Jesus’s Birth: The First Act of Sacrifice
The birth of Jesus was not a surprise. It was not something God forced Jesus into. And it was not the kind of “picture perfect” birth that we may envision it as.
We may imagine His birth as a cute, simple, sweet, almost story-like event. It’s the pretty picture we hang up on our wall, the perfect story we tell our children, and the lyrics in the songs we sing.
So many would like to keep Jesus in the manger so that His death might be irrelevant. If Jesus had not grown out of the manger, He would have never had the chance to die for us.
While His birth was an innocent & infinitely special moment in the world’s history as well as Christianity’s, it has a deeper meaning than we tend to remember.
His birth was the first act of SACRIFICE for us. 🤎
It wasn’t a matter of Jesus simply choosing to be born.
By choosing to be born on earth, He was simultaneously choosing to DIE for us on the cross.
He knew what it meant-being born on earth.
He knew what He was choosing: a life of healing & miracles, but also hate, gossip, persecution, & ultimately a torturous death.
Jesus was in Heaven! A perfect Heaven with His Father! He had nothing to personally gain by choosing to be born.
Therefore, one might would imagine that someone of His power would refuse being presented to the earth in a dirty, humble stable…as a baby nonetheless!
But instead, He chose it ALL, for US. He was all-powerful, but still the most perfect picture of humility.
He chose to leave Heaven not only to be born, but to DIE for us.
His choice to die for us began long before He carried His cross. Long before He was betrayed with a kiss or Pilate surrendered Him to be killed.
His choice to die first began when He chose to be born. ⭐️
His love for us was first demonstrated in His birth - His choice to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. 👉🏼 It was then fully completed when He endured the torture & died on the cross for our sins.
Because of the purpose & fulfillment of His earthly life & death, we can celebrate His birth as so much more than just a baby being born.
✨Today, let us celebrate His birth: His choice to save us. His act of humility in being presented in such a way to the earth He would come to save.
Matthew 1:21 KJV
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins.
The beautiful lyrics of Ivory Palaces seem to perfectly fit this idea:
“My Lord has garments so wondrous fine,
And myrrh their texture fills;
Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine
With joy my being thrills.
Refrain:
Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
Made my Savior go.
His life had also its sorrows sore,
For aloes had a part;
And when I think of the cross He bore,
My eyes with teardrops start.
His garments, too, were in cassia dipped,
With healing in a touch;
In paths of sin had my feet e’er slipped—
He’s saved me from its clutch.
In garments glorious He will come,
To open wide the door;
And I shall enter my heav’nly home,
To dwell forevermore.”
Thank you for this reminder! I’ve never heard of “Ivory Palaces,” though the lyrics remind me of a CCM song I learned of last year, “How Many Kings?” by Downhere. I haven’t heard of any other religion that makes a claim like the Bible, that God sacrificed Himself so that humanity could have the chance to join Him for eternity.