A new birth in a royal family usually prompts great pomp and fanfare—massive media saturation and a lot of celebration. But not in the case of Jesus. He came as a king and could have been born in a castle, yet the babe was born in a barn to parents who were both unknown and poor. He arrived with little worldly notice.

Why should we give attention to Jesus’ birth? Because heaven’s own heart had beat in the womb of a young woman for the previous nine months. Most likely just a young teenager herself, Jesus’ mother, Mary, was full of a faith far greater than expected for the years she’d known. Out of her body came God’s omnipotence covered in humanity’s limitations.

Her child was flesh, bones, sinew and blood. Yet He was also the perfection of deity. He felt hunger because He was fully human, yet He would later feed five thousand from just a few loaves and fishes because He was fully God (John 6:1-13). His was a unique birth because His destiny and rule were to be like no other.

As Messiah and King over all, Jesus has already established the rules of His reign. He has set the tone through His life. In His kingdom, neither race nor gender nor wealth nor social status determines our place in Him (Galatians 3:28). We may not relate to a ruler or a king, but we can relate to the struggles, needs and losses He who was born a baby in Bethlehem would face.

What a gift that God gave us a Savior with whom we can identify. Merry Christmas!

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