Luke 2:1-20
Every man or woman enters life as the natural climax of certain biological processes. They enter the world as a new being—their birth is the beginning of their existence. Man’s birth marks his origin. In contrast to this, Christ’s birth at Bethlehem was not His origin, but rather His incarnation. Jesus Christ knew neither “beginning of days nor end of life” (see Hebrews 7:3).
The book of Proverbs gives us an illuminating glimpse of the relationships between the eternal Father and the eternal Son. Proverbs 8:22-31 says, “The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way. When He prepared the heavens I was there. When He appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.”
Isaiah also had this concept when he wrote, “Unto us a child is born […]” speaking of His humanity and “Unto us a Son is given […]” speaking of His deity. As a Son, God gave him to the world, and as a child He was born into the world. “Coming into the N.T., John puts the preexistence of Christ beyond all doubt.” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then, John, in the same chapter describes the incarnation in one phrase, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This statement is overwhelming.
Our Lord came from the ivory palaces into a world of woe. He came from infinite distance, into finite nearness. He came from the unknowable to the knowable. He came in a body of flesh. He came as the Infinite Creator—God of the Universe, who made the stars, constellations and galaxies. He laid aside His own unique glories, and came down to the lowest depth to save us. He came down past all the greatest stars and blazing planets and stepped into the infinitesimally small planet called earth. On earth this great God of all eternity took up His abode in a microscopic human cell, was planted in the womb of a virgin of a Jewish nation, and dwelt under her pulsating heart for nine months. At the appointed time, He was born in a stable and cradled in a manger.
When our Lord came into the world, He passed the palaces and the kingly court; there was no room for Him in the Inn. He was born so low that no baby has ever been born lower. The Virgin brought forth her first-born Son alone, with the exception of cattle and sheep. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. Mary did all of these things by herself—there was no one to help her.
Had Jesus been an ordinary baby, these conditions would have been terrible. How tragic and how profound this is when we consider that this baby was none other than the Son of God—God manifest in flesh. On that first Christmas, this was God’s message of salvation to a despairing world, “Unto you is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord!” Watch this Savior at work in John’s gospel.
John wrote his gospel so that those who read it might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His name” (see John 20:21). John’s gospel is written around two sets of miracles. One set is in the realm of words and the other is in the realm of works. The seven miracles in the realm of works were carefully chosen by John to show that Jesus was the Son of God. Five of the seven miracles are shared in the gospel of John alone, while two are also described in the other synoptic gospels.
1. Jesus turned water into wine - John 2.
2. He healed the nobleman’s son - John 4.
3. He healed an impotent man at Bethesda - John 5.
4. He feeds five thousand - John 6.
5. He walks on water - John 6.
6. He heals a blind man - John 8.
7. He raised Lazarus - John 11.
There are also seven miracles in the realm of words. In His pre-incarnate appearance at the burning bush, He was declared to be the great “I AM.” As he walked among men for the last 3 ½ years of His life, He said that He was the great “I AM.”
1. I am the Bread of Life - John 6:35. He fed 5,000; He also was the Bread from heaven.
2. I am the Light of the world - John 9:5. He gave the blind man his sight.
3. I am the door - John 10:9.
4. I am the good shepherd - John 10:11.
5. I am the resurrection and the life - John 11:25.
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life - John 14:6.
7. I am the true vine - John 15:1.
No person who has ever lived could truthfully make such tremendous claims. John says that this One called Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Man of Sychar’s well, the Stranger of Galilee, and He whom ultimately became the Man of Calvary, is indeed the Christ - the Son of God. There was no room for Him in the Inn. There was no room for Him in the world of His day. By and large there is no room for Him in the 20th Century world.
Have you any room for Jesus?
He who bore your load of sin?
As He knocks and asks admission,
Sinner, will you let Him in?
Room for pleasure, room for business,
but for Christ the crucified;
not a place that He can enter,
In your heart for which He died.
Room for Jesus, King of glory,
swing the heart door wildly open,
hasty now His word obey,
bid Him enter while you may.