And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
– Luke 2:6,7
These verses mark the beginning of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. As Luke recounts, His life began quite meagerly. There was no place for Him to be born. No place for the Son of God!
On the surface, it appears a lonely nativity, but this was the birth God the Father intended for his only Son. Jesus was born in a place not even the poorest of families would dream of welcoming their firstborn.
And while this little baby appeared to be just like other babies of that time, He was nonetheless God’s only begotten Son – wholly human and wholly retaining his Godship. He was supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, as God had promised more than 700 years beforehand through the prophet Isaiah (7:14).
I Timothy 3:16 recounts the extraordinary nature of this miraculous birth: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
I’ve recently seen TV commercials advertising holiday movies and other special broadcasts that promise to tell us “the true meaning of Christmas.” These shows typically deal with Santa Claus or people who show kindness to those in need.
While Santa is a typically harmless concept, and being generous to those in need is certainly commendable, the true meaning of Christmas is that Almighty God miraculously manifested Himself in the flesh and came to earth to provide us the avenue to Heaven. (This avenue was secured 33 years after His birth through His death on the cross. But three days later, he conquered death and completed the avenue of salvation for all who believe.)
We can never hope to understand how difficult it was for the Son of God to leave the unimaginable splendor of heaven, to come to this earth and live among sinful man. And what a sinful world He entered – King Herod would soon be slaughtering Bethlehem’s babies aged 2 years old and under in order to ensure the death of Jesus. But he failed.
Dr. Daniel B. Wallace of the Biblical Studies Foundation wrote, “Herod thought that he had gained a victory over the king of the Jews. Yet this was a mere foreshadowing of the victory Satan thought he had when Jesus lay dead on a Roman cross. But the empty tomb proved that that dark Friday was Satan’s worst defeat!”
God first revealed Jesus’ birth to shepherds – men who protected innocent lambs, which would soon die as Passover sacrifices. Jesus would also soon die to provide the ultimate sacrifice. Bethlehem, in fact, means “the house of bread,” a worthy name when you consider that Jesus would become the true Bread of Life.
An angel appeared to the shepherds, announcing, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). In their simple faith, they hastened to behold their newborn King.
About two years after the birth of Jesus, magi – or wise men – from the East arrived in Jerusalem and inquired of Herod where the authentic King of the Jews was to be born. Herod called for his religious officials – men who knew but disbelieved the Scriptures – to determine how he could quickly dispose of Jesus. He tried to use the magi to help him hunt down Jesus, but God “divinely warned” them not to trust Herod.
While this evil king dispatched his band of killers to massacre the babies of Jerusalem, these wise men – after traveling hundreds of miles to find Jesus – finally discovered the true King. And when they arrived and saw Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him.
What an amazing scene! Almighty God had come to earth in the flesh. And these brilliant men and these modest shepherds – people from both ends of the social and economic spectrum – were there to witness this awesome fulfillment of prophecy. This is a beautiful expression of Jesus coming to earth to provide redemption for all.
Today, modern-day “Herods” similarly butcher innocent babies and fashionable clerics read, but choose to distort, the Scriptures by denying the Lordship of Christ.
But, thank God, something else remains the same. Jesus remains the King of kings and Lord of lords. He remains the One and only Living God. And He continues to provide that great avenue to heaven – paved by His death, burial and glorious resurrection – for all who trust Him as Savior.
This is the true and wondrous story of Christmas. I love to tell the story of Christ so that many will come to know “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). As the hymn writer A. Katherine Hankey wrote:
I love to tell the story;
more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies
of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story,
it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee.
