The significance of the lowly birth of Christ
The annual celebration of the birth of Christ by Christians all over the world is a season of joy and love. It is a period of great celebration that falls at the end of every year. Many Christians and non-Christians usually reunite with family members during this period to travel across cities, nations and continents to have a good time with their loved ones.
The Christmas period should not just be a time for eating, drinking and partying. It should be a time of sober reflection on the reason for the season. This should be a time of deep thinking on the lowly birth of Christ, circumstances surrounding His birth and the significance of not just His birth but why God has planned the birth of His only begotten son to be so lowly. Why should the king of Kings be born in an obscure and insignificant environment? (John 1:46).
The significance of the lowly birth of Christ cannot be overemphasized. It is something that calls for sober reflection on annual basis for a comprehensive understanding of the salvation of humanity. A grasp of God's agenda and purpose of using the lowly birth of Christ to confound the noble and the wealthy will help us appreciate the universality and the classlessness of the Christian faith. It debases the politically correct individuals, the high and the mighty, the intellectuals and the bourgeoisie to be on the same level with the marginalized and the poor. God, through the lowly birth of Christ, used the foolish thing of this world to shame the wise.
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The scripture gave account of how Jesus was born in a cattle stall and was laid in a manger. God delayed Joseph and Mary from entering Bethlehem early enough so that all the rooms in the inn would be taken before their arrival. The inn attendant informed them that there was no room and the cattle stall became the last resort for Mary and Joseph to have their baby in fulfillment of divine agenda.
God could have taken them into a palace for Christ to be born, but He chose the modest setting.
Christ was not born in a palace but in cattle stall. He was not dressed in princely regalia but in swaddling clothe. He was not laid in on ultra-durable foam but in a manger. He was born poor, lived poor and died poor. Jesus was never rich in material things of this world. “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’” (Luke 9:58). Christ depended absolutely on God the Father for His daily sustenance right from His birth until He died and rose again. He commanded that Christians should ask the Father to provide them with daily bread (Mathew 6:11).
The earthly poverty of Christ was as a result of His love for us, and His willingness to share His heavenly riches with us "for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Just as He was poor in respect of material things, so must we be ready to give up earthly riches to be His disciples and partake in His heavenly riches.
He died the most shameful death and was humiliated and mocked. He who knew no sin took upon Himself the sin of the whole world. It was designed by the Father for Him to pass through lowly birth so that He would be well equipped right from infancy to endure the pain and shame of the cross. There was no more suitable time for Christ to be introduced to the conditions necessary for the fulfilment of His ministry than His birth time.
For God to be humbled and incarnate in human form for the salvation of humanity is a demonstration of love that can never be matched. "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).
Imbibing the virtues of Christmas should be our focus this entire season. Every Christmas season should have a multiplier effect on our ability to make sacrifices and love, just as Christ did. It should be season of absolute humility and change in attitude towards material acquisition with the understanding that Jesus was born poor and died poor so that through His poverty we will acquire His heavenly riches.
“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Jesus abandoned many mansions in His father's house to come down to this earth and be born in the cattle stall. He moved about throughout His life without a roof over His head. He died poor and has gone to prepare a place in the heavenly mansions for us. Acquiring the virtues of love, contentment and humility during this Christmas should be a good way to celebrate the lowly birth of Christ.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
