The Birth of Christ

Luke the only Gentile writer in the Bible gives us more details about the birth of Christ than Matthew. Luke contrasts one who is the self-proclaimed Savior of the world and one who is the real Savior. Caesar thought of himself as a man who had become a god. Mary’s baby, however, was the true God who had become a man. 

Augustus thought he was the great one, but God had his eye on an obscure place called Bethlehem because he was ready to unwrap his gift for the entire world. The prophet Micah had foretold the place. “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” (Micah 5:2).

Joseph and Mary were not pawns of Caesar but servants of the Most High God. The order for each man to return to his hometown was all about money, but in God’s economy, it was about getting Joseph and Mary in the right place at the right time. A journey of nearly a hundred miles in the winter, either walking or on a borrowed donkey, would have been difficult but incredibly demanding when you are nine months pregnant. The pace had to be slow, and the stress of the baby coming early never left Mary’s mind. There was the exhaustion of the trip, and now the labor pains have intensified.

Luke writes: “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7). Mary and Joseph may have been two insignificant people in an obscure village, but they knew something big was happening. Both had experienced visits from a powerful angel. Both knew this baby had no earthly father. Both knew God’s hand was leading them on their journey. Both knew they were to name the child Jesus. Both knew he would be great and that one day, he would save his people from their sins. They may have been poor and uneducated without influence, but God had chosen them for some remarkable roles.

God used Caesar’s greed to cause Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem at an inopportune time, but God was behind it. This was to be the moment that God became man. The doctrine of the incarnation is the belief that the Son of God became a real man - not just someone who appeared to be a man. Jesus was fully God even when he was a baby lying in the manger, But he voluntarily laid aside the use of his divine attributes. He submitted himself to the will of his father. Though sinless, he had a real human body, mind, and emotions. This means he was complete with inherent human weaknesses, and It also means he experienced human temptation.

He was a real baby, a real boy, and then a real man. He had to learn to crawl, to walk, to talk. He had to learn how to be a carpenter. What was so different about Jesus was that he did it all sinlessly.

Gabriel Visits Mary

When I think of some of the most incredible stories in the Bible, several come to mind: Moses parted the Red Sea in an incredible escape from the Egyptian army. David fights the giant Goliath with a slingshot and defeats him. Daniel spends the night with the lions and survives. But another story stands out: the day the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

Mary would have a prearranged marriage and likely never travel far from home. Like her family, she anticipates the Messiah’s coming. She is engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter, and 12 months later, they will be married. But her life is about to change in a big way! The angel, Gabriel, ignoring Jerusalem, arrived in the insignificant village of Nazareth. He found Mary, who was probably still just a teenager. He told her she was esteemed. Mary was startled but reflective; she “wondered what kind of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:29). Gabriel told her, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31).

Gabriel’s words were shocking. Mary was informed that she would have a baby boy, and she was to call him Jesus. Gabriel told her about the child, “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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever;” (Luke 1:32-33). Mary was hearing that she would be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. She questioned, “How can this be since I have not known a man in that way?” Gabriel explained that this would be a miraculous conception.

Gabriel tells Mary that Elizabeth, her cousin, will give birth to a son within three months even though she is far past the age of having a child. Finally, Gabriel’s parting words were: “For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Mary had challenges ahead. How would she tell Joseph and her family, and what would be their reaction? Mary no doubt knew her story would be questioned; indeed, it was even by Joseph. Joseph struggles to believe her story. When he was going to divorce her, Gabriel came to visit him and confirmed her story.

Then word came that Joseph had to be in Bethlehem because of an edict by Caesar, so they traveled the 90-mile journey even though she was nine months pregnant. They cannot find a room to spend the night on their arrival. Joseph and Mary have apprehension and confusion. Mary is about to have a baby, and we cannot find a room. But Joseph is persistent in search of quarters, and while God is closing some doors, he is opening others because he has chosen the place for the birth of his son. Finally, they are given permission to spend the night in a stable with the company of animals. But they were where they were supposed to be. They are in the tiny village of Bethlehem, exactly where the prophet Micah predicted Christ would be born. No coincidence here! “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).