"THE SAVIOUR'S HUMILITY"

7 “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 2:7

"THE SAVIOUR'S HUMILITY"

Today's verse shows how difficult the situation the Lord Jesus had to face as early as His first few days on earth. God could’ve allowed Him to be born into the family of Herod or the High Priest, so He could enjoy the benefits of royalty or the elite—but He didn’t. Keep in mind that the idea is for Jesus to suffer humiliation because that was His path to glory.

The fact that God the Son had to be human was already a humiliation in itself. Can you imagine the Creator of all things being like one of His creatures? Couple that with being born into a family of poor Jews, and it makes things all the more difficult. Jesus’ humble place of birth reminds us of how low He had to go in order to reach you and me. As the song goes, “He came from heaven to earth to show the way.” 

Moreover, life was just about to get tougher for Him. When He starts His ministry, He’s going to deal with stubborn, self-centered disciples and murderous religious leaders! Ultimately, He will subject Himself to human authorities and die a criminal’s death.

The Son of God did not come to earth in a privileged, elegant setting. Rather, He came to us in the lowliest of circumstances. The birth of the Lord Jesus, including the manger where He was laid, shows His humility and approachability.

Jesus came to a fallen world to save people. In fact, when He was on earth, He left all the glories of heaven in order to spend time with sinners like us, teaching us, and eventually dying for us.

Christmas is a reminder that God the Son left His exalted heavenly position to come down to earth and die for us. Don't let the significance of that truth be ignored this Christmas season.