While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. Luke 2:6-7a
Luke 2:1-7
Last week, we talked about God’s plan for each of us by looking at the story of the angel appearing to Mary and Joseph. The angel told them that Mary was going to become pregnant with the Son of God and while both of them were scared and confused, they decided to trust God anyway and allow Him to carry out His plan for their lives.
The story does not end there. Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted for the census, as instructed by the ruler of the land, Caesar Augustus. By this point, Mary was in her final days of pregnancy and desperately needed a place to stay and rest, but there was no room for the couple in any of the town inns. Finally, an innkeeper allowed them to stay in his barn and Jesus, the Son of God, was born that night in a lowly, dirty manger.
God sent His son to Earth to rescue humankind. He was a King born in the most unlikely of places, proving that God’s plan for humanity can still prevail even when things do not go as planned. Mary had likely imagined giving birth in a nice, clean room with a bed, but God knew that none of the details mattered. Only the fact that Jesus was delivered to Earth to carry out God’s plan for Him – to die on the cross to forgive our sins and allow us to live in eternity with Him.
When we recognize the magnitude of Jesus’ birth, we can clearly see how deeply we are loved. From birth to death, Jesus endured hardships and criticisms from every direction. He did this because He loved us and the idea of eternity with us was worth the trials He faced during His life on Earth. He came to save us – to save you. He was born to be your Savior.
Questions to think about:
- Why did Jesus come to Earth?
- Why do we need a Savior?
- How does knowing Jesus loves us and came to save us allow us to live our lives differently?