God’s Christmas Card #2: A Child is Born

It’s been 32 years since my son was born, and 29 years since my daughter entered the world. I remember both days as if they happened yesterday. It’s beyond me how anyone could watch the miracle of birth and not conclude there is a God.

My wife and I prepared for the birth of our firstborn by going to Lamaze classes and attending a hospital workshop on infant care. The hospital staff told the expectant fathers that during their wife’s labor there would be free food available to them in the cafeteria. They wanted to avoid having the fathers-to-be pass out in the delivery room. That’s all I needed to hear – free and food.

When the big day came my wife was in labor for 26 hours. That’s a l-o-n-g time. So about 20 hours into it I told my wife, “Honey, I’m really hungry, so I’m going to step out for a moment and get something to eat.” She grabbed me by the shirt collar and with the look of a wild woman screamed, “If you leave me, I will KILL you.” I decided to skip the free food.

The Bible doesn’t provide the details concerning Mary’s labor or childbirth. But it does tell us the delivery room was a stable and that only the mother and father were present – plus some animals. It’s likely that Jesus came into the world as all children do – naked, unashamed, and crying up a storm. It’s reasonable to assume that Mary’s maternal instincts kicked in and Joseph stood in awe of Mary having gone through the ordeal of childbirth. No husband could watch his wife deliver their child and not fall in love with her all over again.

What we do know is that an incredible event had taken place – God had become man. The Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah had been fulfilled: “For unto us a child is born.” It was THE defining moment in all of human history. From that moment on history would be divided into two parts – before His coming (BC – before Christ) and after His death (AD – Anno Domini). For the next 33 years a great light shone in the world as Jesus actually walked, talked, lived, and died upon this planet.

Please take a moment to reflect on the wonder and significance of that moment. It must have been an awe-filled and most holy of nights. The angels sang to shepherds who then came to the stable to see the newborn King. What they observed was a tiny infant, wrapped tightly in cloth, and lying in a manger – that is the feeding trough for the animals. On that night of nights all of heaven rejoiced while most everyone on earth slept. Don’t you wish you could’ve been there to witness the entrance of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords into the world?

God could’ve chosen to have His Son come to this world as a fully grown man who appeared out of nowhere. Instead, Jesus Christ entered the world an infant, born of a virgin, in an environment that was the humblest of beginnings. In entering the world as all children do, Jesus fully identified Himself with all human beings.

The most remarkable part of the Christmas story is who Jesus is. Because Mary was His mother, Jesus is fully human; because the Holy Spirit had come upon her when she conceived, He is also fully God. He is the bridge between God and man who came to earth to pay for our sins by dying in our place. The majesty and wonder of His birth are beyond words or understanding.

The fact of His birth changed the world forevermore. The hope of reconciliation between God and His sinful children was now a possibility, and soon to be a reality. Because Jesus was here on earth, someday we could be with Him in heaven.

In this busy Christmas season please take time to reflect on the miracle of His birth. Consider how your life is different because He came to earth. And thank Him for walking among us and making it possible for you to have eternal life.

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