Christmas God's Way

Jesus' birth is the story of unlikely places. He wasn't born in the holy city of Jerusalem or in Rome, the seat of imperial power. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, a town sophisticated people mocked, saying, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" (John 1:46). Hardly a fitting hometown for a great king! The little town of Bethlehem was "small among the clans of Judah" (Micah 5:2), and a manger was a humble maternity ward for the Son of God.

Jesus' birth is also the story of unlikely faces. There's the youthful, trusting face of Mary, treasuring in her heart the words of the angel and the miraculous virgin birth of her infant Son. There's the perplexed but faithful face of her husband-to-be, leaving his carpentry business in Nazareth to make the trip to Bethlehem—and later to far-away Egypt. There's the cold, uncaring face of Caesar Augustus, who orders a census without concern for the impact such a decree would have on a young couple nearing childbirth—unaware how his actions fit the unfolding plan of God.

Other faces are there as well. The tanned, weather-beaten faces of shepherds—filled with terror at the angel's startling announcement, then filled with excitement when they see the baby for themselves. Soon afterward, the wrinkled, aging faces of Simeon and Anna light up with joy while they praise God for allowing them to see the Christ-child.

Most of all, Jesus' birth is the story of unlikely graces. John wrote, "The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid him in a feeding trough for lambs; then 33 years later, she saw him crucified between two thieves—the silent, suffering Lamb of God. Jesus was born to die as "the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). The mystery of the manger led to the cruelty of the cross.

As the lyrics of "Silent Night" remind us, Jesus' birth signaled "the dawn of redeeming grace." He endured the agony of Gethsemane, the pain of Calvary, the indignity of betrayal and rejection. He lived a sinless life, then shed his blood for those who have sinned against him—and salvation isn't all he came to give us. "From the fullness of his grace we have received one blessing after another" (John 1:16)—blessings we can see and touch (daily food, family and friends, Bibles to read), blessings we can hear (great songs of faith, encouraging words from those dear to us), and spiritual blessings like the gift of the Holy Spirit and the hope of resurrection.

This week, the birth of Jesus will be celebrated in unlikely places. Soldiers will sing "Joy to the World" on military outposts in Afghanistan. In apartment buildings near New York's "Ground Zero," Christians will sing "O Come, All Ye Faithful." In nations hostile to the gospel of Christ, brave believers will glorify the newborn King.

This week, the birth of Jesus will once again bring joy to unlikely faces. The patient recuperating from surgery on a hospital bed will find comfort in the presence of the Prince of Peace. The widow whose husband died this year will still mean it when she sings "all is calm, all is bright." The new Christian experiencing her first Christmas as a believer will worship the Lord with newfound wonder.

Aren't you glad God did things his way, not ours? And aren't you glad God's way is the way of grace?