When God became man: A humble entrance

"And she gave birth to her firstborn Son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7).

What a simple way to describe the most important birth in history. In its simplicity, however, it seems we have a profound insight into what it meant for God to come to earth.

God the Son's birth was unremarkable except possibly for the inconvenience of it. He was wrapped in cloths like other children of the time, but His bed was not a normal one. Instead, His mother placed Him in a food trough, which is what a manger is. The bed was typically a provision for animals, but on this occasion it was a place for their Creator to lay His head.

He was born in this place "because there was no room for [Jesus, Mary and Joseph] in the inn." Even his birth may have demonstrated what the apostle John wrote of His life: "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him" (John 1:11). Though God the Son humbled Himself to save the world, from the start there were places that were too full to make room for Him.

-- Photo by Aleks Dahlberg on Unsplash