Matthew 1: 18, 21, 23- This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit…. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins…
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"- which means, "God with us."
Mary let out one more deep, long moan, followed by one last push, and there He was, a beautiful, slippery, wrinkly, screaming baby boy. Mary cried, Joseph cried and the baby cried. Joseph gently wrapping up the baby and handing him to Mary, took a deep, reverent breath and said in a hushed- almost whisper…. His name is Jesus
Mary and Joseph couldn’t take their eyes off of Him. He was beautiful. He was so tiny, so helpless, and so dependent on them. It was amazing. Up until that moment, they didn’t know what to expect. What would He be like? Would He arrive to the sounds of trumpets and be born in a majestic manner- the way that you would imagine “Royalty” arriving. Yet, it certainly didn’t happen that way. No silk, no ivory, no hype, no party, no hoopla, just a baby born in a stable. But this was not an ordinary baby, and this was not an ordinary place of birth. In fact, a more lowly place of birth could not exist. The realization of it all was coming alive to them both. They had been given the awesome responsibility to raise and protect this precious child that was given to them by God so that he can grow and mature to fulfill his ultimate destiny. To be the Savior of the World.
Immanuel: God with us. In an instant God entered the world as a baby. He who was larger than the universe, became an embryo. The all powerful made himself breakable. He who had been Spirit, became pierceable. He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl. God as a fetus. Holiness, sleeping in a womb. The creator of all life, being created. God was given eyebrows, elbows, two kidneys and a spleen. He came, not as an unapproachable conqueror, but as a newborn baby, whose first cries were heard by a teenage girl and a young carpenter. He wore the costliest of clothes- a human body. He was completely human and completely divine. As the city came to life that morning, they were simply unaware that as they slept, divinity had entered the world. The innkeeper had no idea that in the business of that evening that he had sent God out into the cold. As the heavens watched in splendor, Mary changed God's diaper.
To think of Jesus in such a light seems almost irreverent, doesn’t it? It’s not something we like to do: it’s uncomfortable: it’s hard to understand! We would rather not think of Him in human terms. By keeping Him divine, we can keep Him at a distant. But He’s not distant. He is here with us. John 1:14- And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. He walked among people- He didn’t look different than others. He was touchable, approachable, reachable. And what’s more, He was ordinary. He felt everything that we feel. He felt weak, He grew weary, He got cold, He got tired, He got hurt. He sneezed, He coughed, He blew His nose- He was a man, but He was also God. He was skin layered on Spirit. He was all-powerful with hair, toenails, knuckles, molars, and kneecaps. When God chose to reveal Himself, He did so through a human body. He was born a baby, He became a teen, He grew into a man, He performed many miracles and touched many lives. He revealed the love of the Father to the world.
Since it is the Christmas season, we often only think of Jesus as a baby. We might even remember that He grew and performed many miracles, but we usually stop there. But Jesus life continued from there. Remember God had a plan. Most of the world did not recognize Him for who He truly was. He faced trials, was mocked, envied and misunderstood. There were those who revered Him and those who hated Him. He was oppressed and afflicted, He was beaten and crushed. He laid down His life as a ransom for many. He was buried and it looked as if God’s plan was defeated, but 3 days later, He was raised from the dead. Through the cross, and the resurrection, God has provided a way that we can be in a eternal relationship with Him. It His gift to the world.
Why would God choose to allow His Son to be born in a stable? Where else would the Lamb of God be born?
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