The Birth of Christ (2)

The Incarnation (vv 6-7)

Just stop to think about what the incarnation ment, it was God Himself putting on flesh just to be with us.

No child born into the world that day seemed to have lower prospects.

The Son of God was born into the world not as a prince but as a pauper.

We must never forget that this is where Christianity began, and where it always begins—with a sense of need, a graced sense of one’s insufficiency.

Christ, himself setting the example, comes to the needy.

He is born only in those who are “poor in spirit.”

The Incarnation provides a marvelous paradigm for Christ’s work in our lives.

Every Advent season, and hopefully at other times as well, we are brought again to the wonder of the Incarnation.

See the swaddled Jesus, lying in the feeding trough in the stable, the birthplace of common livestock.

Look long and hard with all your mind and all your heart.

From early times the paradox of the Incarnation has given birth to mind-boggling expressions.

The Meaning (vv 8-14)

Real Humanity

The great historic doctrine of the church is that the Son of God became a real man—not just someone who only appeared to be a man.

When he was born, God the Son placed the exercise of his all-powerfulness and all-presence and all-knowingness under the direction of God the Father.

He did not give up those attributes, but he submitted their exercise in his life to the Father’s discretion.

Though he was sinless, he had a real human body, mind, and emotions—complete with their inherent human weaknesses.

Divine Sympathy

Christ’s instrument, his humanity, was like ours in every way, except that he had no sin.

And when a chord is struck in the weakness of our human instrument, it resonates in his!

There is no note of human experience that does not play in Christ’s as well.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

He has an unequaled capacity for sympathy.

It goes far beyond intellectual understanding.

Jesus does not just imagine how his children feel—he feels it!

Wonderful Savior

The words of the angel, spoken not only for the shepherds but for all of us, were wonderful, for they promised a Savior:

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (vv. 10–11, italics added).

It was because of Christ’s incarnation and his perfect identification with humanity—his taking on our nature, though without sin—that he could save us.

The Effect (vv 15-20)

It is not enough to hear about Jesus.

It is not enough to peek in the manger and say, “Oh, how nice. What a lovely scene. It gives me such good feelings.”

The truth is, even if Christ were born in Bethlehem a thousand times but not within you, you would be eternally lost.

The Christ who was born into the world must be born in your heart.

Religious sentiment, even at Christmas time, without the living Christ is a yellow brick road to darkness.

The Holy Spirit included this story in the Holy Scriptures so we would not miss the point: the real Savior of the world was not Caesar Augustus, nor will it be any great world leader.

The Savior of the world is Jesus, the Son of God who came to earth veiled in Mary’s flesh, was born in human flesh, lived in the flesh, died in the flesh, was resurrected in that flesh, and now lives in the same glorified flesh at the right hand of the Father.