“And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 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 2:3-7 (ESV)
The strongest natural impulse of the human heart may be pride. It comes easily to all of us to be our own authority, deflect correction, and blame others when things turn out badly. That’s why the birth of Jesus—the heart of the Christmas story—is so important.
Jesus, as the Son of God, should have been born in the most elegant palace. Servants should have attended to Mary’s every need. Human voices should have swelled in majestic praise as Mary delivered Him into the world. But instead, Jesus was born in a barnyard—and laid in a manger which likely did not smell very good. The night air was almost certainly cold. Joseph and Mary were alone, without a mother or sister to help Mary deliver the baby.
The birth of Jesus was as humble and lowly as could be, just as the cross of Calvary would be years later. In almost every way, Jesus’ birth could not have been less elegant, comfortable, or easy. The conditions were not by accident but by God’s design. Everything about Jesus and His birth was the opposite of pride. Though He deserves all worship, praise, and ceremony, He chose to live humbly all His earthly days. That was true of His first day, lying in a manger, and of His last day, hanging on a cross.
The humble birth and life of Jesus is a fresh reminder of the humble nature of biblical Christianity. By the power of God, we all must battle pride. We all want to be exalted, celebrated, and served. But Jesus shows us what true godliness is: His humble beginning speaks to the course of His entire earthly life.
In the Christmas story, humility is at the center. So must this be true of our lives as well.
Prayer: Father, we praise you for sending your humble Son. We marvel at Jesus’ humility. We pray to have a humble heart and a humble mind. We confess that we are not naturally servant-hearted; all too often, we want to be served rather than to serve. We pray that you would make us more and more like your Son, and we thank you for watching over us just as you watched over baby Jesus in his birth in a lowly stable. In Jesus’ name, amen.
