” And writings from early church leaders, such as Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp, affirm that Jesus was worshipped as divine well before the 4th century – that is, well before Constantine.

The Testimony of Scripture

The New Testament itself is unambiguous about who Jesus is. In Colossians 1:15-16, Paul writes, “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth.” In Colossians 2:9, he declares, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” The Gospel of John begins with the powerful statement: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Even Jesus Himself affirmed His divine identity. When He said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), He used the same phrase God used to reveal Himself to Moses in the burning bush, clearly claiming divinity. Jesus also forgave sins—something only God can do—and described Himself as the “Son of Man,” a title tied to divine authority in Daniel 7:13-14.

The Baby in the Manger

At Christmas, we celebrate far more than the birth of a teacher or philosopher. We celebrate the arrival of God in human flesh—the baby in the manger was the Creator of the universe, humbling Himself to bring salvation to humanity. As Paul writes in Philippians 2:6-7, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

The question for today is this: Do you believe it?

Do you trust what the Bible says about who Jesus is?

Christmas isn’t just about warmth and tradition—it’s about answering the most profound question of all: Who is that baby in the manger?

I know my answer. Do you know yours?

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