Luke 1:30-34, Hebrews 4:15-16, Luke 2:7, Ephesians 1:1

Glyn Barrett considers Jesus' birth and what we can learn from it.

It is amazing how dignified our view of God can be. Often when thinking of God, prim and proper images come to mind, almost as if we expect Jesus to speak the Queen's English and wear a bowler hat. Jesus' birth puts that notion to rest.

In Luke 2:7 it says, 'She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.' Imagine that in context with the delivery rooms we use today. Imagine a stable, (more probably a cave), used by shepherds and herders, and a baby being born in the midst of that. Imagine that baby being placed in a manger, (feeding trough for animals). Compare that with the birth of my two children where everything was sterilised, with trained midwives and doctors on hand. I had a nice bed to lie down on when tired and to top it off, Spanish football to watch on TV.

Jesus was born into the filth, dirt, smell and mayhem of an animal house. This truly is madness. This baby, the Son of God, made the universe. He made the heavens and the earth. You'd think He could find room in the inn, yet He chose to be born homeless! Why would He do that?

It was so He might help us to understand the depths He is willing to go in His pursuit of us. In being born homeless He is telling us our true home is not in the house, city, or country we live in, but our true home is actually IN HIM.

Ephesians 1:1 says, 'To God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.' Paul who is writing these words is clear to point out that for the people living in Ephesus, they have a new home and that home is in Christ Jesus. The same is true of each of us, our home is in Him.

Conclusion

My prayer for you, your family and our nation, is that we might grow in our awareness of just how much God is able to understand what we are going through; that we would believe we can turn to Him in our hour of need.