He was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, the seventh and youngest child. As a youngster, he possessed a great curiosity which led him to ask an enormous amount of questions. His mother had once been a schoolteacher, but even she could not answer all his questions. This being the case, he would try to gain his answers with experiments. At the age of seven, he moved with his parents to Michigan. He entered public school and soon irritated his teacher with his many questions. One day he heard the schoolmaster tell the district school inspector he was addled. He ran home and told his mother who in turn went directly to the schoolmaster and told him her son had more sense in his little finger than he had in his whole body. She took him out of school, ending his formal education of only three months. His mother began to teach him, but he soon learned so fast even she could not keep up. He continued his experiments, and out of them came such inventions as a motion-picture device, the telephone transmitter, the stock ticker, the mimeograph machine and the phonograph. This young man with little formal education was Thomas Alva Edison.
In our country, we celebrate special birthdays. Most of us celebrate our own birthdays and those of our family, but there are famous individuals whose birthdays we recognize as national holidays. Other countries do the same. Many of those who achieve world renown start out in humble circumstances. Such was the case with Jesus. December 25 is the day we celebrate his birthday. Jesus too began in humble circumstances but was indeed a king. As evidenced in history, many great people originate with small beginnings.
There are some important things involved in Jesus’ small beginning.
I. THE METHOD
The method of his birth was abnormal. It took place miraculously. Mary was a virgin. In chapter one of Luke's gospel, we read that God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He was sent to a virgin named Mary. She was betrothed to a man named Joseph who belonged to the lineage of David.
The angel informs Mary she is very favored. The reason was not because she was special in any way or any better than other young maidens. She was favored because God chose her to bear his son. She was frightened by the news, but the angel instructs her to remain calm. She would bear a son and his name would be Jesus. The angel also told Mary Jesus would be God's Son.
This news perplexed Mary. She asks the angel how this could happen since she was a virgin. She was betrothed to Joseph but not yet married. The betrothal was similar to our engagement but more involved. The woman was considered the legal wife of the man even though they did not actually live together. There was a period of time between the betrothal and the actual marriage ceremony. Though the woman was considered the man's legal wife, no sexual interaction took place between them and none was to take place between the woman and other men.
Matthew tells us Joseph was upset when he discovered Mary’s pregnancy. He had no recourse but to assume she was unfaithful. Being the righteous man he was and not wanting to publicly disgrace her, Joseph decided to divorce her. Before he could do this, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. He explained how the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit not another man. Following the explanation, Joseph obeyed.
Mary is also perplexed over how she will get pregnant since she has had no sexual relationship with a man. The angel explains that the Holy Spirit and God’s power will come upon her and cause the pregnancy.
While some have and still do doubt Jesus’ virgin birth, claiming it is not necessary, this teaching serves important purposes. His virgin birth affirms his uniqueness. His followers believed he was different from anybody who had ever lived, and indeed he was. The virgin birth also shows God alone was responsible for Jesus’ birth. His birth could not be attributed to the normal means in which a child is conceived. It also shows Jesus entered the world by the normal birth process but was not conceived in the normal means.
The prediction of his birth through a virgin is the crown of all prophecies. It reveals the mystery of the Christian belief that Jesus was at the same time divine and human. The creative power of God rested on Mary.
Note Mary’s reaction. She believes the Word of God through the angel and submits to God's will for her life. She would undergo suspicion from others. She might suffer shame and reproach for being pregnant before marriage, but she submitted to God’s will.
Since the method was out of the ordinary, and since the Bible says it was through the power of God, we see from the beginning that Jesus was special. He was divine yet human. He was human to identify with us, but divine so he could cure our sin problem.
II. THE MOMENT
Jesus’ birth came at the right time in God's timetable. Greek was almost the universal language, having spread throughout the known world by the conquests of Alexander the Great. The Romans took up where he left off, making many contributions to the world, including their famous roads. This made it possible for Jesus’ followers to spread the message of salvation.
We also read of a decree from the emperor that all the Roman Empire should be registered for taxation. People returned to their home towns to do this. Joseph went to Bethlehem and took Mary even though her time for delivery was near. Only a legal necessity would make them willing to make such a journey.
We can imagine the crowd in Bethlehem. So crowded in fact the Bible says there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the inn. Instead, she gave birth to Jesus, God’s Son, in a stable. His first cradle was a feed trough.
The moment of Jesus’ birth came in humble circumstances. What more humble place to be born than a stable, a cave. What more humble place for a crib than a feed trough. No matter our station in life, Jesus can identify with us.
III. THE MAJESTY
While all of this was taking place, an angel appeared to shepherds living in the fields and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified, but the angel told them not to fear for he brought news of great joy. A Savior had been born in the city of David who was the Messiah. They would find him in a manger wrapped in bands of cloth.
After announciing the birth, a host of angels joined and praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
When the angels left, the shepherds departed for Bethlehem to see these things they were told of. Sure enough, they found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger. After seeing this magnificent sight, they left and told others about this birth.
Later, the majesty of Jesus' birth was recognized again by a visit from wise men. We do not know how many there were. Tradition says three. We also know they came later than the shepherds. When they visited Jesus, Mary and Joseph were living in a house. These wise men came from the east inquiring of Herod the King where the king of the Jews had been born. They had seen his star at its rising.
When Herod heard the news, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him. He called together the scribes and priests to find out where the Messiah was to be born. After finding out, he called the wise men and told them to search for the child. When they found him, they were to tell him so he could worship him also.
The wise men continued to follow the star until it rested over the house where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were staying. They entered, kneeled before him, and presented him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left and went another way.
The birth of Jesus was a majestic moment, for indeed he was a king. He was the Messiah as well as a king. Let us never forget the majesty of the birth of Jesus.
IV. THE MESSAGE
The message that comes in the birth of Jesus can be seen in the prophecies and thanksgivings of Simeon and Anna. When the days of Mary's purification were fulfilled according to Moses’ law, she took Jesus to the temple to present him to the Lord.
There was a man named Simeon in Jerusalem. He was a devout and righteous man who it had been revealed that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus in, he took him in his arms and blessed him saying, “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel.”
In the blessing, Simeon demonstrated he recognized Jesus was to save not only those in Israel but Gentiles as well. Redemption would be provided for the world. While we know all people will not accept Jesus’ redemption, Simeon recognized he died for all. In his prophecy, he included that Jesus would be the cause of the rise and fall of many. Many would accept him, but many would reject him. The opposition would reach its climax in the cross. This bitter episode would pierce the soul of Mary like a sword.
While Mary and Joseph were pondering his words, Anna, an aged prophetess, appeared. She too praised God for the salvation that would come through Mary’s child. She went out to speak to all who were looking for the redemption of the Messiah.
The birth of Jesus then is not the major sticking point. The major point of the birth is what it led to: the cross. Here he would give his life so that we might find forgiveness for our sins by trusting him as our Savior.
CONCLUSION
Bill Bright, in his book A Man Without Equal, tells of being invited by a previous student of a seminary to visit the office of a distinguished professor. The pastor introduced Bright as the president of Campus Crusade for Christ. He told him he worked with students and professors all over the world. The professor wanted to know what he told students about becoming a Christian. Then the professor wanted to know what he could tell him. Bright was puzzled because this question came from a distinguished professor at one of the most prestigious seminaries in the world. The professor told of how his father had not believed Jesus was God’s Son but how in his searching he had come to the conclusion he was. The professor shared that he believed this intellectually but wanted to know Jesus personally. After sharing the simple message with him, the professor said to Bright: “I am now absolutely convinced that Jesus is the Son of God... Now will you pray for me?” They did, and this man of international renown accepted Jesus as his Savior.
The central message surrounding Jesus’ birth is that he came to save people from their sins. He did his part, beginning with his birth. Now individuals must do theirs by trusting him as their Savior.
