A Very “Ordinary” Supernatural Birth

I am frequently amazed when I read the Christmas story as to how “non-descript” the entire episode is.  I mean, we are talking about God in the flesh here.  And there are so few words used to describe Jesus’ birth.  If you’ve been in a supermarket lately you’ve been inundated with news about Kate’s baby and Jennifer’s baby and since I don’t read the magazines I’m not even sure either of them is pregnant!  But the coverage is intense.  Not so with Mary’s baby.  Here are the words:  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

That’s it…that’s all we get.  I know that we have more details about the shepherds and the angels and all that, but as far as the actual birth is concerned, we don’t get much at all.   Again, this is God we are talking about.  We are reading about God becoming flesh, confining Himself to stubbed toes and common colds, hangnails and dry skin.  And we get almost no detail.  But that’s how God wrote it.  I often wonder if we make far too much out of the birth of Jesus and far too little of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  I don’t mean to sound “Grinch-ish” here but in reality the birth is just the first step.  It’s a big step as far as we are concerned but not apparently as far as God is concerned.  The birth of Jesus was necessary but the real “action” comes later.  Let’s celebrate the birth of Jesus, but let’s not stop following Jesus there as so many people do.  Let’s continue to follow His amazing life, death and resurrection.  Let’s allow the remarkable birth to point us toward His remarkable life and let’s allow Jesus’ life to make a real difference in each of our lives.  Let’s allow Jesus’ very ordinary supernatural birth make our rather ordinary lives supernatural in their impact on the world around us.

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