“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” —Luke 2:7
In a little town called Bethlehem, the cries of a newborn were heard from an animal feeding trough. The second Person of the Trinity, with unlimited sovereignty and power, had come to the earth as a baby—dependent on the care of Mary and Joseph. As marvelous as this is, in many ways His birth was completely normal. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths, as all infants were—to provide warmth and security. However, what was not normal was the fact that He was laid in a dirty and unsanitary manger.
Infants should be born in a place comfortable and clean, but the only place for the Son of the Most High was a manger—nothing could be lower. There were no doctors or nurses—no high-quality medical care was available to Him. There was no aroma of gingerbread and apple cider in the air—only the stench of manure and the smell of birth. This was not a bright and beautiful night as depicted by many Christmas cards and carols. The Lord Jesus was born in circumstances which were humiliating and humble.
Considering that Jesus is the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, [and] Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7), you expect an entrance into the world that is glorious and unforgettable! But His unexpected entrance into the world demonstrates His humility and humanity. Instead of an awe-inspiring and royal arrival observed by the whole world, the only people to welcome Jesus into the world were His earthly parents (and later, some lowly shepherds). No red carpet or triumphal band accompanied the arrival of the King of Kings, but this is the way God ordained it.
Even in His birth, Jesus was demonstrating what kind of Savior He was. He would not rise to power by conquering nations—He would not dominate His enemies and opponents by consuming them with power from on high. He would temporarily empty Himself of divine glory by becoming a man and being born in the lowliest of all places. And He would demonstrate such humility as He carried the cross to Golgotha. The apostle Paul summed it up perfectly when he said:
“Though he [Jesus] was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot.
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