Imagine you were one of the shepherds in the field keeping watch over the flocks by night. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appears and the glory of the Lord shines everywhere. You are terrified by this sight.
The angel of the Lord tells you not to be afraid. Then comes an announcement of good news of great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you, you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and laying in a manger.
Then suddenly there is not just one angel, but a heavenly host appears with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The angels suddenly leave you and you can hardly believe what your eyes just saw, and your ears just heard. You hurry to Bethlehem along with the other shepherds who were witnesses to this. One of the shepherds asks, where did the angel say we would find the baby? In a manger another answers. But that is where the animals are dept.
This is very unusual that any child be found in a manger, but the awaited messiah lying in a manger? What child is this?
Jesus Humble Humanity
There is the simplicity of a baby in a manger. The humble humanity of Jesus Christ who is born this first Christmas morning is on display. There is a certain beauty in things in this life that are humble. It is touching when they are done in simplicity.
That simplicity factor is one of the compelling reasons to the popularity of the Christmas song Silent Night. The church organ was broken so a simple song was composed that could be played on the guitar.
In the case of Jesus birth mankind was broken by sin. God composed a simple plan that could be understood by anyone. Christ came in humanity. In the Christmas story we see the far-reaching impact of Christ’s humility.
Jesus was born into a family that faced scorn from society. Because they thought the worst when Jesus was conceived out of wedlock. This is what others thought happened when Mary became pregnant before she was married.
Joseph and Mary did not violate God’s plan. There was a unique miracle in the virgin birth of Christ. We know it now, but at the time others would not believe them. Jesus’ parents lived in Nazareth and there was an expression that nothing good can come out of Nazareth.
There was no place of decency for Jesus to be born. There was no room in the inn. The only place was out with the animals. I would venture to say none of us has entered this world in such a humble manner as Jesus. Even if you came from a poor family, you probably were not born out in the barn.
How would you feel if you went to the hospital to deliver and they said, there is no room here in the hospital and you must go behind the hospital to the barn for this delivery. Any inconvenience is deeply regretted. The king of kings was born where the animals stay.
By the way the shepherds who came to the birth were not of the dignified class of society. They were not allowed to participate in the ritual of ceremonial cleansing. They were common folk who were at home out in the fields. They were used to being with the animals and might not have been welcome in the inn if that is where Jesus was born.
Jesus’ birth was humble. There he lay in the manger in full humanity totally dependent on others to help him to survive. He was all wrapped up by his mother like other newborns are wrapped up. Jesus was born of a human mother, and he was dependent on his mother for everything. That is humility.
You can look on ancestor.com and see that Jesus genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, the father of the human race. If you don’t have the premium membership to ancestor.com that traces Jesus’ linage to Adam, then look at Luke chapter 3:23-37 and Matthew 1:1-17. The humble humanity of Jesus is all the more impressive when you see his Majestic Deity.
The Divine Majesty of the Child
If you were one of those shepherds who heard the angel announcement of good news of great joy for all the people, and you hurried to the manger to see the baby then you saw the humble humanity of Jesus. You also saw the one born king of the Jews. You saw the one who is referred to as Ruler and Shepherd of my people. You saw the one who is Son of the most high.
“’But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:6)
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
Just as we must acknowledge from the story of the birth of Jesus his humanity the Christmas story speaks of His Divine nature. When the Magi saw his star and they followed this star to the baby Jesus they worshiped the child.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)
People love babies, but except for Jesus they do not worship babies. The magi presented Jesus with, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Only God is to be worshipped.
He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33)
The verse speaks of the reign of Jesus. He will reign over the house of Jacob. His kingdom will have no end. Every king no matter how great or small has seen their kingdom come to an end. Oly God knows such a kingdom as described for Jesus. He is the only everlasting king. Jesus is still king. He will always be king.
Even in the womb, John the Baptist leaps for joy. His mother Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:41)
Jesus was a helpless human as other babies are, yes. But Jesus is also a king even the King of Kings. Jesus’ parents come from Nazareth a city that is spurned. He was born in Bethlehem the royal city of David. It was a humble birth yes; it was also a royal birth. There are two aspects to Jesus and his birth, his humanity, and his divinity.
When the Magi stopped in Jerusalem they did not say, where is one who will be king of the Jews, they said they were there to see the one who is king of the Jews.
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2)
His status as king, his deity were all qualities Jesus possessed that first Christmas morning. What really bothered king Herod about Jesus was not that Jesus was born in a humble manger. No, it was not that. It was the prophecy of Micah that Jesus was a ruler that he was king of the Jews.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” Micah (5:2)
The Gospels make it clear that Joseph was not Jesus biological father only his legal guardian father. God Almighty was Jesus’ father. Jesus was to be called Immanuel, which means God with us.
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:23)
It is very clear that Jesus was a man, but he was more than a man, he was God as well as man. God has a unique authority. He has the authority to forgive men of their sins. Jesus is the blessed savior. The angels made an announcement that the birth of Jesus was the “most joyful news ever announced.”
Jesus the blessed Savior
There have been a lot of good things that have taken place. This one is the best. Why? Why is Jesus’ birth in a manger in Bethlehem the best thing that ever happened? Because a savior is born, and we need a savior. The name of this child is Jesus. It comes from the Hebrew Joshua or Yeshua. Jesus’ name means, “The Lord is salvation.”
He is called Christ which speaks of Jesus as the awaited Messiah. In Luke 1:69 Jesus is referred to as the Horn of Salvation. Horn is a metaphor for power. Salvation describes the kind of power. Jesus is uniquely the only one with the power to save people from their sin.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), (Luke 1:69-70)
We find out more of this salvation in Zechariah’s song. It is about taking away guilt of sin and giving a new life.
To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, (Luke 1:77)
Jesus came because man is entangled in sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23). Jesus is the power unto salvation. This is why Jesus coming is good news of great joy. His coming means salvation is available. Jesus came with a purpose and that purpose was the cross. To die the just for the unjust to bring us to God.
Jesus came to save you as an individual, whoever you are. What must you do to receive this salvation, this good news of great joy? Surrender to Christ. Acknowledge you will never reach God on your own. Put your faith in Jesus Christ the savior.
