An Unlikely Entrance

One of the amazing things about the Christmas story is the total unassuming and quiet nature of the birth narrative.   In Matthew 1:20, the angel says to Joseph, “for that which is conceived in her (Mary) is of the Holy Spirit”.   These are twelve words which have a simple meaning on the surface but which have incredibly deep theological meaning; the likes of which we can never fully grasp and understand.  If I had been an angel in charge of planning out the birth of Jesus, I would have suggested an entirely different approach.

I would have used incredible cosmic phenomenon to signal the birth of this child.  I would have “called out the stops” regarding heavenly music and spectacular light shows.  I would have ordered up a wonderful package of “special effects” to demonstrate to the human race that this baby is special.  That would have been my plan.  Even more important, I would not have allowed the sinless, perfect, Son of God to be born the “normal” way.  I would have had him burst on the scene in a different way than via a regular human womb.  Certainly, the Son of God deserves more than that type of birth.  Certainly He deserves more than what He got.

But that’s not how God did it.  God scrapped that plan, (if an angel had actually given such a plan…don’t think so though…)  If God had done it the “other way”, Jesus would not have been fully man as well as fully God.  Jesus would not have been qualified to be a human Savior.  He would not have been “tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin”.  He would not have been able to sympathize with our weaknesses.  I could go on and on but let me just say that the birth narrative, even the conception of Jesus, is an unlikely event.  However, it is exactly what was needed for each of us to have the opportunity to experience salvation.

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