JESUS' BIRTH - Glory in the Ordinary!

If we ever needed proof that God reveals Himself through the ordinariness of everyday life we don’t need to look any further than the story of the birth of Jesus.

Sure we see supernatural miracles: His divine conception by the Holy Spirit, the star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem, Gabriel’s appearance to Mary and the angelic choir singing to the shepherds, just to name a few.

But, also, there were some pretty ordinary events that God used extraordinarily: The census by Julius Caesar that forced Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem from Nazareth, fulfilling the messianic prophesy; the laying down of Jesus into a feeding trough showing He was the Bread of Life sent from heaven; the tradition of a baby dedication of Jesus at the temple where Anna and Simeon were able to see Him and prophesy over Him; the gifts from the Magi (their visit likely occurred months after his birth) that no doubt made the trip to Egypt and back to Israel financially possible for this poor young couple; the jealous murderous rage of Herod after he had been fooled by the Magi after their visit, not returning to Jerusalem, again fulfilling prophesy by killing all children under two years of age.

These were all very “ordinary” events that can, for the most part, be explained by normal human reactions and motivations intertwined with the more supernatural occurrences that surrounded His birth.

These commonplace events were what God used to do something glorious—send His only Son into the world. Those who were ready to receive Him—Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist (in the womb, making him the youngest believer on record!) Anna, Simeon, the shepherds, the Magi—they were all full of JOY at His birth.

But for those who were not ready or willing—Herod, the crowd at the inn, the townspeople of Bethlehem—they missed the wonder of what God was doing right in front of them. Jesus’ glory to them was disguised by the ordinariness of the events they lived through. To these people Jesus was either ignored or attacked. Two thousand years later not much has changed in how most people respond to Him.

They were too distracted by other things to see what God was providing for their GREATEST need—a Savior from their sins.

What about you and me? May we open our eyes to see HIM and welcome HIM when He is present through the sights, acts and people we experience every day. He is STILL to be seen for those who have eyes to see.

Have An Extraordinary CHRISTmas!

Jamie

Note: Do you have any stories of God’s Glory showing up in the ordinary? I would love to hear them and share them with a larger audience if you would like! Just email me at (JNBohnett@aol.com)

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