Jesus’ birth: a man like us
Read: Philippians 2:5-8
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother.... Matthew 2:11
Every new baby is helpless. Even if a child is born as a king or a billionaire, he still needs help to eat, to sleep, and to stay clean. Jesus was born as God, with great majesty and power, but He was equally and genuinely human.
The low status of the human family He was born into is clear from scripture. Mary and Joseph came from one of the most despised towns in Israel; it was a saying that nothing good could come from their hometown of Nazareth (John 1:46). Both of them were descendants of King David, but they weren’t a prince and princess. Joseph was just a carpenter.
Even the story of the wise men shows that Jesus was not born in Jerusalem, the political and religious capital, but in Bethlehem. He was not in a palace but was living in a house. He was being cared for not by a staff of servants but simply by His mother. Later He and His family had to flee from their home to escape from King Herod.
There was nothing glamorous or privileged about Jesus’ childhood. He was just like every other child because He was just as human as we all are.
Questions for reflection and discussion
● Why did God come into a humble family rather than a great one?
● Does Jesus’ childhood sound like your childhood? Do you think He understands where you came from?
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for coming to live alongside us and be like us. We know You understand what it is like to be human and can sympathize with our weaknesses and faults. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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